When hybrids first nosed through auto-show curtains at the turn of the century, we were intrigued by their fresh approach to more efficient propulsion. At the time, skeptics raised a few potential battery pitfalls?concerns that have now been disproven.
MYTH #1: The naysayers predicted that depleted batteries would take their place next to bald tires and lead wheel weights in the Environmental Hazards Hall of Shame. The truth is that both Honda and Toyota aggressively scavenge all used nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) cells from wide-ranging sources to reclaim the valuable nickel contained within.
MYTH #2: When lithium-ion batteries entered the market in 2009, NiMH was deemed a stopgap technology. Also untrue. Even though lithium-ion batteries are more efficient, they cost 25 percent more. Replacing the Prius?s current batteries with a lithium pack, for example, would severely dent its value equation. Expect nickel-metal hydride batteries to continue to play an important role in budget hybrids for years to come.
MYTH #3: The greatest concern, though, has been the life span of nickel-metal hydride batteries. With cell-phone and laptop cells lasting only a couple of years, how could the hybrids? packs endure harsh automotive duty? After a dozen years of service, the answer appears to be ?just fine.?
The vast majority of first-gen hybrids sold are still on the road [see chart]. To alleviate battery-life concerns, Honda covered its pack with an eight-year, 80,000-mile warranty. The Prius?s was initially covered by an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty, though Toyota later raised that to 10 years and 150,000 miles in states with stricter emissions standards.
While neither Honda nor Toyota would reveal their warranty-replacement statistics, both claim that their battery packs exceeded expectations. Toyota?s product quality and service support manager, Gary Smith, tells us the company has seen many Priuses top 250,000 miles on the original battery pack. Michigan Green Cabs of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has operated 27 Priuses?including one that logged 368,000 miles?without ever replacing a battery pack. Bottom line: What the pioneer hybrids lacked in driving verve they more than made up in longevity.
FRESHEN UP When an early hybrid?s batteries are shot, fear not. Concerns that replacement batteries would be prohibitively expensive have proven false. A rebuilt Insight pack runs $2000 at a Honda dealership, while Prius owners are looking at $2500. Entrepreneurs also sell fresh packs. Mile Hybrid Automotive in Denver, Colorado, offers Insight packs for $2000 and Re-Involt Technologies of Sanford, North Carolina, sells them for $2595. By load-testing the individual cells in recovered Prius batteries, these firms can also offer rebuilt packs for $1400 (Mile Hybrid) or $1875 (Re-Involt). So replacing a pioneering hybrid?s battery pack is no more expensive than major drivetrain repairs in a conventional car.
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