How Much Does A Hybrid Car Battery Cost?



While most hybrid battery packs are actually made up of a number of individual cells, generally the whole pack must be replaced if there is a problem. Replacement battery packs for hybrid cars run in the several thousand dollar range including labor.

Most estimates I’ve heard are near the $2000-$3000 range, although I've seen more. (See below.) Avoiding heavy draining of the battery seems to be one of the main ways to keep the battery healthy. Different hybrids use different methods to help prevent overcharging, but battery management is controlled mainly by the car’s computers.

The early manual transmission Insights are the only cars that I have read about that have experienced failure of the battery packs.

For those that experience battery failure within the warranty period, manufacturers are standing behind their product and providing replacement units.

In some cases Honda has even provided additional "goodwill coverage" for at least a portion of the bill for hybrid battery replacement even after the warranty has expired. Although normally, if there is a battery failure after the warranty is expired, consumers should plan to cover the bill themselves. To purchase a brand new hybrid battery from a dealer, the price for a Honda Insight Hybrid battery is around $3600.

In November of 2005, when asked about the price of a new Prius battery, Toyota spokeswoman Mona Richard said, "The service parts price for a new battery is $3000, but we have not had to sell a battery yet."

As one would expect, there are starting to be sources for used hybrid batteries which can be purchased for considerably less.