Car Manufacturers' Warranties

• The hybrid car battery is estimated to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles. Car manufacturers cover their batteries for approximately eight years---in some cases longer. For example, Toyota provides an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on its hybrid car batteries, while Honda offers an eight-year/80,000 mile warranty on the hybrid car batteries it makes.
  
  

Southern California Edison Test

• In 2008, battery provider Southern California Edison (SCE) announced that it had demonstrated a lithium-ion battery with a 180,000-mile lifespan and minimal deterioration over the space of two and a half years. This was determined by testing the battery in a commercial delivery van, and the battery pack used was only one-sixth of the average battery size used in hybrid vehicles. Because of such results, the U.S. Department of Energy provided SCE with a regular-sized lithium-ion car battery to test it for passenger car use.
  
  

Replacement

• Another concern about hybrid batteries---in addition to lifespan---is replacement. As hybrid vehicles are still relatively new, replacement batteries are expensive and---outside of dealerships---hard to come by.
  
  

Advantage

• Hybrid car batteries---in addition to the fuel efficiency and reduced pollution they contribute to cars---have more generous warranties than gasoline car batteries. This is especially helpful when considering that non-hybrid car batteries usually need to be replaced every three or four years.
  
  

Future

• For now, more used hybrid car batteries are becoming available as a consequence of irreparable damage being done to the rest of the vehicle in accidents. As hybrid vehicles become more widespread and further research is conducted, a hybrid car battery lifespan should be able to be predicted with greater accuracy.