Toyota Prius Battery

Welcome to the Toyota Prius Battery (TPB) site. Here you'll find links and information pertaining to the Prius battery. This includes how it works, what it costs and modifications you can make to it.

Newest Prius Article

The 2010 Prius: A Glimpse Into The Future

Ask the average consumer what comes to mind when you think of a fuel-efficient car that's good for the environment, and the Prius is almost always the answer you'll receive. The success of previous iterations of the Prius has led to massive expectations of improvement and innovation with each passing year, and 2010 is no different. Economic conditions and other factors, however, have led Toyota to make more incremental changes to their hybrid powerhouse. more >>

Prius Battery Specifications:

There are two batteries found in a Prius. The first is a lead-acid (Pb-A) 12v accessory battery which is commonly found in most vehicles on the road. The second is the main hybrid driving battery, which is specific to hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV). We at TPB are primarily concerned with the latter.

Starting in 2004 to the current models, the standard Prius battery is a Panasonic Metal Case Prismatic Module. Prior to 2004 and as early as 2000 the battery used was a Panasonic Plastic Case Prismatic Module. The first generation was sold only in Japan. Of the 70,000 sold a small but significant number of vehicles had problems with the battery pack. Furthermore, the battery pack was so large it took up the entire space between the trunk and the cabin. This led to changes in the Generation II models whose stacks were significantly smaller and far more reliable.

  97 Prius
(Generation I)
Japan Only
00 Prius
(Generation II)
04 Prius
(Generation III)
2010 Prius
(Generation IV)
Form Factor Cylindrical Prismatic Prismatic Prismatic
Cells (Modules) 240 (40) 228 (38) 168 (28) 168 (28)
Nominal Voltage 288.0 V 273.6 V 201.6 V 201.6 V
Nominal Capacity 6.0Ah 6.5Ah 6.5Ah 6.5Ah
Specific Power 800 W/kg 1000 W/kg 1300 W/kg 1310 W/kg
Specific Energy 40 Wh/kg 46 Wh/kg 46 Wh/kg 44 Wh/kg
Module Weight 1090g 1050g 1045g 1040g
Module Dimensions 35(oc)x384(L) 19.6x106x275 19.6x106x285 19.6x106x285

Prius Mods:

Many Toyota Prius users are thrilled by the efficiency the hybrid has to offer, but want just a little more out of their car. As a result, many owners hack their car in order to achieve a variety of results. These include increasing mileage and running on electric power only (called "EV" mode).

While many hacks can be performed by the average user, you should understand the risks involved in the process before modifying your Prius. Often undertaking such modifications will void your car's warranty (most importantly the battery warranty). It is also possible to damage your car if hacked incorrectly.

More information can be found below: