What happens to a hybrid battery after 10 years?

Hybrid vehicle batteries typically experience significant performance degradation after 10 years of use, with their capacity potentially dropping to around 70%-80% of the initial value. According to industry research data, the annual degradation rate of power batteries is approximately 1.8%-2.3%, meaning that after 10 years, the battery capacity can still retain 75%-82% of its original capacity. Notably, battery degradation exhibits non-linear characteristics: the capacity may decrease rapidly by 5% within the first 30,000 kilometres, after which the degradation rate gradually slows. Lithium iron phosphate batteries typically have a service life exceeding 10 years, outperforming ternary lithium batteries which last about 8 years. When capacity falls below 70%, the risk of thermal runaway increases to 3.8 times that of a healthy battery, at which point replacement should be considered. Automakers commonly employ capacity buffering (reserving 5%-15% of capacity) to mitigate apparent degradation, though this cannot alter the fundamental aging process. Currently, most manufacturers offer battery warranties of 8 years or 160,000 kilometres, with some models extending to 10 years, providing assurance to vehicle owners.