I am trying to drive in a manner that keeps the car in EV as much as possible, and I am curious as to whether by doing so, I may inadvertently be shortening the life of the battery. Does anyone have any information about this?

 

I don't know, but the warranty is 8 years.

the software will not let you drain the battery below a specific level. -I've never gotten mine below 2 bars.
(and never gotten it higher than 1 bar less than full.)

 

My engine will always kick in at two bars, to charge it up. I've gotten it to full bars twice, but not for long, maybe 2-4 minutes at most and drops back down 1 bar.

Not to worry, the computer will make sure it's charged up enough if not by the regenerative brakes then by engine, and not overcharged.

 

I guess one of the better things here in California: a Hybrid battery is warranted for 10 years!

 

Jerry, unless I'm mistaken, the warranty for the hybrid battery and components is 8 years or 100,000 miles. That's what my warranty book and sticker reads.

 

In CA the warranty is 10yrs 150k miles. You can Google it like I just did.

 

Touché.

John

 

I'm assuming that cars purchased in California have the same manuals and warranty booklet as those vehicles purchased in other states?

So... does the car have to be purchased in California to qualify for the extended warranty, or just have to be in California? What if I moved to California in a couple of years? Would my car get the extended warranty on battery because "California insists on it?" Hmmmm. My guess is that the car has to be purchased in CA.

 

I wonder if its a state law. (er.... tax)


anyone have an idea how long these batteries actually last?

 

I hope I'll never have to test out the warranty, but the warranty manual that came with my car, and the window sticker say 8 years/100,000 miles. I looked for any Calif. exemptions/extensions but didn't see anything in the written stuff. Maybe the web info is more up to date?

 

Here is a great article:

http://autos.aol.com/article/toyota-prius-reliability/

This is a short section of the article.

Prius Taxis Perform

Bradly Berman, founder and editor of HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com, says that he is not surprised by Consumer Reports' test results. "For years, I've been seeing reports from Prius-driving taxi drivers, who have clocked 200,000 miles or more, and they've reported virtually no degradation of the battery or vehicle performance," says Berman. "There have been similar reports on HybridCars.com and other sites from individual long-distance hybrid drivers.

"This is not to say that absolutely no owners of first-generation hybrids have had to replace battery packs," adds Berman. "There have been a few, but my guess is that it's a single percentage point or two. By and large, these hybrid battery packs are way over-engineered. The carmakers were worried about battery longevity, and its potential impact on consumer acceptance, so they went overboard to make sure that the batteries would last longer than any other component of a conventional car."

Fisher and Berman agree that this kind of data should assuage any fears that consumers might have about hybrid technology and its long-range viability.

 

Jollick,

Excellent quote! Thanks for that boost of confidence, even though I'm already feeling good!

 

Yeah, the manual seems to confirm the 8yr/100k warranty. See page 31 of the warranty manual. Maybe you can't believe everything you see on the internet.

 

I happenned to see a Lexus factory rep at my dealership (in California) when I stopped in to get my new license plates put on during lunch today. I read your post on a longer battery warranty in California earlier this morning and mentioned it to him. He said that he was not aware of a longer warranty in California for the battery- it is 8 years/ 100,000 miles.

 

Me thinks the Rep might be wrong. Found this by searching.

Unless it isn't in effect any longer. Saw the same info regarding Honda hybrids.

John

The comprehensive, powertrain and hybrid warranties are transferable to second and subsequent owners of a 2010 Toyota Prius.

Toyota’s comprehensive warranty for the Prius covers three years/36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Powertrain coverage is five years/60,000 miles, and in California the hybrid warranty is good for 10 years/150,000 miles.

The hybrid component warranty covers the hybrid battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter. In most states the hybrid warranty is eight yjears/100,000 miles, but states that have adopted California’s Emission Control Warranty have a longer warranty. These states include California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, New Mexico and Rhode Island.