Facts About Your Hybrid Car Battery
Seemingly overnight, gas-electric hybrid vehicles have gone from paper drawings to real-life metal and rubber creations. But for many consumers, questions still lurk around in their minds about the "electric" part. Hybrids use electric motors that are powered by battery packs, and of course, everyone knows a car battery doesn't last forever. Think about any battery, such as your laptop or cell phone---after a couple years you'll need a replacement. Could the battery packs in hybrid cars really be that different? "Yes." Based on available evidence, hybrid drivers should enjoy many years of trouble-free motoring from their complex power systems.
Hybrid Car Battery: The Makeup
Rather than using a lithium-ion car battery, the default power source for consumer electronics, most gas/electric hybrid vehicles on the road today use nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery packs. These batteries are less toxic inside than traditional lead-acid batteries, so that's an environmental bonus. But here's why they are so impressive—a NiMH car battery is much more space-efficient than a traditional lead-acid battery and much cheaper than lithium-ion batteries. NiMH remains far and away the leader in hybrid market share.
Life Expectancy:
As you may already know, your computer or cell-phone battery will last longer if you neither charge it fully nor allow it to run down to zero. The same theory is true for a hybrid car battery, but there are safeguards applied that limit both the maximum and minimum charge levels of the battery pack. This ensures that the battery pack will provide meaningful motive assistance without conking out prematurely, no matter how you treat your car.
But just when will a typical NiMH battery pack conk out? Generally, most manufacturers agree that all NiMH batteries are designed and built to last the life of the vehicle. Evidence strongly shows that the number of car battery replacements is extremely low—less than 5% of the packs in use.
Stay away from a premature car battery replacement. Mileage varies from vehicle to vehicle, but NiMH car battery packs, in general, are a mature product at this point, with millions of miles and countless refinements already on the books.
Have questions about your hybrid car battery? Contact our ASE Certified technicians at Elk River Tire and Auto today at (763) 441-2889 or go to www.elkrivertireandauto.com for more information about a hybrid car battery replacement. Our auto shop in Elk River, MN proudly serves residents in the areas of Zimmerman, and Otsego, Minnesota.
Seemingly overnight, gas-electric hybrid vehicles have gone from paper drawings to real-life metal and rubber creations. But for many consumers, questions still lurk around in their minds about the "electric" part. Hybrids use electric motors that are powered by battery packs, and of course, everyone knows a car battery doesn't last forever. Think about any battery, such as your laptop or cell phone---after a couple years you'll need a replacement. Could the battery packs in hybrid cars really be that different? "Yes." Based on available evidence, hybrid drivers should enjoy many years of trouble-free motoring from their complex power systems.
Hybrid Car Battery: The Makeup
Rather than using a lithium-ion car battery, the default power source for consumer electronics, most gas/electric hybrid vehicles on the road today use nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery packs. These batteries are less toxic inside than traditional lead-acid batteries, so that's an environmental bonus. But here's why they are so impressive—a NiMH car battery is much more space-efficient than a traditional lead-acid battery and much cheaper than lithium-ion batteries. NiMH remains far and away the leader in hybrid market share.
Life Expectancy:
As you may already know, your computer or cell-phone battery will last longer if you neither charge it fully nor allow it to run down to zero. The same theory is true for a hybrid car battery, but there are safeguards applied that limit both the maximum and minimum charge levels of the battery pack. This ensures that the battery pack will provide meaningful motive assistance without conking out prematurely, no matter how you treat your car.
But just when will a typical NiMH battery pack conk out? Generally, most manufacturers agree that all NiMH batteries are designed and built to last the life of the vehicle. Evidence strongly shows that the number of car battery replacements is extremely low—less than 5% of the packs in use.
Stay away from a premature car battery replacement. Mileage varies from vehicle to vehicle, but NiMH car battery packs, in general, are a mature product at this point, with millions of miles and countless refinements already on the books.
Have questions about your hybrid car battery? Contact our ASE Certified technicians at Elk River Tire and Auto today at (763) 441-2889 or go to www.elkrivertireandauto.com for more information about a hybrid car battery replacement. Our auto shop in Elk River, MN proudly serves residents in the areas of Zimmerman, and Otsego, Minnesota.
