Re: Longterm costs
I think the battery ECU will register a fault code when it cannot charge properly or draw current properly. There was a minor issue with the first Prius batteries where the positive terminals got corrosion and the ECU registered a code due to higher than normal resistance in the battery. That is basically the only way to monitor the health of the battery (internal resistance) and it's measured by monitoring it's ability to take a charge and the resulting increase in the state of charge as indicated by voltage.
Also there's a big difference between cell phone, laptop and other electronics devices with rechargeable batteries as compared to hybrids because a hybrid will purposely only use a portion of the available capacity in order to extend it's useful life. Generally the car will keep the battery between 40% and 80% charged, unlike other devices that allow the battery to be depleted and charged to 100%. Also most laptops use Lithium Ion batteries, and they have a shorter useful lifespan and shelf life than the NiMH packs used in hybrids today.
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