Any thoughts on how long the hybrid battery will last? I have a 2010, purchased new from the dealer in February 2011. I now have logged in 95,000 miles, and never have had a single problem with the car the entire time. I want to keep this car as long as I can! Just wasn't sure when it would most likely be time to replace the battery. Thanks for any input!
Lots of variables come into play.. in short it depends could go 130k, 150k,200k,300k most should last at least 150k id think 200k would be reached more often than not
The average life of the Gen2 NiMh Traction battery has been over 200k miles and your Gen3 battery should do better but there is variability. Excessive heat (use your AC) and/or the stress of mountain driving can reduce battery life. My 2004 battery needed replacement at 195k miles. JeffD
The Gen 2 battery is a different design than the Gen 1 battery, and the Gen 3 and v battery is different design again. Neither the PIP nor the c resemble the others very much at all. So judging the current batteries by how well the Gen 1 and Gen 2 are doing is fraught with peril. About half the Gen 1 Batteries (2001 to 2003) have been replaced, the better designed Gen 2 batteries seem to be about 10% replaced. (2004 to 2009) 2022 would be my guess at about 300,000 miles, assuming that Toyota improved Gen 3 based on what they learned with earlier Generations. (For all we know accountants 'won' over engineers and Gen 3 is worse than Gen 2)
Jim, Have a little faith. The Gen3 battery modules are an improved design and have a lower effective series resistance. This means that they run cooler and are rated to handle 30% more current than the Gen2 modules. That is why I expect that they will hold up a bit better than my Gen2 batteries. JeffD
I truly do BELIEVE the Gen 3 batteries are better, I just wanted to explain that it is not based on experience, just a belief. In 2023 we can look back and say "why were we even worried?" but until the future plays out, it is just speculation.
Until battery technology advances, the NiMh battery is the most resilient of the choices that are available. Yeah, it weighs a lot but it's tough. Lithium batteries are much lighter but come with other drawbacks that are not yet suitable for the demands of automobile service. Boeing elected to use Lithium batteries in their 787 models to save weight and almost torched some very expensive airplanes due to battery fires. They should have conferred with Toyota engineers. Toyota knew that Lithium Ion batteries (although much lighter) would have resulted in a fiasco for the Hybrid automobile. They made the right discussion to use the (tough as nails) NiMh batteries.
Hi PriusUser...The good news it sounds from the above like that Gen3 battery should last a real long time (life of vehicle is the design intent). The only bad news is the batt warranty in most states incl. VA is 100,000 miles, so you are almost there.
Plug-in's are a whole different ball of "battery " wax compared to a Hybrid systems. Lithium Ion batteries will degrade when constantly charged from a partially charged state. They need to drain down to a very low SOC. The Plug-in system has a completely different charge management system to insure a proper charge cycle. Granted, the Lithium Ion battery is a better choice for a Plug-in but not a Hybrid. We are talking Hybrids here.
It should be very reliable as long as it wasn't exposed to excessive heat and charge/discharge at the same time (e.g. leaving it parked outside in Phoenix in August then doing several 0 to 60 and back to 0 runs). The NiMH batteries in the Gen 2 (and by nature) Gen 3 have been very robust. If that wasn't the case, taxi drivers wouldn't be using them. Any time a car is in for service or repair, is time lost to gain fares, so they want a car that's reliable. As much as I wished Toyota had used Li-Ion for the Gen 3, it might not have been such a bad idea to stick with NiMH. The Prius+ and Prius Alpha 7-pass (7-pass versions of the Prius v) use Li-Ion batteries and are of the non-plug-in variety. It'll be interesting to see how they fare. Our 2005 has 130,000 miles on the original batteries (and original brake pads for that matter!)
I own five (5) Prius, a 01, 04, 09, 11 and a 12 plug-in. They are driven by various members of my family. All were bought new except for the 09 that was purchased from my company with 320,000 miles on it. They are driven most all work on them except for changing oil, tires, tire rotations and fluids. I had to replace the 01 battery at about 125,000 miles. I attempted to fix the battery, but wasn't able to as too many cells were bad, and choose to replace it with a new Toyota battery (about $2100). The car is still running strong. I have replaced three (3) cells in the 04 at two (2) different times. This takes about four (4) hours but only costs about $50 for each cell. These cell replacements were required after the car had gone about 250,000 miles and the car currently has about 300,000 miles on it. The 09 has about 350,000 miles on it and still has its original battery without any replacement cells. The 11 has low mileage (my wife's car) and has had no issues. The 12 plug-in has 100,000 miles without any issues (battery or otherwise). I am curious how long the Lithium Ion battery pack will last! The Prius is not the best looking car. And, it is not as fun to drive, not as fast, nor as comfortable as a high end German car. However, it is in my opinion the most fuel efficient, most reliable and least expensive car on the road. The engineering provides adequate looks, speed and comfort at a level not found in other cars at similar price levels. The Prius (especially in the power mode) can easily merge into traffic and can easily go faster than any posted speed limit. The CVT/hybrid drive is a marvel of engineering. Three (3) of the cars qualified for CA car pool stickers and these have saved about a thousand hours of driving time. I have not had to waste time and money on SMOG inspections as they are exempt. The federal tax credits have reduced the cost of ownership, and the safety ratings are very good. Repairs have been minimal, but I have had a few challenges. If anyone has had issues with a Lithium Ion battery, I would appreciate hearing about it.
welcome! you should probably post in the plug in forum, but i haven't seen any issues yet. you may have the highest mileage for a pip though, check out that thread. all the best!
It is my understanding that the GIII batteries may not last as long as the GII ones. This is what seems to be happening in Taxi service, according to various topics posted on this site. Nice to see the GIII cells were "improved" (Toyota info that I've seen simply indicated it was the same battery "adapted"). But the GIII uses the battery more than the GII did, and that may be why Taxi service sees shorter life. Toyota says it will last "the life of the car". I'm not sure that is "a good thing" (tm), as cars don't last very long in Japan, due to regulations.
