Well... if the batteries end up getting recycled instead of disposed in landfills, then how is this toxic for the environment?

Ok, so the battery lasts 10 years. Aren't there *other* things wrong with most cars by then? It's not like a 10-year-old Prius/HCH/Insight is going to have a pristine engine and transmission anymore either. The whole battery-cost issue is a fake argument. Most people who have a fully paid-off car simply buy a *new* on if faced with an expensive repair (like an engine or transmission). In that event, the dealer eats the cost of repair so that the old car can be refurbished and resold as a used car.

I don't see the problem here.