Hidden costs of hybrid vehicles

By Angela Hatcher

Published: July 15, 2008

With gas prices at record highs, car dealers have long waiting lists for hybrids.  But you might be surprised about how long the payoff may take, when switching from a regular vehicle.

John Markowski, who lives in Roanoke County, bought a Toyota Highlander hybrid in another state, and got a tax credit.  He paid about $4,000 more than the non-hybrid version.  Markowski says the gas money he saves driving his Highlander hybrid will pay off ... eventually.  “The car will be three years old next year, and I would think we would break even by about next year,” Markowski told us.

While John seems to be on the fast track to savings behind the wheel of his hybrid, the truth is something many people don’t realize.

“For some people they’re surprised to learn it’s a 12 to 13 year payback in the difference they paid up front,” said Bryan Gregory with Advance Auto Parts.  “We get a lot of questions about hybrids.  I think when people buy hybrid vehicles today, it’s a big mystery,” Gregory told us.

Like the battery.  On many hybrids, it’s in the back.  And when it comes time to replace that hybrid battery, you better hope you saved all of that extra gas money.  The batteries are big, and have the price tag to match.

The current dealer price on a Toyta Prius hybrid battery is $2,985.13.  And WSLS found that’s cheap!

Need a battery for a Mercury Mariner hybrid, and prepare to shell out $7,244.  It’s the most expensive one we priced.

And that’s just for the main battery.  We found the smaller ones, that power all of the vehicle’s accessories, runs between $80-$140.  We should note that both batteries are usually covered under the vehicle’s warranty, and should last around 8-10 years.  But if you need to buy one, they can only be purchased through dealers.

John ended up back at the dealer, after trying to get an alignment.  “The local tire shop couldn’t do the alignment. They hadn’t done an alignment on a hybrid and I understand that it’s a little different computer operation so I had to buy the tires there and take it to the dealer to get it aligned,” Markowski told us.

WSLS tried to talk with several local mechanics for this story, but they would not comment.  They told us they just did not know enough about hybrids to do much more than change the oil.

One more thing to consider, it costs more to insure a hybrid.  A State Farm spokeman tells us that’s because the electrical parts cost more to replace.

Insurance rates vary by driver, but one local agent quoted me these rates on two popular hybrids, the Ford Escape and Honda Civic, and their traditional counterparts:

• Honda Civic regular - 6 months for $394.85
• Honda Civic hybrid - 6 months for $419.41
• Ford Escape regular - 6 months for $360.17
• Ford Escape hybrid - 6 months for $387.32

So the hybrids average about $25 more in both cases.  It’s not a huge difference, but it’s still more.

WSLS also checked with Virginia Department of Taxation about tax credits for hybrids.  Workers tells us there are no current tax credits offered in the Commonwealth, nor on the federal level.

So now that we’ve crunched the numbers, if you’re still looking at a hybrid, Gregory has one last bit of advice for you.  “Do all the math.  Put it all together and see if it makes sense for you.”

By saving dollars and “sense” on the road.