Lithium battery costs are currently about $300 per kilowatt. If my calcs are right, the Honda Civic Hybrid 1 and HCH2 are about a kilowatt. So the equivalent for lithium ion power costs a manufacturer around $300. HCH1/2 can't use Lithium though.

Unfortunately for HCH1, HCH2, and similar cars, their NiMH batteries will probably never fall much. The dealer wants thousands for a battery. Not much research going into that any more. I figure it will be like buying parts for a '66 Mustang


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...esla-s-model-3


Disclaimer- this looks like mfg cost, not retail cost.

 

The only significant research in NiMH batteries is the continual improvement in cycles and storage times for consumer batteries. The Eneloop is are pretty amazing. Thousands of cycles with 70% charge retention after 10 years.

Of course that technology has no applicability to hybrid vehicles.

All the research dollars are going into the higher power density technologies, i.e., the lithium variations.

Based on Chinese made sticks, you're looking at about $1000/kWh.

 

I forgot about the Chinese sticks. I was only thinking about the used oem sticks, which are ridiculously priced.

Maybe the Chinese factories will start to lower the prices on NiMH. Once they get a process in, I figure they'll crank them out and drop the prices.

 

Highly unlikely. Given that they've been at it for about 5 years and are already cranking them out, they likely have the process dialed in. Prices have been pretty steady at $50/stick for the last two years.


While their quality appears superior to the garbage 06-11 HCH2 offerings by Honda, they still fall short of the gems produced by Panasonic from 99 to 06.


NiMH has already bottomed. Demand has dropped dramatically.