With sales of hybrid vehicles rising by 40.6% year on year in January 2023, they are fast becoming the most popular choice of new cars, with EV and hybrid cars accounting for 14.4% and 13.1% of all sales respectively. Yet the biggest limiting factor to EV and hybrid cars is still the battery technology.  

With an influx of new Hybrid vehicles every year, you may be interested to know how long those batteries last, and how much they might cost to replace in the UK, taking into account what car you have. In our latest blog, we’ll give you the facts and ultimately, answer, is it worth replacing your hybrid battery?

What is a Hybrid? 

First, a re-cap. Unlike a normal electric vehicle, a hybrid car’s battery and motor system are only used to supplement the power of the petrol or diesel engine. In some cases, they are used for acceleration only, and in others both acceleration and cruising assistance. 

This means they aren’t as large as the batteries in fully electric vehicles such as Teslas. It also means they need to provide less current and for shorter periods of time. These are all good things for battery longevity.  

How much does it cost to replace a hybrid battery? 

On average it will cost upwards of £2,000 to replace a hybrid battery in the UK. Of course, the cost will depend on the make and model of the car, its age and therefore its parts availability. 

Being smaller than a standard EV battery, a hybrid battery is cheaper to replace, but it can still be quite expensive. A big factor in price is how old and what make the hybrid car is.  

Unlike replacing a regular 12-volt car battery, the batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles require specialised tooling and know-how. Because these batteries are much higher voltage and capacity, they can be extremely dangerous if mishandled.

Below we’ve included all the details on hybrid battery replacement costs by car make and model so you can get a better idea.

 Toyota Hybrid battery replacement cost 

• Replacement hybrid battery cost on the second generation Prius: £1,500 - £4,000 
• Replacement battery cost on a third generation Prius: £2,500 - £6,000 

Due to the lower popularity of Toyota’s other hybrid models, they can be more expensive to replace, such as the Auris, Yaris, Corolla and Rav4. 

• Typical Toyota Hybrid battery replacement cost: £3,000 - £9,000 

Toyota popularised the hybrid with the Prius, and they have been in production for nearly 22 years, with over 86,000 of them sold in the UK alone. Because of this, there are quite a few options for replacing the battery. 

In terms of cost, the hybrid Prius’ battery is one of the cheapest to replace, with many companies offering replacement services at reasonable prices with guarantees. The main factor affecting the cost is the age of the car.  

Second-generation* cars are much easier to work on due to the availability of parts and knowledge, but with many manufacturers aiming to keep maintenance work to themselves, both for safety and profit, the more modern cars are more difficult and expensive to repair. 

*The second generation Prius was the first model to be sold in the UK, with the first being exclusive to Japan. 

Lexus hybrid battery replacement cost 

• Replacement hybrid battery cost on a Lexus: £2,200 - £6,000 

Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota, meaning they share a lot of parts. In cases such as brakes and suspension components, this can make the Lexus parts surprisingly cheap when compared to other luxury brands such as Mercedes.  

With Hybrid batteries, though they are generally more car specific, that is there are no Toyota batteries that fit directly into a comparable Lexus model.  

That said, Lexus still has a reasonably large network of independent and specialist hybrid repair companies offering hybrid battery replacements. 

It is worth considering that Lexus offers a 15-year warranty across its range of cars if you take out servicing at the dealership. This will cover expensive replacement parts for the hybrid system if required. 

Worried about the cost of expensive replacement parts? With Bumper car repair finance, you can apply to split the cost of repairs into interest-free monthly repayments. Find a reputable service partner near you.

Mercedes hybrid battery replacement cost 

• Mercedes hybrid battery replacement cost: £7,000 - 15,000 

One of the biggest names in luxury vehicles, Mercedes offers many of their cars with a hybrid powertrain. Combining the complexity of an electrical drive system with the Mercedes' reputation for expensive parts may be a recipe for disaster for your wallet. 

In addition to the parts being more costly than other cars, the labour charges at Mercedes dealerships are among the most expensive too.  

Hybrid battery costs by make and model

Toyota

• Toyota Prius hybrid battery replacement cost: £1,500 - £6,000
• Toyota Yaris hybrid battery replacement cost: £3,000 - £5,000 
• Toyota C-HR hybrid battery replacement cost: £3,000 - £5,000

BMW

• BMW 330e hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £9,000
• BMW 530e hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £9,000
• BMW X5 hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £11,000 

Mercedes

• Mercedes C-class hybrid battery replacement cost: £7,000 - £15,000
• Mercedes GLA PHEV hybrid battery replacement cost: £5,000 - £12,000
• Mercedes E-class hybrid battery replacement cost: £7,500 - £15,000 

MINI

• MINI Countryman Cooper hybrid battery replacement cost: E £5,000 - £11,000
• MINI Cooper hybrid battery replacement cost: E £5,000 - £11,000 

Mitsubishi

• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £7,000

Ford

• Ford Focus hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £6,000
• Ford Fiesta hybrid battery replacement cost: £4,000 - £6,000
• Ford Puma hybrid battery replacement cost: £5,000 - £7,000 

How long do hybrid batteries last? 

If you treat your car well and avoid excessive road trips, a hybrid battery can last up to 11 years. Because the motor and battery system in a hybrid are in addition to the petrol or diesel engine, the battery does not experience as much load as in a fully electric vehicle.

In addition, the car's onboard computer can limit the amount to which the battery drains, instead of engaging the engine for power when needed. 

Not only that but because there is an internal source of charging in a hybrid, namely the petrol or diesel engine, a hybrid's battery is often topped up with charge. 

Just as with mobile phones, keeping the battery at a high charge level, never draining it completely and charging slowly, all prolong the life of the lithium batteries used in EVs. 

Is it worth replacing a hybrid battery? 

Yes, it is generally worth replacing a hybrid battery, provided that the rest of the car is in good condition. If, however, your car has done very high mileage or is in need of many other repairs this could change. This is down to the generally high cost of hybrid vehicles making expensive repairs still worth it. 

One way to help decide is to establish what the cost would be of replacing your car entirely, bear in mind second-hand cars are likely to have issues that will develop over time, especially if they’ve not been maintained properly. 

If you do decide to treat yourself to a new hybrid, check out our guide on fuel vs hybrid or electric cars for more information on what type is best. 

If you're concerned about the cost of replacement then you can apply to split the cost of repairs into interest-free monthly repayments with Bumper.