An answer to your hybrid car's demise once the batteries start failing?

Question

Wouldn't it be great if a car manufacturer designed a system of gasoline engines that you used to replace the system of batteries that it currently uses once the batteries die after their lifespan of eight years? This way you could KEEP your car. Granted, it would use gas only now, but it would have two engines running. The company would need to develop some logic to turn the larger engine on and off depending on the need for this larger engine.

After eight years, those of you who own these hybrids will be throwing them away, batteries and all, to be left to rot in a junk yard somewhere. The environmental impact of the decay of these batteries will be costly to say the least!

Answer 1

Well that what they dont want to tell you the car is worth nothing in 8 years despite paying more for it.

Answer 2

you're thinking that the batteries won't be recycled?

wouldn't that seem a better alternative than 2 engines?

Answer 3

How often do hybrid batteries need replacing? Is replacement expensive and disposal an environmental problem?

The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and ten years, depending on the car maker.

Battery toxicity is a concern, althoug today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.

There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.