Hybrid battery - expectant battery life and how much cost is to replace?

[GPSMan]

I had an escape hybrid from 2005 until it got rear ended in 2019.

Was going strong in 2019 at 235,000 miles.
It had NiMH battery cells.
It would stay between 40% and 53% typical, with brief exceptions allowed 30% to 70%.

FFwd to 2022 and the chemistry has changed and the pack size actually got smaller but does more. 40% to 53% is still a "happy spot" but it is less constrained. I drop to 30% every day and hit 60% frequently and 70% occasionally.

In the 14 year old 235,000 mile Escape the MPG was the same in the end. When you are only "allowed" to use 40% of the battery it can literally degrade by 60% and performance won't change.

What will change (or what did change with the NiMH) is: they won't hold charge as long when parked. Gotta drive them at least once a week when more than 10 years old. Self discharge went up, internal resistance went up, internal battery temperature went up measurably after 10 years.

Yet to be seen what the LiIon will do.

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[canuckford]

The only thing hybrid vehicles do not like to do is sit, they need to be used to get the most out of the battery. If you are commuting to work 5 days a week, it should be fine for years to come.

Yes, good point. if you drive the maverick once in a while, I have a work truck and got the maverick for personal use, it really just sits a lot of the time, and I like to keep a vehicle until it doesn't go any more or is a write off.

 

[The Real Maverick]

Right. When new. The batteries can sit quite a while. As they get older they will benefit from more frequent use.

Driven once a week at least and they should last the lifetime of the vehicle.

 

[Pete Sheppard]

I bought a '23 XLT hybrid w/7400 miles a few weeks ago. This being my first hybrid, I am of course very interested in the battery life.
ALSO being a dinosaur from the days when batteries were short-lived creatures, I followed the hybrid progress for a long time, and am continually surprised at what batteries are capable of today!
IF I understand my warranty, I'm already two years into the standard warranty, but I drive gently (a lifetime of well-worn used cars plus the fun of saving gas) yet put a lot of miles on my vehicle. With all that in mind, I am very optimistic about the durability of my Maverick's battery.
Thanks for all the info!

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