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What is the battery life like on a mild hybrid?
I am thinking of purchasing a 3 year old Suzuki with mild hybrid but am concerned on the life / replacement cost of the hybrid battery etc.
I believe Suzuki give 3 year warranty on new card which can be extended to 7 years if the servicing is done by them. However their terms & conditions appear to exclude 'batteries' and I cannot find any specific reference to the mild hybrid system / battery.
I thought of Suzuki as their 1.2 engine has a timing chain and would avoid the cost of replacing timing belts used by most manufacturers. Am I just changing cost of timing belts with replacing hybrid batteries?
The battery is fitted under the front passenger seat, is this safe?
I believe Suzuki give 3 year warranty on new card which can be extended to 7 years if the servicing is done by them. However their terms & conditions appear to exclude 'batteries' and I cannot find any specific reference to the mild hybrid system / battery.
I thought of Suzuki as their 1.2 engine has a timing chain and would avoid the cost of replacing timing belts used by most manufacturers. Am I just changing cost of timing belts with replacing hybrid batteries?
The battery is fitted under the front passenger seat, is this safe?
Asked on 13 December 2023 by Neville Surman
Answered by
David Ross
Mild hybrids have very small battery packs compared to full hybrids and EVs, and at no point is the car driven solely on electric power, so the performance of the car is affected very little by the condition of the battery. We would expect it to last for many years without replacement, and we would also expect it to cost less in terms of maintenance over a given period than a timing chain.
A battery mounted inside the passenger compartment is much less likely to suffer damage in the event of an accident than one mounted in the engine compartment or boot, so arguably it is a safer arrangement.
A battery mounted inside the passenger compartment is much less likely to suffer damage in the event of an accident than one mounted in the engine compartment or boot, so arguably it is a safer arrangement.
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