[JonnySpaceman]

Ive a Vaxhall Ampera which is the same as a Chevy Volt gen1.
Has anyone heard of projects/aftermarket batteries to replace Volt/Ampera batteries, I figure modern battery cells are 2 to 3 times as energy dense as the Volt‘s original batteries, with a new battery pack range would be over 100 miles, way better than any new plug in’s on the market now.

 

[hellsop]

Nope. Nothing like that. The one established "aftermarket" source (in North America) seems to buying old packs and mix & matching cells to build a better-balanced set of cells, and then selling (and installing) the resulting battery. It's a process that can be replicated elsewhere, but does depend on having access to ENOUGH battery pulls to provide an assortment of "good enough" cells.

 

[BenjaminD]

There is a Dutch company that I saw on an episode of Fully Charged who will refurbish Leaf batteries quite well. Maybe they could help with your Ampera?

 

[supchrgamx]

mersadies double a battery car - Yahoo Video Search Results

 

[minorukun]

Ive a Vaxhall Ampera which is the same as a Chevy Volt gen1.
Has anyone heard of projects/aftermarket batteries to replace Volt/Ampera batteries, I figure modern battery cells are 2 to 3 times as energy dense as the Volt‘s original batteries, with a new battery pack range would be over 100 miles, way better than any new plug in’s on the market now.

Im working puttin new gen LG chem the same dimension as original factory come with, but with double capacity each cell is 30ah to 32AH, so swapping process is very hard and slow, theorically can have upto 32Kwh

 

[minorukun]

Im working puttin new gen LG chem the same dimension as original factory come with, but with double capacity each cell is 30ah to 32AH, so swapping process is very hard and slow, theorically can have upto 32Kwh

 

[voltreg]

I see no reason why the HV pack could not be replaced with one made from other cells as long as it was completed in whole. The cells would need to have similar physical size to be able to fit and work with the cooling system as original. If the charge/discharge voltage points were similar the Volt cell balance/management computer controlled burn off FETs should do their job same as original to keep the cells tracking their voltage point. If the energy density of the new cells was higher...that would be a bonus. The builder would be blazing new experimental exploration and would need to likely cycle run the built pack on the bench so to speak to verify all of the cells in the pack are tracking before installation into the car. One could set up an automated test rig alternately to grade all of the cells separately before a pack was assembled. It sounds like quite a task.

I don't think I would park the car in the garage with such a custom build considering how the Bolt has worked out.

 

[supchrgamx]

View attachment 173819
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cool - i want to be your friend

 

[minorukun]

cool - i want to be your friend

nice, contact me

 

[minorukun]

using a hummer and cutter, I can take of the cell pouch

 

[supchrgamx]

try using a soft hammer and a good, flat, wood chisel
cant tell, looks like a gen1 pack and do your new cells fit in replacement

 

[minorukun]

try using a soft hammer and a good, flat, wood chisel
cant tell, looks like a gen1 pack and do your new cells fit in replacement

yes the new cell has the same exact dimensions

 

[voltowner]

I was hopeful someone would do this commercially someday. Will the computer recognize the new large battery and use it all?

 

[supchrgamx]

yes the new cell has the same exact dimensions

voltage range the same as what your replacing?
so you can use existing hardware?
do you know a cell that will replace 2 gen pack?
so many questions so little time

 

[voltreg]

Unless a Delphi software geek spills the beans on the code or someone hacks the can buss like Colin and Jack did with the Tesla packs the first prototype will have to be the tell on capacity. One would hope the lookup tables reference the lowest cell voltage for switch to gas and not a predetermined max kWhr set point. Considering I have gotten greater than the 10.5 kWhr on a charge when the driving was doing a lot of regen...cell voltage might be the reference. That would be good.

 

[Himi Yoshi]

Im working puttin new gen LG chem the same dimension as original factory come with, but with double capacity each cell is 30ah to 32AH, so swapping process is very hard and slow, theorically can have upto 32Kwh

Definitely let us know how it goes. I have been wondering the same thing, if it would be possible to upgrade the battery capacity without messing up the cooling system and electrical system. How do you access the battery?

 

[minorukun]

voltage range the same as what your replacing?
so you can use existing hardware?
do you know a cell that will replace 2 gen pack?
so many questions so little time

the chemestry is NMC cathode, so the voltage is the same from 2013-2015 for 2011-2012 there is an upgrade firmware for 1.4 1.5 version

the gen 2 pack uses the same cell from LG but 25ah capacity and 96s2p configuration

 

[supchrgamx]

the chemestry is NMC cathode, so the voltage is the same from 2013-2015 for 2011-2012 there is an upgrade firmware for 1.4 1.5 version

the gen 2 pack uses the same cell from LG but 25ah capacity and 96s2p configuration

cool
do you know if the cells are physically the same size from gen1 to gen 2?
if they are that would even be a bit of an upgrade for gen 2 batteries

 

[minorukun]

cool
do you know if the cells are physically the same size from gen1 to gen 2?
if they are that would even be a bit of an upgrade for gen 2 batteries

I think with the same size,

 

[MarcinG]

Hi all. Is this project ongoing? Did it work in the end?