News

HEV Batteries and Accessories

November 30, 2014 by Power Pulse1595211359

Bumblebee Batteries LLC has announced three new accessories for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). These accessories are in the later stages of testing and will help hybrid car owners keep their hybrid batteries in optimal condition. The accessories will be available for sale in 2015. The three new hybrid battery accessories: the Grid Charger, the Smart Discharger, and the OBD-II Diagnostic Display. The three accessories are in the final stages of testing and are slated to go through production and quality control tests. Bumblebee also offers after-market replacement batteries for HEVs. Replacement battery packs cost about $2,100 for Honda Insight, Civic and Accord HEVs.

“Right now we are just offering batteries for hybrid cars,” said Bumblebee Batteries President Eli Pruett. “We want to expand our offering to include accessories to help hybrid car owners maintain and optimize the performance of their hybrid batteries.”

The Grid Charger is designed to allow a specific amount of charge to flow into a hybrid battery while it is plugged in. This benefits hybrid owners who do not drive their hybrids often, or live in cold climates; this helps the battery hold a charge for longer periods of time when unplugged. The charger plugs into typical home electrical outlets and connects easily to the car.

The Smart Discharger improves the overall health of hybrid batteries by safely discharging the battery completely. Rechargeable batteries need to be completely depleted occasionally before recharging to full capacity. The Smart Discharger is a safe and controlled way to discharge the battery and has a chip to monitor a battery’s charge. This will be the first smart discharger in the industry.

The OBD-II Diagnostic Display lets hybrid owners a look at battery diagnostics information that was previously only available to dealer technicians. The OBD-II (on-board diagnostics II) is a port in all Honda hybrid cars; the Bumblebee Batteries accessories empower owners to access diagnostic information like the charge, voltage and other details.

Bumblebee Batteries expects that these new accessories will help them become a leading provider of not only hybrid batteries but accessories for maintaining them and keeping them in optimum condition. Additionally, the new accessories will help reinforce Bumblebee Batteries’ position as an industry leader in hybrid battery replacement and support. The accessories are expected to be available for purchase in early 2015. Buyers will be able to find the Grid Charger, Smart Discharger, and OBD-II Diagnostic Display online via the Bumblebee Batteries website.