How Long Does A Hybrid Battery Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 8 Years To 10 Years

Several different factors determine the life expectancy of a hybrid battery, that is how long a hybrid battery would last in an electric car. Some of the major factors that determine the time of a hybrid battery could be the temperature of the electric car, distance driven by that electric car, quality of the hybrid battery, age of the hybrid battery, and other such factors.

How Long Does A Hybrid Battery Last?

Among all the multiple factors, there is one major factor that must be considered to calculate the time for how long a hybrid battery would last on average when installed in an electric car. That major determining factor is the type of electric car in which the hybrid battery is installed.

An electric car can be classified into two different categories, that are, a hybrid electric car, and the other type is a plug-in hybrid car. Depending upon which type of electric car it is, the time for how long a hybrid battery would last also differs.

The major difference between a hybrid electric car and a plug-in hybrid car is the fuel utilized by them. A hybrid car uses gas as its fuel, whereas a plug-in hybrid car uses both gas and electricity as its fuel.

Considering a comparison between a hybrid electric car and a plug-in hybrid car, if a hybrid battery is installed in a hybrid electric car then it would last for a shorter duration of time as compared to the time when the hybrid battery is installed in a plug-in hybrid car.

On average, a hybrid battery lasts for about a minimum of 8 years to a maximum of 10 years when it is installed in a hybrid electric car, or in any hybrid electric vehicle apart from a car as well.

While on the other hand, in the second case the hybrid battery would last for about a minimum of 11 years to a maximum of 16 years on average when it is installed in a plug-in hybrid electric car, or in any plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

Why Does A Hybrid Battery Last That Long?

The lifespan of a hybrid battery when it is installed in a plug-in electric vehicle is longer. In other words, it can be said that a hybrid battery would last for a longer time in a plug-in electric car as compared to the time for how long a hybrid battery would last in a hybrid electric vehicle.

The reason behind that could be stated in terms of the amount of heat produced in the electric vehicle. That is to say, the amount of heat produced in a hybrid electric vehicle is higher than compared of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

It is so because a hybrid electric vehicle has gas as its primary source of fuel for its functioning. In other words, it can be said that when the vehicle uses gas to the engine. The combustion of gas by the electric vehicle produces more heat.

While in the second case, a plug-in electric vehicle uses both gas and electricity as its fuel for its functioning. As a result, the amount of heat produced is not as high as compared to the heat produced by a hybrid electric vehicle.

Since the amount of heat produced is not high, the hybrid battery works more efficiently and also for a longer duration of time in plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Conclusion

In other words, it can also be stated that a hybrid battery would work properly for an electric car for a distance of about a minimum of 80,000 miles to a maximum of 150,000 miles.  But, it is tp be noted that it also depends upon the age of the electric car or the electric vehicle as well.

But, once the hybrid battery reaches the end of its life span, it starts showing different signs of improper functioning. Some of the major signs could be quick depletion of the battery of an electric car, bad fuel economy of the electric car, electrical fluctuations in the car, and other such signs.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775317314994
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468612005671