In order to save fuel and reduce harmful emissions, a hybrid car uses an electric motor fed by a high-voltage battery pack to supplement a gasoline engine. Some plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models with particularly big hybrid battery packs can even be driven on fully electric power for extended periods.
Hybrid car battery packs are larger than the rectangular 12-volt batteries that have powered car electronics for decades, but they’re much smaller than the huge batteries in fully electric vehicles like a Tesla Model 3 or a Nissan Leaf.
Whether you’ve never owned a hybrid, have a higher-mile one in your garage or are simply curious, here’s what you need to know about hybrid battery longevity.
How Long Do Hybrid Batteries Last?
- Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy
- Do Hybrid Batteries Come With a Warranty?
- How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Hybrid Battery?
- Is It Worth Replacing a Hybrid Battery?
- Can You Drive a Hybrid Without the Battery?
- How to Extend Your Hybrid Battery’s Life
- Why Do Toyota Hybrid Batteries Last So Long?
- Symptoms of a Dying Hybrid Battery
Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy
Like any other electronic device fed by a battery, many factors can affect the battery life of a hybrid vehicle. High-voltage battery packs are complicated components consisting of many individual cells. If one fails, it can bring down the entire system. The cause of such problems is out of the vehicle owner’s or the mechanic’s control, making them especially frustrating when they pop up.
Some things can be controlled, though perhaps not easily. An original battery may experience issues if regularly exposed to temperature variations, but moving from frigid Duluth to mild San Diego may not be a reasonable solution. On the other hand, reducing your hybrid’s exposure to the hot sun by parking it in the shade or a garage may help prolong its lifespan.
Do Hybrid Batteries Come With a Warranty?
Generally, yes. Automakers like Toyota, Honda and Hyundai have specific warranties for the high-voltage battery packs they fit into their hybrid models. These battery warranties are separate from the basic bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers components ranging from the power window switches to the engine.
The length of these warranties — typically between eight and 10 years — may give a hint as to the automaker’s expected lifespan of a hybrid battery. As discussed above, however, hybrid battery life expectancy is difficult to predict.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Hybrid Battery?
Hybrid battery replacement costs vary greatly depending on the vehicle's make, model and age. Models with more advanced lithium-ion and higher-capacity battery packs that use more battery cells may cost more than smaller packs or those made from another material. Independent shops and dealerships may also have different labor rates that can affect how much it costs to replace the old battery with a new battery.
The cost of the hybrid battery pack, commonly located under the car’s back seat, is the most expensive part of the job — figure as much as $6,000 for a battery replacement on a more common vehicle like a Toyota Prius. A mechanic qualified to replace high-voltage battery packs may charge you $1,500 for labor.
Since so much can affect the cost of replacing a hybrid battery pack, you should consider getting several different quotes from automotive repair shops and dealerships if a hybrid battery warranty doesn’t cover the replacement.
Is It Worth Replacing a Hybrid Battery?
A hybrid car with a good battery pack is worth more than one with a bad one. However, an older hybrid with a battery that needs a replacement may not be worth enough to repair. Here’s a simplified way to look at this:
Let’s say you have an older Toyota Prius in good overall condition but with a bad battery pack. With a good battery pack, the car might be worth $8,000, whereas with a faulty battery pack, it might only be worth $3,000 in as-is condition. It may be worth doing the job if the cost of replacing the battery is less than the $5,000 difference between its good condition value and its as-is value.
Can You Drive a Hybrid Without the Battery?
Generally, no. The battery is essentially a vital organ. The car’s hybrid system control modules are so integrated into the vehicle’s functions that removing or disconnecting the battery pack will prevent the vehicle from driving.
Some hybrids can be driven with a dead battery pack, though you’ll likely have to endure myriad dashboard warnings about the battery’s status and reduced fuel economy.
How to Extend Your Hybrid Battery’s Life
A few small, easy steps may help you get the most out of your original battery pack.
Experts suggest avoiding rapid acceleration and hard braking. Accelerating aggressively makes the powertrain pull energy from the battery. Braking aggressively has the opposite effect, thanks to the regenerative braking system that pumps otherwise lost energy back into the battery. Either way, you’re giving the battery a big workout.
If possible, avoid driving the car in extreme temperatures. Storing it in a garage helps it stay cooler in summer or warmer in winter.
Why Do Toyota Hybrid Batteries Last So Long?
Toyota has been in the hybrid market since the late 1990s when it debuted its original Prius. While practice doesn’t always make perfect, it doesn’t seem to have hurt the company’s hybrid battery reputation.
Battery replacement sources suggest owners get an average of 150,000 miles out of a Prius battery. The company uses versions of its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain in a number of other models and has rebranded it as the Toyota Hybrid System for vehicles such as the Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid.
Symptoms of a Dying Hybrid Battery
Hybrids, like modern gas cars, usually give drivers a warning light or instrument cluster message if they’re having a battery issue. A dealership or qualified car repair shop can diagnose these problems and let you know if the battery needs replacement or if a smaller repair is needed.
You may also notice that the car doesn’t go into EV mode (when the gasoline engine is off) as often as it used to. Beware that factors like cold or hot weather, when the climate control system needs to be activated, can force the gas engine to stay on for longer periods.
