Not in the sense of, say, tyres and lamp bulbs. The main battery is covered by the special hybrid system warranty: eight (8) years in the UK but may vary in other markets (eg 10 years in *.ca.us).
The problem is that hybrid batteries don't just suddenly die, they degrade over time in their ability to hold a charge. Since there probably is not a documented measurement of how to determine when a hybrid battery no longer performs satisfactorily, this could be a major point of contention with warranty replacement of the batteries. I don't believe that just replacing a battery that completely dies is satisfactory warranty coverage.
What you say is generally the case with batteries, though AIUI this modern Ni-MH type is more robust than are the traditional Lead-Acid and Ni-Cad.
As this is my first Toyota, of any flavour, I have to throw this open to the old hands: is the car itself likely to issue a terse warning, suddenly one fine day, about getting the battery fixed, much as with other maintenance issues?
The mans got a point there. Yet another Loop hole for Toyota to make more money off of the consumers.
East-
The problem is that the car is designed to use the gas engine whenever there is insufficient battery charge or when extra horsepower is needed. Unless the battery is completely dead, then it may be difficult to determine that it must be replaced.
Maybe Toyota has already defined specifications of how much charge the battery must hold in order for it to be in "working order". Or maybe they haven't. But I would not worry about if you have already purchased the hybrid vehicle.
I suspect the car measures the battery's internal resistance, by noting volt-drop at the terminals when current is drawn. This is established technology for batteries of many types. Car fixers accustomed to wrestling with dodgy Lead-Acid units will recognise that game. :-)
Well you can get around that pretty easily - 6 months before the end of the battery warranty, wire a 100watt light bulb across the traction battery terminals then let the car sit for a month, unused and uncharged. By then the battery plates will be so damaged that even the most exotic charging algorithms that Toyota's computer can cook up will not bring the battery back to life.
Based on the average life of the typical laptop battery which is made from the same materials, I think we are going to see Toyota replacing a lot of batteries in California.
Ted
The cells aren't allowed to fully charge or discharge. This prolongs the life expectancy. But should a cell fail, the computer will notify which one to replace. Each cell only cost the price of a large pizza. It's no big deal if you're accustomed to buying rechargeables for your digital camera's throughout the years. Their failure rates are very high because of neglect. All in all I believe the 13 parts in the constant variable transmission will outlast the typical 300 parts in a conventional transmission, and the dual service electric motor will outlast the typical starter for a savings greater than the total replacement of the hybrid battery. The regenerative braking system saves a tremendous amount on brake wear. And the way I see it, less downtime means less days off from work. Nobody ever factors that in because the McDonald workers don't have much to lose.
I've been wondering about these laptops batteries that crap in about a year and a half. It almost is like they have some built-in timer or chip that causes them to no longer take a charge or something. They do get hot as does their chargers. Seems very inefficient since they go from a fully dead state to a fully charged compared to the Toyota HV battery that floats in the middle somewhere.
However, Toyota has a lot riding on their hybrid scheme. Should it fail, I believe the Japanese will eat a lot of crow and keep them running as they have staked their future on this technology. Wouldn't be surprised if one battery replacement has been factored into their higher cost.
Time will tell......but I'm not concerned as the thing just keeps ticking off the miles and it steers clear of the mechanic's house too (so far).
B~
For the Prius... I think there's a good chance a replacement battery will not be an exact replacement. In other words it could be an advanced lithium-ion battery containing no cobalt.
mark_
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