Hyundai Quietly Changes Battery Warranty

Well, all other cars & manufacturers have a 100k/10year warranty and they still sell BEVs. So I don't think it's going to make a big impact. However I'm glad of course that I have the lifetime warranty.

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this lifetime warranty only applied in the US, anyway.

canada warranty has always been 8 year/160000 km

 

Did you use that same logic for ICE cars that have 60,000 mile powertrain warranty? Do you worry after 60,000 they won't work?

 

The difference is with preventative maintenance the ICE car retains resale value. Would you buy a used EV knowing it's battery has 60,000 miles on it?

 

I guess I would if the price was right or a replacement battery was available at a reasonable cost. Judging by the Nissan's behaviour one should probably expect an EV to be throwaway after its originally battery is done. I truly hope that is not the case for the Kona.

 

Teslas show virtually no battery degradation.

The problem with the Nissan leaf is a problem with the leaf design, not with EVs in general.

And as far as buying a used EV, there are always ways of verifying the battery health, either with an obd2 scanner or by going to the dealer.

 

On a positive note, with competition ramping up I'll bet we see innovation in battery design and ease of replacement in the next few years that will greatly enhance the prospects for long term ownership/resale value for these vehicles. Kind of exciting times we live in, an historic transition period for transportation.

 

Our second EV is a used Volkswagen E-Golf. Battery health was a concern at time of purchase. I looked around for cost to replace the main battery, should worst come to worst, and was astonished by the reported cost: well more than I paid for it (> $10K). Effectively, a perfectly clean and functional vehicle in all aspects, battery aside, could be scrapper-food if the battery failed out of warranty or warranty was denied. I think cost of battery replacement sets EVs apart from ICE vehicles when considering their long-term desirability in relation to major power train failures. Belts/heads/cams etc can be replaced relatively cheaply and easily. A battery replacement could be a complete financial deal breaker. Hence, quality of warranty is very important IMHO.

All that said, I really don't worry about it. If electronics are going to fail, they're likely going to fail early on. If your battery goes two years, with proper care it'll probably go 20 with some degradation. By that time we'll all either be in new EV's with better technology and/or more cost effective battery replacements (possibly from old reclaimed vehicles) will probably be a 'thing'. A more important concern may be the state of battery recycling. If anyone is driving an EV for green reasons, seeing your former battery chucked into a landfill may not align with your core principles.

 

A new combustion engine from the manufacturer plus labour to swap it at the dealer will also run you 10000...

 

There are a myriad of options that can be considered before a full engine swap is needed. Parts such as I listed above. Batteries, not so much.

 

If a component like a BMS or OBC fails you replace that component, not the whole battery.

Replacing the entire battery is similar to replacing a blown engine.

And even then, there are things like battery rebuild kits and you can replace only the failed cells, see YouTube videos on Prius battery rebuild kits.

Electric components like batteries and motors are in general a lot more reliable than mechanical components.

There are plenty of old EVs around already, Nissan Leafs and Toyota Prius have been around for a while, and batteries have not catastrophically failed when old. And as I said, the only cars with significant battery degradation are Nissan Leafs, because of lack of battery cooling.

Cars with proper thermal management do not have the same problem.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/electrek.co/2018/04/14/tesla-battery-degradation-data/amp/

 

By the time that's necessary chances are the car is scrap, unless it's a classic in which case you'd call it restoration.

 

Or a BMW

Or a Hyundai, or any other car with engine problems.

It's not like engines don't catastrophically fail from time to time...

 

For some perspective if you had to buy a replacement new traction battery for a Kona today it would set you back a little north of $32,000 plus the labor.

 

If this is a serious worry for you, I suggest you plan to trade in the car before the battery warranty expires. Problem solved.

Suggesting Hyundai has changed their terms because they "know something" comes across as a bit paranoid. And as already pointed out, the lifetime thing was for the U.S. only.

 

How do you come up with that number? If the battery is $30000. The whole rest of the car is only $5000? That's assuming Hyundai doesn't make ANY profit on the car at all.

I doubt that number, and I'm not even trying to come up with an actual number.

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Fair enough, although it's pretty rare. Electric motors will probably fail also, as they become time tested.
Just a reminder, we've only been talking about the battery. In an ICE car that would be the equivalent of the fuel tank.
I hope we see the day when the batteries can be inexpensively reconditioned and easily installed.

 

Well there are a couple of ways you can come with that number. You can ask your dealer or you can just google it yourself.
https://www.hyundaipartsdeal.com/genuine/hyundai-battery-system-assy~37501-k4000.html?Make=Hyundai&Model=Kona+Electric&Year=2019&Submodel=&Filter=(01=W5;02=ZG;03=Z;04=7;05=Z;DT=L;WT=2)&Location=motor/high_voltage_battery_system,,37501

I'm sure this is not your first rodeo owning a vehicle or buying parts. The price of parts have never had a linear correlation to the actual price or value of the vehicle they represent, so I am not sure why you are particularly doubtful in this case.