Second hand hybrid and electric car borkage
Discussion
What with the continued move towards hybrid and full electric cars and with the originals (early Tesla's, Prius's etc) now ageing out of manufacturer warranties. What does this mean for people wanting to buy these second hand?
Do people even bother or is the whole and only point of having something electric, is the fact it's either brand new or only a year or two?
I know electric cars are both complex and simple at the same time. An electric motor having fewer moving parts than a conventional combustion engine but laced with ever more complicated electronics. Plus don't get me started on the different ways manufacturers have tackled the whole hybrid thing and energy regeneration.
Would a home mechanic ever consider, let alone be able to work on one?
Will the days of being able to pick up a shed and maintain it yourself ever apply to these cars?
We're probably still too early in the lifecycle of these cars becoming more mainstream to be able to answer it with any real conviction.
Do people even bother or is the whole and only point of having something electric, is the fact it's either brand new or only a year or two?
I know electric cars are both complex and simple at the same time. An electric motor having fewer moving parts than a conventional combustion engine but laced with ever more complicated electronics. Plus don't get me started on the different ways manufacturers have tackled the whole hybrid thing and energy regeneration.
Would a home mechanic ever consider, let alone be able to work on one?
Will the days of being able to pick up a shed and maintain it yourself ever apply to these cars?
We're probably still too early in the lifecycle of these cars becoming more mainstream to be able to answer it with any real conviction.
Batteries age and gradually lose the ability to hold as much charge. You can already buy replacement cells for them from various places, and some people are adding extra range to their cars using them. So it's possible to refurbish batteries, and presumably there will eventually be a market to trade in the battery for a replacement.
The motor is pretty much non-servicable, just has to be removed and replaced, same for chargers and inverters which have to be put together in clean environments.
The rest of the car is standard fare.
The motor is pretty much non-servicable, just has to be removed and replaced, same for chargers and inverters which have to be put together in clean environments.
The rest of the car is standard fare.
When you buy a s/h ICE car, you start it up, drive it round the block, and assuming it doesn't smoke or make any horrible noises, you buy it. You really have no idea how worn it is.
When you buy a EV, you stick the diag reader on it and get the battery health data. That tells you exactly how worn / aged it is.
When you buy a EV, you stick the diag reader on it and get the battery health data. That tells you exactly how worn / aged it is.
Some studies already been done on wear/degradation.
See here : https://electrek.co/2016/06/06/tesla-model-s-batte...
See here : https://electrek.co/2016/06/06/tesla-model-s-batte...
2 years ago I privately bought a 2007 Prius with 205,000 on the clock for €5300 which (here, Netherlands) was a pretty good price.
It now has 239,000 on it and has not had a single drivetrain related issue. I put petrol in it, change the oil once or twice a year and fill up the screenwash. It just works. Average fuel economy over that time is around 5.5 l/100km, in summer it will use quite a bit less (I managed 1000km on a 40 litre tank so 4l/100km which is lots of MPGs).
It is easy and cheap to service and work on by myself. Parts are normal prices. It's mega light on brakes and tyres. As an appliance, for that price bracket, I can't really think of anything else I'd now choose and I like to think to hope my next car will not have an ICE... but that's quite far in the future.
In case you want to know more about my particular car and its life with me, see here https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It now has 239,000 on it and has not had a single drivetrain related issue. I put petrol in it, change the oil once or twice a year and fill up the screenwash. It just works. Average fuel economy over that time is around 5.5 l/100km, in summer it will use quite a bit less (I managed 1000km on a 40 litre tank so 4l/100km which is lots of MPGs).
It is easy and cheap to service and work on by myself. Parts are normal prices. It's mega light on brakes and tyres. As an appliance, for that price bracket, I can't really think of anything else I'd now choose and I like to think to hope my next car will not have an ICE... but that's quite far in the future.
In case you want to know more about my particular car and its life with me, see here https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Replacement Hybrid battery pack from Toyota is around £1300 fitted.
When you consider repairs on conventional cars that are 11/12 years old could easily cost this sort of price,they are pretty good value,particularly if you buy a car that has had a new battery pack,as a Toyota hybrid is pretty much bullet proof once this has been done.
Fixed price servicing from Toyota is very competitive as well.
When you consider repairs on conventional cars that are 11/12 years old could easily cost this sort of price,they are pretty good value,particularly if you buy a car that has had a new battery pack,as a Toyota hybrid is pretty much bullet proof once this has been done.
Fixed price servicing from Toyota is very competitive as well.
I spoke to a guy with a 2003 second gen Prius a while back , he had bought it when it was 3 years old and had put 220k on it , figured he would run it until the wheels fell off , but reckoned outside normal wear and tear and servicing nothing had gone wrong and was still on original battery although he reckoned that was on its way and would probably write the car off when it went
My 2005 Prius had 105K on the clock.The hybrid Battery failed at this mileage.I had a replacement Hybrd Battery pack fitted at a Toyota service centre for just over £1300.It gave no warning before it went. Very rare apparently for failure at this, or higher mileage came to that.
However the car still ran ok,although obviously down on power!
I then decided to part ex it at a Toyota dealer for my current generation 3 car(2010)
However the car still ran ok,although obviously down on power!
I then decided to part ex it at a Toyota dealer for my current generation 3 car(2010)
I'm seriously considering one now as my 'last ever' car.
I'm retired and looking to minimise the overall-life cost of another car; the Prius seems to fit the bill. Looking at 17 years/200k miles perhaps, by which time I'll be in my eighties and will worry about a replacement in due course!
Looking at the positives - n/a petrol so no turbo, no DPFs, no DMFs, no clutch, no gearbox, astonishing mpg and cheap servicing and as a bonus, the gen. 4 is a quiet, good-handling bit of kit. I drive the demonstrators around the country so have done many thousands of miles in them.
Negatives? May need a battery pack before 17 years is up. £1300? Less than a single turbo replacement on almost anything of a similar age. Owt I've forgotten?
I'm retired and looking to minimise the overall-life cost of another car; the Prius seems to fit the bill. Looking at 17 years/200k miles perhaps, by which time I'll be in my eighties and will worry about a replacement in due course!
Looking at the positives - n/a petrol so no turbo, no DPFs, no DMFs, no clutch, no gearbox, astonishing mpg and cheap servicing and as a bonus, the gen. 4 is a quiet, good-handling bit of kit. I drive the demonstrators around the country so have done many thousands of miles in them.
Negatives? May need a battery pack before 17 years is up. £1300? Less than a single turbo replacement on almost anything of a similar age. Owt I've forgotten?
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