Dropping the VTRUX Battery Revealed SO MANY Hidden Surprises - You Won't Believe The Cooling System
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
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I see there's a ton of backlash over the sponsor in this video. I had no hesitation working with BetterHelp (and using their service) because they've accepted their FTC punishment and have changed their business practices, but I see many of you disagree with that. And that's totally fine! Disagree with me! We can all have different opinions and still get along.
This was supposed to be the first of three videos sponsored by BetterHelp, but given the response from this video, I'm discontinuing that relationship. I just want to put out fun videos that entertain and (possibly) educate. I don't want to work with companies that are going to upset my audience or distract from the content.
Lastly, I see y'all are claiming I'm deleting negative comments about BetterHelp. That's silly! I've deleted exactly one comment from this entire comment section, and that happened before the video was even public. I was on the road the entire first day this video went up. I hardly even looked at the comments, much less removed any. I welcome criticism about me or my sponsor. Say whatever you want! (just don't be mean, please. I'm sensitive)
BetterHelp is one of those sponsors that I'm almost more mad that they screwed up than the actual mistakes they made. Mental health and therapy are legitimately very important, and to have one of the few companies that is advertising services that aren't basically just selling questionable drugs go and mess it up is frustrating.
I'm personally not comfortable sharing health info with really any online platform, and examples like BH's past behavior are a big reason why.
On your part, though, the fact that you did your diligence to know what was going on with them and make your decision based off that is enough that I still trust your judgement, even if it may differ from my own. Even if other creators didn't know or didn't care about their issues, pretending they don't exist just gives more ammo to detractors and leaves a bad taste.
Even if they accepted their FTC punishment, they still hire wildly unqualified "therapists" and people in mental health situations need a trained professional. To them, paying the FTC fine is just a business expense, not a lesson. I'm happy that you got the help you needed but it seems like your experience is the exception, not the rule. We weren't upset because the sponsor "distracted" from the video, we were upset because you were advertising for an unethical company.
I agree that you have the right to like the service as much as you want, but I'm glad you followed the increasingly big request from your fans to stop the campaign.
I'm saddened that people unsubscribed instantly before an official answer from you.
I hope you didn't take it too bad or personally.
@@theotherwhiteguy The correction I will add here is that they absolutely hire qualified therapists. Their hiring process was corrected something like five years ago. They even over-corrected a little. They now only hire licensed therapists, that have a masters or doctorate degree, and have at least 3 years of experience.
Oh, and I wasn't saying you were upset because the sponsor distracted from the video. I'm fully aware of why you're upset by the sponsor. I was saying *I* was upset that the sponsor distracted from the video
As someone who has been in treatment for over 16 years, I can say that if it helps it helps and if it doesn’t find a different option.
That coolant line is giving me strong "I plugged this power strip into itself, why isn't it powering anything?" vibes
I think they just re-routed it after finding the peltier modules shit the bed while it was in for service on module #4. That's probably why the truck doesn't have the bccm unit at all.
Gives me the feeling of, the Bible's real because the Bible says so.
So true lol
"We'll finish the radiator design here when the truck goes into mass production"
@@WentzCraft wow! So edgy of you!
A lot less of the colorful language you sent me while working on this truck made it into the video.
😂
Working on cars definitely turns anyone into a potty mouth.
Idea: VIA badge getting slapped on the electric lawn mower after the addition of the van battery modules, which means the mower becomes a little faster and a LOT heavier, making the entire project nearly a complete waste of time.
Small world, thanks for making me spend all my pocket money on keys :-P
I think he should either hold on to them for the owner or give them back to the owner. This whole thing likely cost thousands of Dollars for the guy who owns it.
Fancy seeing you here lol
hey stranger :)
I love that the overlap between old weird cars youtube and pentesting RUclips is so large
My theory why the BCCM is missing on the truck might be because Via figured out the Peltier modules didnt do anything or not enough to justify the cost, so rather than change the mounting plate they probably already had stocks of they just looped the system and called it a day.
do you think they deleted it before production, or after they got this truck to replace battery module #4?
@@cortburris9526 I'd think before. The van the other pack was salvaged from may have been slightly earlier production. Not saying it couldnt have been removed during the Via service but that seems shady if the customer was not informed of the removal. Hell for all we know maybe only the vans got the BCCM anyway.
@@kaldergames9403we wouldn't know if the customer was informed of it or not.
Honestly they seem pretty incompetent if they got all the way to production without realizing that peltier modules would be completely useless for cooling it. I could have told them that and I've never actually used one.
But if that were true.......why plug coolant lines into it at all? Just delete that totally.
"Batman transition!"
Jason, with no hesitation: "Da NANA nana naah!"
Kindred, nutty spirits.
You should look into better help as a channel sponsor. It looks like they’ve been caught with some bad business practices that I don’t think you or anyone else would feel good about representing
+1 they really suck
What's messed up is that they sponsored youtubers a few years back, got caught doing shady stuff, laid low until now and they're back sponsoring everyone under the Sun again with the expectation that we forgot about it...
They really like spamming ads, which is the first indication of malpractice.
I just assume all sponsors are dodgy. Saves time. Same for the ads on Twitter these days.
Agreed, dodgy stuff.
“Batman transition!
…I am not going to edit that in!” 😂
Why edit when you got nanananananna
From wikipedia
"VIA Motors, Inc. In August 2021, Ideanomics announced their intent to acquire VIA Motors for US$630 million. On January 26, 2023, Ideanomics announced that it had completed the acquisition of VIA Motors."
So VIA may or may not continue operations
This is interesting- I believe Ideanomics purchased Solectrack the EV tractor company
@@Record3677 Really?! I was wondering what happened to Solectrac. Tractor Time With Tim (another yt channel) has a Solectrac tractor that was on a demo loan when the company disappeared, and they don't know what to do with it.
630 million $ (?!?!!)... Damn. Personally seems at least a zero too much 😅
There's another HUGE benefit that came from that project, that you forgot to mention: that you completed a project! With all the respect in the world, that's not a common event in your garage. 🤪
Thought Jason was just another split screen of you until he started talking
Lmao
I was still unsure after he started talking
I thought it was gonna be revealed Jason is his brother or cousin lol
It's uncanny how similar they look lol.
It's great to see you actually trying to repair an EV battery. If EV batteries cannot be repaired EVs are useless & it's great to see you learn & teach us about the batteries.
Friendly reminder that better help was sending all medical information to Facebook
19:58 You missed a Peltier. Great video!
Oh no!
Literally unwatchable.
Terrible, horrible vid
Is the joke here that you are actually supposed to say the r cuz it's like an Americans last name and not a French word or something? I've always been a bit uneasy about which way to say it but decided to go full frenchy and drop the r
@@zechsblack5891He pronounced Peltier correctly in the video.
The joke was that he put the word "peltier" on screen in a different fancy font every time he said it, but the top level comment points out a timestamp where he said "peltier" but did not display the word on screen.
Oh no. Better help fly to you too😬. Guys, please don’t give your money to Better Help. They were already caught scamming the people trying to use their services a couple of years back, and they are back to do the same. They don’t even hire actual therapists because they don’t do background checks into the people they hire. They literally just hire anyone to be a therapist.
Always the same, thanks for the heads up
Seconded.
And they apparently sell your private information on for financial gain as well 🤷
Therapist here. Within our community, we (unless in the process of moving or local group practices are filled up) stay away from BetterHelp, as they don't pay us jack crap. So those they do manage to recruit are, as OP mentioned, often not vetted.
@@leotide1990 Yeah, but you can just check the license. I know my therapist is licensed, because I can look it up, took me all of 27 seconds.
By like 26 minutes, Robert was Dunn with this project. 🤣
The communication budget of BetterHelp is just insane, they are in every single video on RUclips.
Remember when sponsored videos were the exception for larger projects ?
They probably spend more money on advertising than they do on vetting and paying their therapists.
BetterHelp is extremely profitable because they're a criminal organization! They will sell your data to anyone.
This is definitely an "it's about the friends we made along the way" type video
13:50 the mid-cut cut-up snicker made me roll. EDIT: this video has taught me that it doesn't really matter what you do for 20-30 minutes, I'll watch and be grateful for the content. Use that information responsibly.
I don't know why, but the power-tool farts in the jump-cut time lapses are just, satisfying. They're pleasant to listen to alongside the frame skips.
The screw removal/insertion montage sounded like some kind of industrial music. I'm diggin' it.
I remember seeing about these trucks in... Popular Mechanics? And I swear the battery pack for the van was BASICALLY under the two seats. And instead of the motor being where the transmission would have been, the drive motor was moved way back, and connected with a whole new drive shaft.
Makes sense, in most instances work vans are 2WD, where the truck is 4x4 requiring a transfer case and driveshafts front to back.
The inability for the charger to balance the modules, or at least some connectors to the modules to do it manually without dropping the whole pack, seems like a massive oversight.
On EVs, battery maintenance and longevity seems to be the biggest issue.
The biggest issue is actually a combination of using the right charging method and thermal management. For many bev & phev you really should not rely on fast charging. Most plug-in hybrids can’t even do fast charging anyway. Level two charging is really the sweet spot for most of these vehicles as long as you can find a charger that works and fits along your route of travel. So really the two biggest issues are availability of level two chargers and making sure that the battery thermal management system is working correctly. In my personal opinion, fast chargers are primarily a good use case for people traveling longer distances in fully electric vehicles, and not local around town type travel.
This truck is a complete wasted effort. You can tell they really tried at first but became quickly outnumbered by incompetent investors.
@@markm0000 the electric drive system is just not integrated properly with a throttle control for the gasoline engine. A few more steps and a little bit more time and investment may have seen these get much more success.
To be clear, you’re not wrong. However, depending on whether those satellite boards had any logic on them (as opposed to being just a bunch of mosfets remotely controlled by the main BMS board), that idea might complicate the design significantly. For example, how many cells should be able to be addressed/used when balancing from one module to another? How do you balance (pun not intended) the workload of balancing the module itself as you’re also transferring energy out of it to a different module (this would be an issue when the cells within a module are mostly balanced, and bringing another module up would create an imbalance)? It gets pretty complicated in a hurry, so I don’t blame them for skipping that.
@@jacobcarlson4010 True, but then, at least, have a diagnostics/manual balancing connector available.
An un-balanced pack would still require a dealership visit, but significantly less work. All they would do is unscrew a waterproof cover, plug into a special charger, and let it balance for a few hours. Sure beats having to drop and disassemble an entire pack.
These are supposed to be fleet vehicles, so ease of maintenance needs to be a priority.
My boss bought an entire drivetrain from a VTrux at an auction. It took me forever to figure out what it came from until I saw your last video about VTrux.
One of my neighbors has one of these trucks, and this has been very interesting to learn about. I'm intrigued enough that I may actually stop at his house and ask about his range and learn more from this person about the system and what they think about it. I had seen the badges on the rig and had figured it was a gm product not knowing it was a modified vehicle from a 3rd party.
I would put it all on black that he’s an electrical engineer and amateur mechanic to keep that truck working.
Please drop better help as a sponsor, they are a scam
Why?
They are a scam because ppl are suckers.
I paid for counseling for my gf when she was having a hard time adjusting after college.
She kept claiming I wouldn’t listen and told me to get a counselor for myself.
I did….
He was like idk bro you’re a great listener and empath. You shouldn’t be having problems like that.
Let’s set up a double counselor meeting to get to bottom of it.
My gf’s female counselor said NO! That would make HER uncomfortable.
Despite me, my counselor
And my GF all trying to set it up.
My gf then went into a downward spiral and cheated on me and screwed me over everything and my counselor said sorry bro you’re a nice guy idk why the other counselor refused she sounds like the problem. 😢
Ruined a 7yr relationship.
keep em as a sponsor, let em give him their money, we all know its a scam and wont use em. everyone wins, betterhelp loses.
Yeah they are horrible. They match LGBTQ people with conversion therapist, even if you select your looking for an LGBT therapist.
Hopefully that burnt resistor wasn't part of the "balancing" circuit between the modules
Seems like they would have some way to balance between them all, otherwise the balance issue will come back
I wonder if a simple radiator assembly with a blower and a custom built shroud would allow "heating" for charging in order to prevent charging while freezing
ah well...tons of work!
Keep em coming!!!!
Hey you should do some research on better help. They are a very shady company and alot of their "therapist" aren't even licensed.
better help is kinda like the flu. every now and then it comes back
Everyone keeps repeating this trope without any real knowledge- it’s pretty tiresome performative spamming. I’ve personally used & benefited from the platform. Might be good to double check and research your assumptions.
@@adamdevereaux2459oh we have double checked. That's why we're here and so vocal. It's actually even worse than what I initially thought when researching some of the comments here that were absolutely true.
@@adamdevereaux2459 Having a good experience with them does not excuse the factual evidence of their malpractice.
@@adamdevereaux2459 They literally got slapped by the FTC for fraudulently selling confidential user medical data. It's not a trope, it's a real crime that they committed. Glad you got the help you needed, but they screwed many people over for financial gain and should not be trusted.
I really like the battery charging fire containment tub
If you want some good automated battery testers I use the EBC-A40L for single cell, EBC-A20 for ~0-18v cell or packs, and the EBC-B20H for ~9-88V packs but you need a power supply for charging with this model. I paired the EBC-B20H with a RD RD6018 power supply for charging. They all can be used without a PC but if you use a PC you can do more automation tasks and have graphs. The software can crash sometimes but the devices keep on going. I highly recommend them as they are cheap for what they do and they do it very well. I've manually balanced packs with these without issue but I also only use LiFePO4 and bottom balance and I dont use a BMS. You can also use them on other batteries like lead or if you keep an eye on them other lithium types or NiMh.
One of the best channels on youtube and I'm not even a car guy! Love your videos brother, never change! Humor is always on point!
Better help has a history of exploiting patients including selling their data. They have also been involved in large data breaches. Please don't use them.
So, the same as every other corporation. You're a funny guy.
@@IntegerOfDoom Ladies and gents, people like this are why we can't have nice things.
@@IntegerOfDoomjust because 5 other people jumped off the bridge, does not mean you too, should jump off the bridge.
@@IntegerOfDoom Every other corporation isn't selling your literal medical records, that is what is much worse about better help
A123 Systems also made the battery pack for the Chevy Spark EV in the first iteration, which gave that tiny car almost 400 lb/ft of torque! Unfortunately they went bankrupt.
The chinese bought them, leading to more advance LFP technology in china then anywhere else. Part of the reasons why they were able to advance so quickly in EV tech.
I remember that Spark EV. It was so cool but entirely impractical.
@@markm0000 When I was researching which used EV to buy, I seriously considered the Spark EV (briefly) but ended up getting the Kia Soul EV. It was in my price range, excellent condition and built very well. Best car I have ever owned.
You have come a long way. From upgrading a Saab 96, repairing a Trabants’ Gearbox without falling into a pit, to this: understanding goofy electric vehicles better than the original builders and repairing them like a pro. In germany we say „Hut ab!“ to give credits for that.
The shop looks totally different
We need a shop tour ASAP
I think it's the bus-bay.
Next video!
I know it's a different hobby, but Aging Wheels doing DIY off-grid/hybrid charging would greatly benefit me. He has so many weird batteries lying around.
Am I the only one that noticed he has a lift in the ex bus bay now, which is awesome!!
It was only when I saw the lawnmower that I realised it was his workshop.
Although I will regret never getting to see that epic vision of a electric super school bus I am really glad he has more shop space to work with now. His other space was starting to look crowded.
@@ThemantogotoI never understood his desire of putting an electric motor in a vehicle he was planning on using for road trips. Why would you want to stop constantly for 15 to 30min on a road trip?
I thought it was another field trip at first, then I saw the plywood backdrop and riding mower. That definitely looks like the bus dungeon.
@@tspawn35 It was to have a Diesel range extender, it was going to be living space as well so it needed power for that stuff too.
I love you dude but better help is a pure scam, they sell their patiens mental health data to companies, they ve been doing it since 2018, look it up
@@viperpoofpinned comment gone. New pinned comment here
Absolutely love the giant spider making another cameo
nice to see EEVBLog multimeter
Don’t turn it on, take it apart!
AW: A much more accurate meter.
Marco reps: Thrashes in his bed and goes to make sure there wasn’t a temp spike near his Keithleys.
BETTER HELP?!?!
ARE YOU MAD?!?
Thank you Robert for uploading this! Was having a crappy Sunday but your upload cheered me up
Hello, I am an electrical engineer with experience in battery pack and bms desing. If the cells all test the same capacity yet are unbalanced, that mean that the BMS is shot and it keeps discharging that cell uncontrollably. You should have used the van bms. Oh and great job! I love your content and your style. Please be safe and have fun!
Better help is a big scam dont advertise it
We apparently need an updated shop tour. That looks like what used to be the bus dungeon. You were even wearing a bus shirt. Also, what happened to Under Dunn? I miss seeing you build stuff. Not just tinkering on weird cars.
Very fascinating dive into their battery packs. I think at the time, not many people had a way to economically liquid cool batteries, thus the beefed up air cooling they did. I dunno. Also a valuable lesson in aftermarket companies and the lack of documentation and support- it sucks! I work at a Peterbilt dealer. Its owned by Paccar. So is Kenworth. Many Kenworths and Petes are the same underneath, just different skin. Yet some Kenworths we cant electrically diagnose bc we dont have all Kenworth wiring diagrams....we have to beg from a Kenworth dealer! Good luck to any Fisker Ocean owners.
I like watching Robert get excited, whenever he opens up or learns something new
As far as the cooling/heating system goes, I think it realistically ONLY needed heating and a rubber hose with the engine off high idle is going to provide enough for operation south of Canada and leaving it plugged in charging in a closed garage is likely enough to keep it warm: doesn't surprise me the exchanger system was deleted.
Glad I'm not the only one that reacts like that around spiders 😂
Not gonna lie, for a moment I thought he got electrocuted. 😂
I understood very little of this video, but as perusal, it was a brilliant video to watch and highly entertaining. Well done
In this episode, Captain Bob encounters a spider, but is without his trusty windshield-wiper blister pack to hit it with...
Love the EEVBlog meter!
The tool montages are so fantastic.
I appreciate your dedication to font changes.
Thank you for helping someone who needed the help.
I am sure a few other VTrux owners could use those batteries over time since their is no equivalent replacement. My truck seems to be doing much better still getting 35-40 miles, but one day I will have to find how to refurbish my pack.
Or just turn it back into a regular chevy
Better help is a total rip off,, Id find a new sponser,,, maybe Rayo Vac, or everready batteries
Once Aptera has production builds done and crash tested, you should check in on them again, they really deserve a lot more attention then they normally get
This was very entertaining and informative. Thanks for your effort! :) I appreciate you.
The factory replaced the cells without setting the voltages correctly? What a bunch of hacks
Peltier? That's where the 800W of absorption at idle were!
Except the truck DIDN'T have them, only the van pack did.
Thanks for bringing these repairs to RUclips! Very interesting!
Such a satisfying video to see the insides of such a unique vehicle. Sorry that it didn’t improve too much after reinstallation but but very enjoyable to see your process.
I don't need Better Help, I just need you to upload content as often as possible. It always makes me happy!
Just after watching the new video, I noticed that this isn't the old workshop.
Yeah after seeing that it’s obvious I’m oblivious
I love these videos, not least because it's difficult to find a mechanically inclined car youtuber that both is so interested in EVs, but also able to explain things in such an understandable and entertaining way! Love your polestar btw, genuinely a dream car of mine. Being an owner of a Hyundai Kona EV, I'd love to see you tear down and check out a "proper" EV from a mainstream brand - a Kona, Bolt, or a Leaf and do something with them. Heck, the gen one Leaf, EV Spark, etc are all really cheap now, so maybe someday? 🤞 Hah, maybe you could take the good van modules and make an electric reliant! That'd be funny.
Wow learned stuff!! Thank you for the video and your efforts.
Your channel is a hidden gem, glad I stumbled upon it!
Well.. I see batteries that are going in the Wego lol
Always good to see ya. Thank you your video quality is always great. Wish you good health, both physically and mentally.
Robert, good video, thanks for sharing your videos. 👍
maybe the real range improvement was the friends we made along the way
They must've got a college grad to design that cooling system, because every electrical engineer worth their salt knows that the thermoelectric effect is rubbish for heat transfer efficiency unless the delta between the hot and cold side is massive (as in, hundreds of degrees massive). Evidently there was very little prototyping done before putting these vehicles into production, which is probably one of the reasons why they failed - a basic amount of focus group testing would've demonstrated the VTRUX is a product that not enough people want, especially at that price, to justify its existence.
Interesting video, thanks for making & posting it!
great vid absolutely knowledge gained thank you for this!!
BetterHelp is a fucking scam! Don't EVER sponsor them again!
Please get a better sponsor. Betterhelp is terrible. The amount of people I know who were matched with unsupportive therapists or even people with no qualifications is... unnerving. Completely unacceptable.
like, 17:10, can you get sponsored by a multimeter manufacturer
I have some shite multimeters and would impulse-buy whatever Robert recommended
actually come to think of it I have paid for mental healthcare based on youtube recommendations - ADHD360 via "No Boilerplate". paid for an assessment but got derailed by the pre-assessment questionnaire so it's been on the back burner for... six months or so
Nice to see another battery video.
Very little better than an aging wheels video. Thanks as always Robert. 😊👍👍
He did make video in new shed ... before showing us new shed
We are pretty excited for open sauce next week! And our Goddaughter is getting married near Nashville the bext Friday, so it's Lane Museum Time! Will be an interesting weekend a the cow palace. Looking forward to meeting some makers!
DAVE WILL BE HAPPY to see your EEVblog multi-meter.. i need to buy one too but im broke AF.
I really do hope to see this channel grow a lot more since the content is so good. Lots of interesting technical content in an entertaining, well-edited setting.
Isn't it a good idea to get a LiPO/LiIon/LFP battery charger? Something like an ISDT Air8 can do 8s at a time and charge to any voltage you want. Such a device should be much more convenient than babysitting 6 bench power supplies. Heck, ISDT even make a 3000w charger that can balance up to 22s of LFP at the same time. That thing could probably balance this entire battery pack in a day or two.
bc-b20h or something similar from the same company. Can automate things and it's kinda affordable
oof "Better Help pays a lot of money so I'm not gonna look into their business practices like selling users personal data" last time I checked the good companies don't do that
He seems to have some knowledge of this, but according to his comment, under his pinned comment...since he had a good experience with it...he will continue.
I'd take that deal if I got paid to goof off with cars on RUclips instead of having a job
@@Iamthestig42069 There are other sponsors out there though; you don't have to ruin your integrity by accepting a controversial one.
@@supporthero4926 He said he will discontinue their relationship, he is ending the sponsorship, please re edit your comment
Great video! Loved it
Thanks for showing the mistakes and downs along with the ups!
Has Under Dunn been retired?
What should you do with the via modules??
Sir, you have a dead Wheego right there... *cough* *cough*
ive wanted an EEVBlog multimeter for years! such a cool piece of gear! great channel too!
Super interesting thank you
VIA is a bad name in computers as well. lol
3:02 This edit gives me all the joys!
Brilliant thanks
After reading more of the comments.... and this doesn't make it right, but any and all of us who live in America have every bit of our personal data up for sale. If you have Insurance, Internet, a Cell Phone, a GM Vehicle (probably others), a Smart TV, or any connected device or cloud service... your data does not belong to you, contractually. If there is this much outcry over the topic, please direct your efforts where they may do some good. See Louis Rossman for tips.
Take a shot every time he says “Peltier”
Very charming guy, great personality, and obviously super smart. I don't understand literally anything that's going on or what you are talking about but somehow I'm still riveted! Bravo!
I might look at getting 10x CC CV Output 0.5V-30V 4A Adjustable Power Supply Module @ $10 each and a 24v 500w Switching Power Supply for $20, totaling $120ish for 10 output adjustable Power Supply. You set a adjustable power supply with your (good multimeter), test open circuit voltage first for "CV" then set your multimeter to 10amp test and short-out the adjustable power supply thought your multimeter to read your "CC" setting
DankPods playing Bubsy 3D, then this? Today IS a good, nay, excellent day...