How long does the battery of your hybrid car last?

Before we start, we need to make something clear. Hybrid vehicles have a 12-volt battery just like any other car, but we’re not talking about that. The high-voltage battery is hidden from view. They are usually located under the back seat. Sometimes they protrude under the rear parcel shelf. In any case, they are intended to last the life of the car. Unless you drive a car a lot of kilometers or buy a well-used car.

The federal government requires a minimum warranty coverage of eight years or 80,000 miles on plug-in hybrid and EV batteries as part of the emission warranty (formerly the Emissions Performance Guarantee). Vehicles sold in any of the states that follow California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules require 10 years or 150,000 miles of battery coverage, whether a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery-electric vehicle.
Beyond these requirements, the warranty a car manufacturer offers can tell you something about how long the company expects the battery to last. Toyota goes above and beyond what’s required of its hybrids, with a 10-year/150,000-mile warranty; Hyundai covers hybrid components for the same 10-year/100,000-mile term as for its non-hybrid powertrains. These warranties are also generally transferable to subsequent owners, so you may still be covered if you buy used.

And if the battery fails within that time frame, you can rest assured that the warranty will give you peace of mind. Replacing it may be an inconvenience, but as long as the battery dies due to natural causes, you won’t have to pay for a new one.

There are several ways a hybrid battery can deteriorate or discharge completely, some of which you can control and some of which you cannot. Things beyond your direct control include defective battery cells and other associated electronics.

Exposure to extreme temperatures, both during use and when stationary, can also negatively impact battery life. Keeping the vehicle out of the sun whenever possible and in a garage with a temperate climate will extend the life of the battery. And while we do our best to prevent accidents, damage to a high-voltage battery from such an unplanned event can hinder or put it out of service.

High voltage batteries, like any other battery, degrade over time. Manufacturers try to extend battery life by using only part of the battery’s capacity, thus avoiding under-discharging or over-charging the battery. After a certain point, too much degradation can virtually drain the battery.

A warning light and its associated diagnostic code are a good tip for a battery problem, but you may be able to detect a faulty battery before the car officially reports it. Signs include reduced fuel economy, the hybrid system operating less frequently, and the battery gauge no longer reaching full capacity or indicating correctly.

Because hybrids use their electric motors to start the gasoline engine and the motors get their juice from the high-voltage package, failure to start or even turn on the car is another possible sign of a high-voltage package failure.

Although there are no comprehensive studies on the lifespan of hybrid batteries, most educated estimates place a range of 100,000 to 200,000 miles. The best advice for anyone considering purchasing a high-mileage hybrid is to have a pre-purchase inspection, including battery diagnostics. That way, if the car needs a new battery, you can factor it into the price and schedule a replacement.

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Ever since David was a little kid Car and driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet of all the vehicles he has driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel park a school bus and once reversed a Lincoln Town Car at 60 mph. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he is back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David isn’t looking for the perfect used car, you can find him with the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition groceries.