GREEN BEAN GUIDE

Reconditioned Hybrid Battery vs. Cell Replacement

What are your options when your hybrid battery fails?

When your hybrid battery fails and you want to avoid the heavy price tag for a brand new one, you have two main options: cell replacement, or a reconditioned hybrid battery. Both are cheaper options than buying a brand new hybrid battery, but there are potential pros and cons depending on which replacement option you pursue.

Cell Swapping and Cell Replacement vs. New Hybrid Battery

Most hybrid batteries aren’t one big battery, but a pack, made up of up to 20-40 individual modules or cells inside. Cell Swapping or Cell Replacement, involves replacing one or two of these individual modules in hopes that this will clear the warnings on the dash, and get you back on the road. This DIY option to repair your hybrid battery might be the cheapest, but is definitely not the easiest and it is almost always short lived. This is because the rest of the cells, that are the same age and have the same wear and tear as the cell that failed, remain in the battery pack. Cell swapping is, essentially, a game of whack-a-mole: you fix one cell now, and then down the road you’ll fix another when it fails (and then another & another & another).

Cell Swapping might fix things in the short term, but can result in an unbalanced battery pack in the long term, and the biggest chance for more issues in the future. Because during a cell swap, you have to ensure all the modules, (including the ones you’re replacing) match the capacity and voltage of the existing ones in the pack. If all the modules aren’t matched properly, the pack will not be balanced, and you’ll end up paying for another cell failure. So while this band-aid approach might seem tempting at first, it’ll end up costing more in the long run if you have to do it again and again.

Reconditioned Vs. New Hybrid Battery

It may sound obvious, but brand-new hybrid batteries are going to provide you with the best performance in the long run. However, you will be paying a big price tag: anywhere from $3,000 – $5,000. You will need to consider if your hybrid is worth at least that price range. This makes the option to buy a reconditioned hybrid battery the more sensible option, which is a Green Bean Battery speciality. All of our premium reconditioned hybrid batteries are put through a multi-step reconditioning process, which results in a well balanced and perfectly matched hybrid battery that will last for many years to come!

In case you were wondering just what exactly a reconditioned battery is, reconditioning is a process of diagnostics and methods like grid charging, discharging, balancing, and cycling. It is designed to isolate bad or damaged modules or cells for replacement and often helps the battery revert to a more functional condition. A reconditioned hybrid battery can be equally as reliable as a brand-new one but at a more affordable price point. Many hybrid owners prefer to use reconditioned hybrid batteries over new ones because they are much less expensive. And with an average life expectancy of 3 to 5 years, with all things considered, it may be the best fit for your hybrid vehicle.

During our proprietary reconditioning process, we load test the hybrid battery and identify its current state of health. The battery is then disassembled, and the modules or cells are exercised on Green Bean’s equipment, which restores their ability to store electrical energy. The modules are then tested, where their capacities are determined, and they’re grouped with other modules of similar power and capacity. After a final charge and testing of the modules, the hybrid battery is then built around the good cells. The remaining electrical and wiring components are checked, reconditioned, and tested to ensure proper operation. The battery connections or “Bus Bars” are upgraded with a nickel plating to prevent corrosion, and to ensure top performance and long battery life. Finally, the entire battery pack is reassembled and load tested in its entirety.

In this video about our reconditioning process we will show our hybrid battery test, hybrid battery cells, hybrid battery reconditioning & show you why our process results in a well balanced and perfectly matched reconditioned hybrid battery.

FEATURED VIDEO

When your hybrid battery fails, you really only need one option! Green Bean’s premium reconditioned hybrid batteries are also a great alternative to a brand new one, because they’re nearly half the cost. And then, we come to you, replace your battery with a reconditioned one, and cover it all with our Green Bean Warranty!

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