Why is the cost of replacing hybrid batteries so high?
The history of hybrid car batteries has gone through many experiments.
Honda Insight, the first production-grade hybrid, entered the showroom in December 1999.
Toyota will launch Prius in a short time.
Like most hybrid batteries today, both cars have an emerging technologyor-
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To make matters worse, it would cost $5,500 to replace the earliest Prius batteries.
Fortunately, the second generation Prius overcame the shortcomings of the previous version and produced a better battery system for about $2,000 lower [source: Kwong].
The third-generation battery pack costs about $2,400.
Excluding the early quirks--
Because of the battery management system, it is mainly a small problem. -
The battery pack is one of the more reliable components of a hybrid car.
In any case, what is a reliable hybrid car battery?
Mass Van Batenburg is the chief executive of the Automotive Career Development Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Citing the 2004 Ford Escape Hybrid as a model for the winning system. The Sanyo-
The manufactured packaging is managed by complex computer software and the active cooling system keeps the packaging at the optimum operating temperature.
"It's almost bulletproof," he said . "
This is the problem of determining the replacement cost of the hybrid battery pack.
"It is difficult to determine the exact cost of replacing today's hybrid batteries because very few people have been replaced," said Bradley Berman, editor of hybrid cars . ".
In addition, the cost depends on the dealer and labor costs.
Toyota estimates their battery failure rate is less than 1%. -
The number is falling.
So, how much can you expect to pay for replacing the hybrid battery?
"The best approximate numbers are between $2,000 and $3,000, although cheaper battery packs can be found at the dump that crashed the hybrid," Berman said . ".
The size of the hybrid will also affect the price of the battery.
Van Batenburg said the replacement battery price for the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV could be as high as $5,000, although it is unlikely that you will need to replace the battery until you need to replace the vehicle itself.
The cost of battery replacement for Toyota Highlander, another hybrid SUV, is about $4,900, although the company has recently been able to reduce the cost by $400 [source: Kwong].
However, one thing is clear: Toyota plans to add millions of hybrid cars to the market every year, so consumers can expect a sharp drop in replacement costs.
Since most known hybrid cars have been on the road for ten years or more, consumers may see an increase in hybrid battery replacement in the coming years.
They may be reliable and long term.
But hybrid batteries, like most car parts, wear and tear over time.
To learn more about hybrid car technology, please see the link below.