How Long Do Hybrid Car Batteries Last? (Average Lifespan)

There is a myth that hybrid car batteries will fail soon after you purchase a hybrid vehicle because those batteries are not reliable and go bad quickly. Another myth is that purchasing a replacement battery is super expensive.

The second myth may be true because is not like purchasing a regular car battery for a conventional car. The cost of a new hybrid car battery could be anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000. However, there are some salvaged hybrid car batteries that sell for as little as $500 with many years of life on the left.

The point is you’ll want to get the most life out of your hybrid car battery that you can. The majority of modern-day hybrid car manufacturers claim the batteries for their vehicles have an average lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 miles.

There have even been claims by some consumers that their hybrid car batteries have lasted 150,000 miles and even 200,000 miles in some hybrid vehicles. For most drivers, this amount of mileage would be driven between 5 to 15 years.

Top 6 Factors of a Hybrid Car Battery’s Lifespan

The amount of life you get out of your hybrid car battery depends on a number of factors. Below is a list of some of those factors for you to consider before purchasing your next hybrid car.

Driving Time

Even though hybrid card batteries are rechargeable, they are not going to work forever. There will come a time when these batteries stop charging or hold less of a charge just like any other rechargeable battery (ie: your smartphone).

This means the more you have to recharge the battery, the more it will get closer to the point when the battery stops working. So basically, you would have to limit your driving time as much as possible to extend the life of the battery. That way, you don’t have to recharge it so much.

Climate

While most hybrids have effective battery temperature control, very cold or very hot weather can reduce the lifespan of a hybrid battery. Many hybrid car owners experience up to a 30% reduction in range on very cold winter days such as in the Northeastern states. This is pretty well known.

What is not as well known is that very hot weather can be damaging to hybrid batteries. While driving range is usually best in the warmer months, internal battery damage from hot weather can occur but is not noticeable until winter comes.

Warranties

If there is a warranty included on the hybrid car battery when you purchase your vehicle, then chances are it is a good battery that is going to last for a long time. The longer the warranty, the better the indicator of a long-lasting battery.

Car dealers are obviously not going to give a warranty on a hybrid car battery unless they were sure it was a good battery that would last a while. After all, these batteries are very expensive to replace so they certainly don’t want to have to cover the cost of replacing the battery under your warranty.

Proper Charging

A lot of people don’t realize this but if you always recharge your battery to 100% power, it will actually become drained faster once you start using it.

And if you’re the type of driver who lets their battery power level get down to under 20% before recharging it, this could ruin the battery as well. Manufacturers recommend that you keep the charge level of the battery between 20% and 80%.

Used Battery

Be very careful if you’re purchasing a used hybrid car or replacing your current battery with a used battery. The average lifespan for a used battery will likely be cut in half compared to the lifespan of a new battery.

After all, you don’t know where the used battery came from or how much it was used before it was sold to you. So, keep that in mind before purchasing a used battery.

Erratic Driving

If you are the type of driver who has a habit of taking off quickly and mashing the pedal at every opportunity, then you could be ruining your hybrid car’s battery.

It is common knowledge that if you take off slowly and drive conservatively, then it will preserve the lifespan of your battery as much as possible.