Hyundai reveals details of its hybrid lifetime battery guarantee

Hyundai has announced details of its Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee, announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this month.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

236 Hyundai has announced details of its Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee, announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this month. The replacement guarantee, the first-of-its-kind in the industry, will apply to all US 2012 model year Sonata Hybrids and will ensure that if the vehicle’s lithium polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original owner. Importantly, the coverage is not transferrable to a second or subsequent owner if the vehicle is sold, nor does it apply to lease and commercial vehicles or vehicles serviced outside the US.

Hyundai's research indicates that battery replacement costs are a big barrier to the consideration of a hybrid vehicle. The company recognises demand for hybrids is limited because because of barriers to customer adoption such as uncertainty about the technology and performance. "By offering the Lifetime Battery Replacement Guarantee, Hyundai is addressing customer concerns and demonstrating our confidence in the durability of our product," said Michael O'Brien, vice president, Corporate and Product Planning.

The Hybrid Sonata, with the company’s hybrid blue drive technology, features a lithium polymer battery pack, making Hyundai the first automaker in the world to incorporate this very efficient battery technology into production vehicles. Lithium polymer is the next generation of lithium ion technology and is ideally suited to automotive applications thanks to a robust and reliable chemistry.

The lithium polymer cells, developed with Hyundai's partner LG Chem, use a manganese spinel chemistry that provides an excellent balance between power delivery, energy density and thermal stability. Thermal stability is critical to ensuring durability, eliminating the need to replace the battery pack during the normal lifespan of the vehicle. The electrodes in older lithium ion chemistries expand and contract with the heating and cooling that occurs during charging and discharging. This thermal expansion causes cracks in the electrodes which ultimately reduces the cell's ability to hold a charge. Manganese spinel lithium polymer cells have much lower expansion rates and are thus able to go through tens of thousands of charge cycles even without having to use a heavier, liquid cooling system.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IBM and EKZ exploring balanced EV charging
    April 26, 2012
    IBM Research has teamed with EKZ, the electricity utility provider of the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland, on a new pilot project that will allow consumers to conveniently charge electric vehicles and monitor their energy costs, using mobile devices. This near real-time information will also help utility providers better manage power grid loads during peak charging times, a challenge that is set to grow as more electric vehicles are on the road. The pilot is using onboard devices fitted in several vehicl
    Read More
  • Using technology so assess road surface quality
    April 4, 2014
    Advances in survey technology and the evolving face of road procurement are driving demand for highway condition data. Mark Thomas, infrastructure services manager at Fugro Aperio writes how surveys of new roads can improve long-term quality While a growing suite of non-intrusive testing, measurement and survey technologies are widely used to target highway repairs and to determine asset management strategies, the use of these powerful tools remains patchy in the early stages of the infrastructure life cycl
    Read More
  • Plenty of Energya to deliver job site sustainability
    July 10, 2023
    CIFA has a rich innovation history and a bright future, demonstrated by the concrete machinery specialist's strong presence at the 31st edition of SaMoTer in Verona (3-7 May 2023). Guy Woodford spoke to Marco Polastri, CIFA's sales, aftersales and marketing director, at the well-attended exhibition to hear more about the Italian company's present and future.
    Read More
  • KPI-JCI unveils new hybrid solutions
    March 13, 2017
    KPI-JCI has unveiled its new hybrid crushing and screening solutions during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017. The Astec Industries’ company is here with the new GT440 Hybrid horizontal shaft impactor (HSI) and GT205 Hybrid Multi-Frequency screen. Offering on-site mobility and quick set-up, the GT440 Hybrid HSI delivers up to 30% more uptime with continuous crushing and tracking.
    Read More

Highlighted Content