What Happens to EV and Hybrid Batteries?

Edmunds.com

What Happens to EV and Hybrid Batteries?

What will happen to EV batteries when they're too old to store and deliver adequate power? The recycling of nickel-metal hydride batteries from hybrids points the way.

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zimtheinvader

"automotive industry insiders say there appears to be no reason that lithium-ion batteries can't last for 150,000 miles or more as well."

I wish my laptop batteries would last that long.....

jennifer95

Yeah, the problem is the honda civic hybrids that have needed their IMAs replaced well before even 70-80K miles, sometimes the IMA has been replaced more than once, and the 'fix' was extending the warranty plus a couple of software updates. And I'm sure many people know how well that's worked out. Running the air conditioner here in California taxes the battery of the HCH, software updates are supposed to extend the life but the trade off is lower MPG and less power (not like it had much anyway) and it still has a high rate of premature failure for certain model years.

Hard to trust claims about newer vehicles when earlier versions didn't ever get such major issues handled adequately (or maybe the industry is being pushed to superficially meet government regulations at the expense of consumers not to mention what these issues mean for the environment those regulations are supposed to be about protecting!) People don't have the cash to pony up for vehicles that can run on that E15 fuel mixture which will be at the pump sooner than we realize, and dealing with some of these earlier fuel efficient vehicles with issues can kind of distract people from worrying about battery recycling specifics.

tankerone

zimtheinvader said:

"automotive industry insiders say there appears to be no reason that lithium-ion batteries can't last for 150,000 miles or more as well."

I wish my laptop batteries would last that long.....

What kind of miles are you putting on it? Mostly city or highway?

tommypress

The batteries will last until the end of their proposed lifetime and then they might be used through recycling methods.