can you dispose of the batteries for hybrid cars easily? Are they good for the environment?

Answer 1

The lead-acid (Pb-A) 12v accessory batteries in hybrids tend to be smaller than those found in every traditional gasoline vehicle. Recycling programs are in place for traditional lead-acid batteries.

All the hybrids on the market use NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries, which contain no heavy metals (so they're not hazardous waste, like the Pb-A batteries), and are easily recycled. (Nickel has had quite a price spike lately...)

The hybrid battery packs in the Prius have labels on them for whom to contact to recycle them. See the HV Battery Pack Recycling section in the Prius Emergency Response Guides.
page 11 (of the printed version):
http://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/1stprius.pdf
page 19 (of the printed version):
http://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/2ndprius.pdf

To quote Toyota's June 2004 press release:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?id=TYT2004062345528


How long does the Prius battery last and what is the replacement cost?

The Prius battery (and the battery-power management system) has been designed to maximize battery life. In part this is done by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level - never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. As a result, the Prius battery leads a pretty easy life. We have lab data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration and expect it to last the life of the vehicle. We also expect battery technology to continue to improve: the second-generation model battery is 15% smaller, 25% lighter, and has 35% more specific power than the first. This is true of price as well. Between the 2003 and 2004 models, service battery costs came down 36% and we expect them to continue to drop so that by the time replacements may be needed it won't be a much of an issue. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

Is there a recycling plan in place for nickel-metal hydride batteries?

Toyota has a comprehensive battery recycling program in place and has been recycling nickel-metal hydride batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, is recycled. To ensure that batteries come back to Toyota, each battery has a phone number on it to call for recycling information and dealers are paid a $200 "bounty" for each battery.


Not that I've heard of very many hybrid batteries needing replacement... They're still too new at over 6 years of use here in the US.

Answer 2

You should call the dealership that sells the brand about this. I asked at a Honda dealership once, but they said they were still working on this disposal issue (it was years ago). Gas/electric Hybrid cars are not all they are cracked up to be: unless you live in a suburb right next to the city you work & shop in nearly exclusively, you will never get the full advantage of the technology. Ford offers hybrid Escape buyers a class on how to drive one properly for maximum mileage. You get better mileage the more you do stop & go driving, not cruising the open highway. Many hybrid buyers do not understand this, and are complaining of mileage no where near the posted numbers. If you are seeking a vehicle that is extremely fuel efficient, I highly reccomend a Volkswagen Beetle TDI or Golf TDI. These have 4 cylinder diesel engines (very quiet & not big 'smoke-makers' like trucks) that can get up to 50 mpg. My boyfriend recently bought a Jetta TDI (high 40's mpg), and they are niiiiiice cars. This technology is tried & true, and diesels run longer than gas motors in general. I plan on buying one myself next.

Answer 3

Not only is there no way of easily disposing of the old batteries, but finding replacements will be difficult for several years yet, as all the battery plants are operating at capacity to fill current orders for laptop and hybrid car batteries. Last I heard no new plants are under construction, or even planned. Buy a VW TDI if you're looking for a car with a minimal ecological impact that won't turn into a big expensive mess.

Answer 4

Battery existence is very based on the demands located on the battery. in case you deep discharge a battery you create oxidation products interior it. those can intervene with the battery's skill to shop potential (shrink skill) and/or probably short the battery cellular(s) frequently, after some form of discharge-charge cycles, its a mix of the two, ensuing in a battery that measures 0 volts no count how lots you attempt to charge it. warmth ( a byproduct of stressful extreme cutting-edge) can enhance up this oxidation. because of the fact the individuals who might tend to purchase the hybrids might even tend to be people who won't abuse their automobiles by skill of stressful the optimal overall performance they might get from them... the batteries may well be envisioned to final longer than if the undemanding driving force became into making use of the same motor vehicle. for this reason... i'm no longer stunned in any respect that the batteries are lasting longer than the manufacturers envisioned. ************ Any battery is in basic terms a controlled chem lab test... different metals and an electrolytic "answer" (on occasion that answer is a gel... ) The metals AND acid could be reprocessed for reuse. Batteries are in basic terms complicated to recycle because of the unsafe supplies often in touch. (Lead is a poison. Cadmium is a poison, acids are risky to deal with...) exertions and potential... plus a quite small quantity of (additionally recyclable...) unsafe waste products and you additionally could make new batteries from previous ones.

Answer 5

They usually are nikel-cadmium, so they are highly toxic.

Even if they were convencional lead-acid type, they still.

If you care about enviroment (and other people's health) better contact a recycler.

They pay you for that kind of disposal.

Good luck.