Lifespan of Hybrid Car Batteries

Introduction

How long will hybrid car batteries last? Well, at this point there has been no determined length of time, but the manufacturers have set the consumer's expectations and they stand behind it. Honda, for example, has set an 8-year/80,000 mile warranty on their batteries. Toyota is providing an 8-yr/100,000 mile warranty on their hybrid car batteries. As you can tell, these warranties are much better than the warranties on non-hybrid car batteries.

Now, to purchase a battery from a dealer once the warranty is expired and the time has come for the battery to be replaced, the price for a Honda Insight hybrid battery is $3600. In 2005, when Toyota was asked about the price of the Prius battery, Toyota spokeswoman Mona Richard said, The service parts price for a new battery is $3000, but we have not had to sell a battery yet. Now note that the Toyota Prius was first introduced in Japan in 1997.

Used hybrid car batteries are beginning to become available though. As the hybrid car gets older, some of these cars get involved in car accidents and cannot be repaired, but the parts such as the battery can be sold separately. These hybrid car batteries can be bought for considerably less than a brand new one from the dealership.

Now, what about the cold weather? How do these hybrid car batteries hold up when the temperature drops below freezing? We all know that extremely cold temperatures can cause some performance problems in car batteries because of the internal resistance caused by cold weather. The great thing is that hybrid car batteries use thermal management systems, which keep them from experiencing performance issues from cold temperatures.

In cold temperatures, hybrid cars use different methods in getting the battery to operating temperature as soon as the car is turned on. Although there is a slight loss in battery capability while the hybrid car batteries reach operating temperature, this slight loss is undetectable in full hybrids such as the Prius. Once the battery reaches operating temperature, there are no performance issues at all.

The same goes for hot temperatures. Hybrid car batteries can be affected more in a hot climate than in a moderate climate, but there are hybrid cars operating all over the world in all different types of climates. The thermal management system helps regulate the temperature in hybrid car batteries in hot or cold weather. Besides, hybrid car batteries have excellent warranties that also protect you against the elements. Isn't it great to know that you can have a battery in your car that you don't have to worry about?