While the number of hybrid cars on the road has been increasing, many drivers may feel wary of using alternate fuel technologies that they don't fully understand. While many people have speculated that hybrid cars may create new environmental issues to negate the emissions and fuel consumption that they reduce, hybrid car batteries are an evolving technology that minimizes and diversifies fuel consumption and allows cars to run longer on a single battery.
Types
Two main types of batteries for hybrid cars exist. Nickel metal hydride batteries are used in most gas-electric hybrid cars that are currently on the roads, but lithium ion batteries, like the kind used in laptop computers, are a leading technology for future hybrid cars because the lithium is lighter and cheaper than nickel. Lithium ion batteries have only been explored in a limited scope in hybrid cars because of the challenges associated with manufacturing large enough lithium ion batteries to carry a car long distances. Another less popular contender with the nickel metal hydride battery is lead-acid, the fuel present in standard car batteries, which can be developed for hybrid car batteries at a much lower cost than nickel metal hydride and performs as well.
Features
Most batteries larger than a cell phone battery pack actually consist of many small battery cells, so hybrid car batteries typically contain over a hundred individual nickel metal hydride cells even for a compact car like the Prius. Hybrid car batteries store energy that can be used to power all the vehicle's systems alone or in conjunction with the engine. While hybrid car batteries could conceivably recharge in many ways, such as plugging the car into an electrical outlet, most current hybrid cars use the car's motor and braking to regenerate battery life while driving.
Cost
Hybrid car batteries made from nickel metal hydride cost several thousand dollars for the initial factory install and retail for an even higher price, presenting a significant cost to drivers of hybrid cars who might need a replacement. The high cost of nickel metal hydride batteries is the driving force behind many innovations attempting to come up with a viable alternative. Manufacturers, however, argue that hybrid car batteries are built to last a vehicle's lifetime and should not need to be replaced before 150,000 or 200,000 miles. When hybrid batteries do stop working, it may be possible to fix them by replacing just one of the individual cells.
Environmental Concerns
The main environmental concerns associated with hybrid car batteries are the environmental impact of manufacturing the batteries and the ease of recycling hybrid car batteries. While the harmful environmental effects of battery chemicals will continue to be an issue in hybrid car batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries can be effectively recycled and do not need to be replaced as often as standard car batteries.
Considerations
Hybrid car batteries are generally quite large, given the number of individual cells that have to be used to create a battery pack large enough to operate an automobile. Because of the size of hybrid car batteries, many hybrid cars must forgo other conveniences such as fold-down back seats or a spare tire depending on where the battery is stored in the frame of the vehicle.
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