Hybrid Batteries Stand The Test Of Time

Hybrid Automakers Reporting Long Battery Life

Hybrid critics have long relied on the replacement cost of a hybrid's battery to justify purchasing something else, but long-term wear data show that the batteries – while not indestructible – are capable of lasting for long periods of time.

Automakers point to warranty figures that show that Toyota has replaced just 350 battery packs on second-generation Prius models. Ninety percent of the replacements were performed under warranty or as part of an insurance accident claim, leaving only 35 unlucky owners to foot the bill for a new battery, which ranged between $2,000 and $3,000 excluding labor, depending upon when the replacement occurred. Toyota warrants its batteries for 10 years or 150,000 miles. Cars sold in some states have an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the battery.

Honda also reports few problems with its hybrid batteries, despite issuing a recall for premature battery failures. The recall, which affected vehicles in seven states, addressed the potential for overheating during the regenerative braking recharge cycle.

Ford Motor Company says that it has replaced very few batteries in the 81,000 Escape Hybrid batteries it has sold, but General Motors replaced more than 9,000 battery packs in its Saturn Aura and Vue Green Line hybrids. The recall also disrupted production of the company's' Malibu Hybrid model.

Skeptics still point out that the battery data apply to NiMH batteries used in hybrid vehicles since 1996, and the same data can't be applied to the newer Li-ion batteries that are just entering into vehicle production, but have similar replacement costs.

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Photo: Toyota