Toyota has a significant lead when it comes to selling hybrid-powered cars, but Hyundai is looking to steal some of the Japanese automaker’s thunder by rolling out a lifetime warranty on the battery pack fitted to its 2012 Sonata Hybrid sedan.
Although hybrid vehicles have proven to be quite reliable, some potential buyers are still concerned with the longevity of hybrid batteries. Hyundai’s testing of the Sonata Hybrid’s battery pack has revealed “minimal degradation of its output or duration of operation†even after 300,000 miles, promoting the automaker to launch the low-risk program to quell any fears.
“We can afford the program because the failure rate is so low,†Hyundai CEO John Krafcik told Car and Driver.
Hyundai has yet to announce all the details of the warranty program, including if the coverage will extend to other hybrid components. However, the life-long could entice a few buyers away from Toyota, which only offers an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty on its hybrid batteries.
