You’ve probably heard that a drawback to owning a hybrid vehicle is the cost of replacing the lithium battery. It’s true that lithium batteries do cost more than a regular 12 volt battery found in a gasoline powered car, but should that stop you from owning and enjoying a hybrid?
By the end of this article, you'll know what you can expect from driving, maintaining and servicing a hybrid car with a lithium battery.
To answer common questions about hybrid vehicle battery costs, CarPro's Laura Reynolds interviewed Greg Brannon, AAA Director, Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations.
How much does it cost to replace a hybrid vehicle battery?
Brannon: “It's not cheap. It's not as expensive as a pure battery electric, but you can expect to spend anywhere from $2000 to $4000 to have to replace the battery in a hybrid vehicle.
That number may sound a little bit shocking, but think of the cost to replace an engine, even if you're replacing it with a used engine. If you have some kind of failure, let's say the timing belt broke and you have to replace an engine, you're going to be spending at least that even for a used one to replace it. And so in this case, you're basically replacing the engine of the vehicle. It's not the electric motor, but you are replacing the thing that makes it go.
Auto repair costs these days are quite high. I had to put a water pump on a car of mine recently, and it was close to $2,000 for that. So, you know, you might think about it in the context of the overall ownership cost of the vehicle over five or seven years.”
How often should you replace a hybrid vehicle battery?
Brannon: “Generally hybrid batteries will be good for 100,000 miles or more without any issues. And in most cases, the battery and the electric drivetrain are warrantied in that kind of long period as well.
An important thing to know is that almost all EVs and hybrids still have a 12-volt lead-acid battery in them. The hybrid will have both. All of the controls, the infotainment, and your stereo run off a 12-volt battery. So, in a hybrid, there is still a 12-volt battery. That battery serves a few purposes; usually security and infotainment and all of that. So that battery will have to be serviced and replaced just like a gasoline vehicle.”
Why do lithium batteries cost so much?
Supply chain: Lithium is a soft, silver colored metal. One of its main uses is to make rechargeable batteries for cell phones, laptops, hybrid cars and electric vehicles. While lithium mines can be found all over the world, China controls 70-80% of the supply chain of lithium that feeds the hybrid and EV industries.
Surges in demand: As demand for lithium continues to rise, so does the price. As noted by MiningTechnology.com, 2020 the price for a ton of lithium was $6,000. By 2022, the price per ton had risen to $78,032!
Environmental cost of gathering lithium: It’s ironic that one of the uses of lithium is to power more eco-friendly hybrids and EVs, when the mining of the mineral can pollute water sources, deplete fertile land, and increase carbon dioxide emissions. Depleted mines leave large amounts of mining waste materials and large pits in the earth.
Do you have to recycle a hybrid vehicle battery yourself?
Brannon: “If the shop is capable of working on the hybrid battery for you, they will also be familiar with the recycling. In many cases, they're probably going to be taking the whole unit out and sending it back to somewhere off-site and having it rebuilt. They are basically removing and replacing.
Very few shops right now are doing the individual cell-level repairs themselves, but it is becoming more and more commonplace as hybrids have been out on the market for 15 years or more.”
Wrapping up:
Yes, replacing a lithium battery is expensive, but so are most auto repairs. A hybrid has many benefits including good fuel economy and lower emissions than a gas powered vehicle. For those who put a lot of miles on vehicles, a hybrid can pay for itself within a few years.
Want to see some real life numbers on the cost of owning a hybrid car? AAA has a nifty calculator that can help you, AAA Your Driving Cost tool. The calculator breaks down the cost of gas/electricity, maintenance, repairs, depreciation, taxes and even insurance fees and finance costs for both new and used vehicles.
