PB cost savings over EB…but…

[DilleyDilley]

I’ve been dead set on a 3.5EB, but the PB is enticing. In reading threads on here, a lot of people have justified the upgrade with (among other reasons) the fuel savings the PB offers (3-5 years dependent on annual mileage).

But…

I understand the battery warranty, but no one ever mentions in the discussion the significant cost of a battery replacement outside of the warranty. Is it really around $5k for a new battery? If it is, that would be a huge kick in the shorts and an absolute deal breaker for many!

Someone mentioned in another thread that the warranty only covers one battery replacement, so if that happens early on, you’re SOL from there on out…

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[Tharnett78]

How likely is it to happen though, how often do other similar batteries fail?

They used to say the same thing about the turbos on the EB but how often did those fail?

Other things can fail out of warranty as well, transmissions, engines, electronics etc. Running anything after warranty has its risks but presumably the vehicle will be paid off and you'd have money in the bank to afford repairs and stuff afterwards.

It's a valid point, the unknown reliability of the battery but they've been around for years now.

Just my two cents.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Well, it depends... I have a 2006 Escape Hybrid. It has a NiMH tyoe battery, so no direct info... At 16 years of life the original battery is doing just fine. One element of battery longevity is the purity specifed in manufacturing of the battery. I can hope Ford did specify a high degree of purity.

 

[tbinmd]

battery has an 8 year warranty. In that time there will be remanufactured batteries. Original OEM batteries may also be cheaper.

 

[FrankThompson]

The pb has an 8 or 10 year warranty on the battery I believe (can't remember which it is).

I don't know if it would cost $5k but I don't think most won't have to worry about it until that warranty is over. I also doubt most will even know the cost until then.

also based on how others see how the pb uses it's battery, specifically the charge range it stays in, the battery is being used in a way to maximize it's life.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

What is the real world MPG on these two engines? I think the 3.0 diesel was the best engine and gets 23+ MPG all day long even with the petal to the floor as much as possible.

 

[Swags]

This is my take on it. I don't think it's prudent to "justify" the PB over the 3.5EB based on a ROI from integrated fuel savings in most cases. The PB is essentially the 3.5EB plus a conventional hybrid. If you're doing a lot of highway miles it's just extra weight and it's not a plug-in either so it's not like you're even using grid power. If you're really interested in a lower cost of ownership, get the 2.7EB. It's a proven, capable and frankly badass truck engine that's quite a bit cheaper. If you're just wanting the 3.5EB, PB, or even the 5.0 or your use case is such that the extra capability is required, so be it. It's your money and vehicles are in many ways emotional purchases. Just make sure you can reasonably afford whatever you go with. If the determination of affordability is a few hundred dollars per year on a $40k+ truck you need to re-evaluate the whole purchase.

In my case, I like the PB but I certainly don't need it. The 2.7EB would be more than enough for my needs. I want the larger ProPower but I could definitely get a cheaper, used portable generator that would suit my needs just fine. But I'm getting the damned PB!

As far as the hybrid battery goes, I was pretty concerned about its longevity too since I intend to have my (when built) truck for 7-10yrs. I don't drive much at the moment (<5k/yr) so I'll have the full warranty period and I expect (like @tbinmd) that after that there will either be remanufactured or replacement batteries should I require it. I think the labor costs would be quite high to replace the battery out of all warranty regardless. Also, the battery's operational envelope is really between 20-80% SOC which really helps the endurance. The hybrid system isn't new tech it's just new for full-sized Ford trucks.

 

[Snakebitten]

Labor should not actually be that bad. The service manual has the removal procedure step by step and it's remarkably straight forward.
Also, if the price for these kinds of batteries reflect how much of a battery they actually are, the Powerboost is teeny tiny by comparison to the average Hybrid.

The only thing to drive the cost up over what just the Kilowatt size would suggest, is the other components that are part of the "battery enclosure". The service manual illustrates how it can be disassembled and the battery itself being separated, but it's possible that it will be sold/replaced as an assembly, simply because how straight forward it would be to unplug the harness, coolant lines, and unbolt the "suitcase" enclosure in one piece.

Editing this post to add the current price for the battery according to oem Ford parts listing

 

[Icecoldak]

Does Ford ESP extend the batteries as well?

 

[Kodiak]

Does Ford ESP extend the batteries as well?

No, since the PB battery goes to 8 years already, and the ESP is 8 years at max, the battery will be under regular warranty. Now that ESP will probably cover a lot of other components PB related, but the battery is already covered to 8 years. (From what I understand)

With that said, unless you live in Florida, you get a Granger Ford ESP for about $1640 for 8 years and 100k miles. Piece of mind alone is worth it for all the electronics in the truck. And if you sell it early, you get a prorated refund on it, so that is nice.

 

[Hullguy]

I wouldn’t worry about it. Technology is changing so quick In regards to batteries something better will be available if a battery swap is needed in 8 years

 

[DT444T]

There are Priuses (idc) with 300,000 on the factory battery. And those are slightly older tech. I'm certainly not worried.

 

[LaHerencia]

Back in 2014, I had to have the battery replaced in a Prius we used to own. Found a certified hybrid battery installer out of Austin, tx and drove the 3 hours to get there to have it replaced. $2200 out the door with a quality remanufactured battery, 3 year unlimited mileage warranty. The Toyota dealer wanted over 4k for a new battery with only a 12k/12month warranty. I wouldn't worry about the cost of replacement of the battery.

 

[Ryan74]

I've read Tesla replacement is $10,000 to $15,000 but that's fully electric. I would guess $5,000 is right for a hybrid battery replacement.

Electric and hybrid is great and definitely the future. But I feel were still in the Wright Brothers phase. I went ecoboost.

 

[FrankThompson]

No, since the PB battery goes to 8 years already, and the ESP is 8 years at max, the battery will be under regular warranty. Now that ESP will probably cover a lot of other components PB related, but the battery is already covered to 8 years. (From what I understand)

With that said, unless you live in Florida, you get a Granger Ford ESP for about $1640 for 8 years and 100k miles. Piece of mind alone is worth it for all the electronics in the truck. And if you sell it early, you get a prorated refund on it, so that is nice.

(emphasis added by me)

Stop rubbing it in dammit!

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