# Hybrid battery replacement **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** escape, ford\ **Created:** [February 10, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151 "2011-02-10T19:30:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dgrinnan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@dgrinnan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dgrinnan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/1 "2011-02-10T19:30:10Z")
Now that hybrids have been on the market for a few years, have you seen any studies or had any discussions around the impact to the hybrid market and the impact to the value of hybrids once owner have to start replacing the batteries in their hybrids? From what I have heard this will very expensive. Is anyone really going to want to buy a used hybrid if they are faced with a potential huge battery replacement cost? I would suspect that will drive the value of used hybrids down, thus hurting the resale value, thus hurting the new car value. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/2 "2011-02-10T19:41:58Z")
The batteries have a 10/yr 100k mile warranty. There are people who have gone well past 150k miles on their original battery. Most of these batteries will easily last that long. So if you have to replace the battery every 150k miles…the gas savings will more then offset the price of the battery. You have to do some simple math to determine if a Hybrid is right for you. For most people Hybrids are a waste. But for some…they are make perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/3 "2011-02-10T19:45:57Z")
Mike’s 100% correct, most Priuses are on their original battery, and from what I’ve read it’s a ‘like of the car’ item, like the transmission on other cars. Do transmissions go out? Sure, but the majority of cars in the junkyard still have their original transmission, I bet. I worry more about EVs. Hybrids have sophisticated programs managing battery use and thereby extending battery life. EVs just get charged and discharged, I worry about their life, and that they’re 5X more expensive than a hybrid’s battery. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/4 "2011-02-11T01:06:51Z")
I’ve yet to read anything about problems with worn out hybrid batteries. This is, at least for now, a non-issue. By the way, hybrids have been on the market for more than a “few” years. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/5 "2011-02-11T01:22:47Z")
We have seen our fair share of 10 year old batteries for the hybrids at $3000 replacement cost needed. ---
**Author:** ![Wha-Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@Wha-Who](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wha-Who)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/6 "2011-02-11T02:54:55Z")
I wonder if hybrid batteries weaken so that the gas engine will just kick in sooner to compensate. This may be why little is heard so far about hybrid batteries needing replacement. When the hybrid battery is near complete failure, you still have a gasoline car that will get you to where you want to be. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/7 "2011-02-11T03:04:59Z")
I feel engineers are keenly aware of the long term profitability of cars in general and hybrids specifically and using the battery as a major expense item like a transmission. You pay a premium for them new, and a premium for battery replacement. Imo, it’s all about timing like owning any car, and getting rid of it while it still has some value without committing to any large expenditures is the key. A poorly engineered car is one that last longer than expected with less required maintenance than planned upon. The original Prius may be that car for now. Hold on, some important maintenance items will have to be planned in later. After all, it’s one of the primary goals of any car company, making money. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/8 "2011-02-11T03:07:17Z")
In CR follow up test, a 2002 with well over 200K Prius performed almost identically to it’s original level. > **[Car News, Reviews, & Pricing for Environmentally-Friendly Vehicles - Autoblog...](https://www.autoblog.com/green/)** > > Get up-to-the-minute environmentally-friendly (or egregiously unfriendly) car news, reviews, high-quality photos and commentary about living green. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/9 "2011-02-11T13:52:45Z")
10 years…and if you’re like my wife who’s commute is PERFECT for a hybrid…that would be 320k miles…NOT BAD… ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hybrid-battery-replacement/61151/10 "2011-02-12T05:09:30Z")
The lithium-ion batteries will last a long time as long as you don’t deep-cycle them. In hybrid vehicles, they are never loaded or discharged very heavily which greatly extends their life. Even after they have lost 60% of their capacity, few drivers will notice the decline as long as it’s gradual… EV’s, which can often be discharged to 85% can only expect a 500 to 600 cycle life, 2, 2.5 years in normal driving. Engineers are working on batteries with 10,000 cycle lives but they are not ready yet…