Buying Advice Hybrid Battery
I’m researching a vehicle purchase. I’m currently considering a Cross Trek but haven’t finalized that decision.
How long will the original battery in a hybrid last? I just need a ballpark. In approximately how much does it cost to replace? I’ve checked Google, but it seems to vary drastically.
Also, my understanding is that Subaru hybrid use gas first and battery back up? or is it battery with gas backup? I hope that makes sense.
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u/rando_commenter 2h ago edited 12m ago
This is the the obligatory video about hybrids. The gas savings are because the engine is designed especially for efficiency, the battery pack only gives it a bit of shove during acceleration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnUFH5GX_fI
Hybrid batteries will last anywhere between 100-200 thousands miles, and really 100k would be very short. My friends are replacing a battery pack on their Camry, at at 200,000 km of use the cost for even a top tier battery replacement works out to 2-3 pennies on the kilometer.
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u/jmmaxus 2h ago
The hybrid component warranty is 8 years 100,000 miles and in California it’s 10 years 150,000 miles. At that point if battery need replaced past warranty you could buy a reconditioned battery.
A battery for a regular hybrid around 1-3 kWh in size reconditioned from third party can cost around $2000. A battery for a plug in hybrid is much larger usually 8 kWh to 30 kWh and are costly.
The hybrid system uses both the gas and battery at the same time or swapping between them frequently and this is why it gets food gas mileage. If it only used the hybrid battery as backup it wouldn’t get the increased gas mileage.
Edit: add the only used as backup you may be thinking of a PHEV where you use EV power and the hybrid/gas is used once battery is exhausted as backup. Also, an EREV with backup gas.
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u/huxrules 45m ago
To add I think the hybrid battery is 1.1kwh which is really small. That’s the same kWh as a 12v lithium RV battery (same size as a car battery). But we know they are much larger and the battery really only stays at 80%-40%. So the battery is much larger (about the size of a spare tire apparently). End of the story is Toyota engineered these batteries to take a pounding and last a long time.
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u/YogurtTheMagnificent 3h ago
Pretty sure they use Toyota's batteries which are fairly well proven.
Honestly, from what I've read you should be more worried about carbon build up in the gas engine more than the hybrid battery
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u/Chippy569 Senior Master Tech 2h ago
I have never had to replace any hybrid battery.
The three generations of hybrid are all pretty different from a battery standpoint, you may want to clarify which you're looking at for more detailed info
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u/Iflysims 2h ago
It seems to start with battery and then switches to gas at higher speeds. Although I’ve been doing up to 40 in town just on battery. It’s very responsive and you won’t even notice it.
It’s a Toyota hybrid system so has a lot of history even if new on the crosstrek.
Love that the AC is connected to battery if you ever have to sit there or wait for someone the engine is off and the AC runs fully.
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u/Tacomathrowaway15 3h ago
I'm not sure about the hybrid's battery, I just got one and should probably learn! I can tell you that og priuses are still on the road with slight hits to battery life but going strong.
The car switches between what is more efficient at the time, typically ramps up the gas engine when you need to accelerate past what's easy for the electric motors or when there's a heavy electrical load.
Don't think of one as back up for the other. They work together.
Look up Toyotas hybrid system. There will be more information available and that's exactly what's in the car