Hybrids And Battery Life

In General:

When considering the potential purchase of a hybrid car for the first time, most people hesitate slightly in the knowledge that under the hood, hybrid cars are somewhat different from conventional gasoline powered cars. Most people are aware that hybrid cars have battery-powered motors and this brings to the surface one or two uncertainties. It would therefore be advantageous to look more closely at the facts about battery packs used in modern hybrid cars.

Long Lasting:

Hybrid cars usually utilize sealed nickel metal hydride batteries, a technology which is popularly used in laptops and cell phones. These batteries are easy to make, cost effective and long lasting thus making it ideal for a higher valued car. In fact, hybrid car battery packs should almost never need replacing

Unlike batteries in conventional cars, which need replacing every three or four years, hybrid car battery packs are warranted for between eight and ten years. They not only can last much longer but usually outlast the life of the rest of the car. In terms of mileage, they are designed to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, which in today's terms is way beyond the life expectancy of the normal car.

Recyclable:

Hybrid batteries are designed to be recyclable. In conventional cars, the batteries utilize rechargeable Nickel Cadmium elements that when disposed of give some toxic waste concerns. Because the design of hybrid car batteries is fully recyclable, it produces much reduced toxic waste effects.

Hundreds of Cells:

Conventional car batteries have very few cells and the deterioration of any one of them can have a catastrophic effect on performance. Hybrid car batteries are constructed with hundreds of cells, which at first glance would indicate a problem of complexity and possibly less reliability. Modern construction methods ensure this is not the case and in fact the sheer number of cells means that should one or two deteriorate, over all performance remains relatively unaffected. This is clearly reflected in the length of warranty the battery manufacturers are prepared to give and should therefore alleviate anxiety when purchasing a hybrid car.

Failure is Negligible:

The battery failure rate on hybrid cars in normal use is so low it's difficult to quantify. Where a faulty or failing battery has been produced, it will usually be found before it is delivered from the dealer. Toyota, for instance, has issued statistics that show some of its hybrid battery packs have lasted for over 300,000 miles. All of this once again is reflected in the length of warranty given by the manufacturers.

No Replacement Hybrid Battery Costs:

Once again this comes back to the fact that warranties are for eight to ten years and the fact that batteries are known to last for hundreds of thousands of miles. The U.S. Department of Energy commenced tests to show the decline in power of hybrid car battery packs over distance in use. It actually terminated its testing when after 160,000 miles it could detect no discernible drop in battery capacity and described the performance still to be 'as new'.

Continuing Development:

All auto manufacturers and their suppliers have continuing development programs and hybrid battery packs are no exception. The battery industry is targeting new technology in order to produce more powerful and more efficient battery capacity, reduced manufacturing costs and therefore lower prices, together with extending even further the efficient working life of the battery pack.

Refurbish a Hybrid Battery Pack:

So, somewhere down the line you own a hybrid car more than ten years old with more than 200,000 miles on the clock and the battery pack starts acting up. No problem. You can just refurbish the battery pack. The hundreds of cells within the packs are divided up into 28 separate modules. All you have to do is replace the faulty module with a non-faulty one from another pack of similar mileage and age. The latter point is essential as the replacement cells have to have the same chemical performance as the ones in the other 27 modules.

Taking into account the above facts, it can be seen that there should be little cause for anxiety about battery packs when contemplating the purchase of a hybrid car.