I'm hoping by the time I need to replace my battery pack (06 FEH) that somethiing newer, lighter and more powerful will be available as a "drop-in replacment". (ie li-ion, A123, M1 - all the same I think, etc...)
Anyone given any thought to how much this will improve the overall MPG? - given the weight and power differences? Just curious for you Engineering/Physics types out there....

I can't imagine weight would make a difference. The whole pack is only a couple hundred pounds so cutting it in half would have little effect on mileage. The real difference would probably be in the size/power ratio. In other words, a battery of equal size and weight but with far more power.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 26,152
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


532 Gallons of gas saved
That's 10,642 lbs less CO2 emitted

That depends on how many cells you want.
1 LiIon cell has 'about' the same power as 1 NiMH cell.

However, it has 1/2 the weight as you said.
Also, LiION lose less energy to heat when they charge/discharge and they can take a deeper discharge, for more cycles. Also due to this, you can do away with the A/C cooling system in the back to make room for more cells.

By the time your traction batteries are 'dead', the rest of the truck should be near the end of its service life (150,000+ miles).

So far upgrading batteries isn't plug n' play, the retrofit/upgrade kits we have now ($30,000+) also involve changing electronics. Who knows, maybe there will be DIY upgrades in the future. I can't imagine strong demand to keep high mileage Escape hybrids on the road. The CVTs will be expensive to replace since they aren't a Ford part.

Actually, I would want to replace them before then to gain the MPG.... But after reading the inputs (thanks folks) it would seem a moot point.

Who makes the CVT?