"L Alpert" <alpertl@xxgmail.com> wrote in message
news:FrSdnS3GV8-I3xDfRVn-rw@comcast.com...
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>> "Bob" <lester11221@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:htednY58zuDnkRDfRVn-vQ@comcast.com...
>>> Does anyone have any info on the long-term reliability of hybrids. Any
>>> brand. Batteries?
>>>
>>>
>> I have a 2002 Prius. So far (2 1/2 years, 45 K miles) it has been the
>> most reliable car I've ever owned. Disclaimer: my daughter's '93
>> Accord has been a clear second, considering it had 8 years and 163K
>> miles at the time. I've put a couple axles, a timing belt, brakes, a
>> window regulator and an ignitor in it in 4 years.
>>
>> The question of hybrid battery life comes up all the time. The bottom
>> line is that everybody wonders and practically nobody has had
>> problems.
>
> Well, good news so far, but I have always wondered what will happen 6-10
> years from now when batteries need to be replaced in mass. Are they
> recyclable? If not, will they have to be handled as toxic waste? If so,
> how environmental friendly is that?
>
Toyota already has a program to buy them back for $200 and to recycle all
the metals. Few batteries probably will ever reach the point where they will
be replaced though - the battery is expected to last the design life of the
car. Individual cells can be replaced and the hybrid computer even has
diagnostics for determining if individual cells are performing properly. I
expect the overwhelming majority of Toyota's hybrid batteries will be sold
for the bounty when the cars are scrapped if current trends continue. There
are 1999 model year Prius cars in Japan and their batteries are doing fine.

Mike