2018 Prius Battery Concern

The car will be fine and there is a user here (can't remember here, I think it's Padroo?) who's Prius was over a year old when he bought it off the lot. When that battery gets some age and use on it, then sitting for long periods - yeah, it can cause some problems, but that's years and miles down the road.

I'd save money and get the 2018 if the deals are there. But myself, I'd never buy a used Prius... Ever.

 

I believe @Mendel Leisk bought one that sat at the dealer for months. They had let the 12 volt battery discharge and needed to replace it.

 

Some of the long-term Prius owners say that it's wise to put money away for future hybrid battery replacement. That's assuming of course, that the owner plans on keeping the Prius for over 10 years. A new battery can cost approximately $2,000 - $3,000? Maybe the price will come down in the years ahead.

I like my Prius, but technology changes and improvements come fairly fast, so I don't see keeping this car for more than 8-10 years. (I keep telling myself that I'm not married to this Prius. It's ok to change. I may not even want another hybrid. )

 

True. 10 years from now according to Elon Musk, humans will start colonizing Mars. First supply drop off on Mars begins in 2024 to get ready for human habitation. 10 years from now cars will be driving with AI and will do all the "thinking" when driving. 10 years from now battery tech should have changed so much. Making our existing hybrids look like child's play. Yea 10 years tech is changing fast. The best future cars will be the ones that levitate if that ever happens in 10 years. Best thing to do is just enjoy and make the best of it year by year.

As for the HV battery. Dropping low from self discharge should not be a problem. Plus the dealer should be keeping it from dropping too low. The real problem is keeping the HV battery at high state of charge especially when the weather is really hot. Cell damage can occur, another reason why Toyota never wants to go to 100% charge. It would be like boiling water when the level is already at the brim. It will create overflow (overload). So better to keep the battery charge low when it's really hot. This is more important for Lithium (because it can easily explode). So should be Ok, plus the warranty should give peace of mind as well.