I am thinking about purchasing a used 2nd generation Prius. However I only drive about 1,500 miles per year. I do short trips of 4 miles and 7 miles one way. But is seems some people are saying that with my low yearly mileage the battery life will be reduced. I am not concerned about mpg and temperature is not a problem. So does the low yearly mileage affect battery life all other things being equal?
yes, it is a massive problem. if you are not concerned with mpg, why a prius? it is probably the most expensive repair in hawaii
Unless you are just worried about pollution, that's not a good match for you. A 4 mile trip in a Gen 2 Prius will spend most of it's time with the engine running while it warms up. That will give you about the same emissions and mileage as a Corolla. Dan
Lack of use is not going to cause significant extra trouble. The real issue is that the battery is simply going to degrade over time whether you use it or not. The car won't run properly without it, and fixing it will raise the cost-per-mile of owning a Prius over that of most other cars. And if you're talking about 2nd generation cars, those batteries already have degraded. Many of them need battery help today, the rest will soon. So, do it if you want to drive a Prius, but don't do this to save money. It would be like buying into the full buffet when you only want a cup of soup: You won't go hungry but you might go broke.
@Tim Hawaii what's your "parking situation"? If you've got secure parking with 120 volt outlets, you can maintain the 12 volt with a smart charger. If it's a private garage you've got lots of options, most typical would be an external charger, and a lead running to the battery. That's my scenario; I have the car connected pretty much constantly, using a quick connect that came with my CTEK 4.3. We've been driving as little as once a week, just leave the charger on constantly during down time, no harm. In less secure scenario, say a shared underground apartment garage (but still having AC accessible), an on-board charger will do similar duty, where you have the whole charger under the hood, just run an AC cord out through front grill, like a block heater. The NOCO Genius GENM1is a contender I've been considering. Put some electrical tape on your extension cord; hopefully makes it less desirable to thieves.
At 1500 miles a year, you might want to start asking yourself if it’s cheaper to own a car or just use ride sharing. However, with that said, it seems like your priority in car buying is reliability. According to Dashboard Light, a survey of hundreds of thousands of used cars up for auction, a 2004-2007 Prius has roughly a 12-13% chance of something major failing, and a 2008-2009 Prius has roughly a 5-6% chance of a major problem. Compare that with a Camry, which has roughly an 8-9% rate of major problems from 2004-2013 or a 2004-2008 Corolla with 8-10% major problems. So I’d say a 2008 or newer Prius would be a more reliable vehicle, but if you’re getting an earlier year car than that, go with a Camry or Corolla.
batteries in any car do not like being left off a lot. Any hybrid is a bad match to your driving, Just MNSHO.
The following is from "The Car Care Nut" a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician on youtube. As long as the car is driven weekly you should be ok. If it sits for months at a time I would consider a gasoline only car for longevity.
