A new battery for a hybrid-powered Volvo has been an extremely expensive pleasure for the owner. When it was delivered, the bill came to almost half a million kroner.
The battery in a Volvo V60 hybrid model has proven to be an expensive affair for a car owner.
According to the Croatian workshop EV Clinic, which specializes in electric motors and battery packs, a new battery for a Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid costs 343,000 Danish kroner.
EV Clinic, which previously made headlines for finding the fault in a Tesla with over 2.1 million kilometers on the clock, recently received a V60 plug-in hybrid with 520,000 kilometers at the workshop.
The car, one of Volvo's first plug-in hybrids, still had its original battery, which surprised the mechanics. The Croatians believe that such battery packs usually give up after just 200,000 kilometers.
An examination of the Volvo also revealed that the battery should have been replaced long ago. The battery cells were so worn out that they were no longer insulated from the car's body.
– During the examination of the car, we could see that both the body and door handles had been live for periods, writes EV Clinic.
The wear and tear caused by overheating in the battery cells damaged the insulation and caused short circuits. This resulted in the car having power several times when it absolutely shouldn't have.
To get the hybrid car working again, it is necessary to replace the entire battery.
– To buy a new hybrid battery or a brand new Tesla Long Range? A dilemma, writes EV Clinic.
EV Clinic has previously criticized plug-in hybrids. The Croatians believe that the small batteries are subjected to a greater load than they are designed for. This only increases one thing – namely wear and tear. Electric cars with larger batteries do not have the same problem.
Instead of a new battery, EV Clinic is now looking for a used battery for the customer. Whether it can be obtained, and if so, what it costs, is not reported in the story.
"With this hybrid, Volvo breaks two records: mileage and battery system costs," writes EV Clinic.
