Second random question... I've been looking at Berlingos on eBay and noticed 3 things.
- 1) They often seem to be sold with batteries that either need replacing, or are getting tired.
2) The penny has finally dropped that they seem to come with NiCads rather than Lead-acid or LiPos or whatever. I didn't realise any EVs used NiCads.
3) Owners seem to have various ideas about what constitutes good care of the batteries.
- * How long should a set of batteries last?
* What's the cost of replacement?
* What's the real preferred method of caring for the batteries - deep cycling, avoiding deep cycling, occasional deep cycling, or what? I used to know what I was supposed to do with rechargable AAs, laptop and PDA batteries, but I get more and more confused as the technology advances and the rules seem to change.
Sorry if that sounds a bit random, but it's part of my getting a clear argument in my head for why an EV is a cost-effective, good idea. For both of us...
Regards, David
PS: Ah... I've just seen the "Help! Berlingo battery replacements" thread in the Berlingo section. So that tells me that the most important thing is to make sure the batts are watered in good time with good quality water. I didn't quite get the replacement cost bit - is it really £19K to replace a complete set of batts at Citroen prices? And I still have my question about whether it's a good idea to deep cycle or not in regular usage? -David