Hyundai ups the battery ante

[botsapper]

The range anxiety, battery pack fires and especially, battery expenses were always the kryptonite to the car mass market. Now Hyundai have taken the lead to give a lifetime battery warranty for its Sonata hybrids. The always cautious late hybrid adopters will probably favor the larger sedan. With less long term anxiety covered, it will definitely steal market from the stumbling Volt and much smaller Prius models.
Lifetime warranty for 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid batteries

[Daox]

I read that, but the article I read never said if the warranty was transferable. They're also using lithium polymer which nobody else is using.

[pete c]

I suspect it has limited transferrability. Can't imagine they'd wanna be on the hook for that battery for eternity.

Knowing that the majority of new car buyers don't drive them till the wheels fall off, this is a very wise idea.

I hope they sell a boatload of them.

[botsapper]

The marketing/engineering aim is to make hybrids relatively painless to own. Perception and recent hiccups of startups & early hybrid gens have taken hits. Early adopters have already gone full EV, most have moved on to their fourth generation Prii and the major brands are offering their mass market hybrid sedans. Any effort to make it less troublesome, will make them the definitive 'mainstream' choices.

[payne171]

Read the fine print; what you and I think lifetime means and what a lawyer means by lifetime are two different things. While it will likely last as long as the car under normal conditions, that battery will not last as long as some of the forum's members make their Metros/CRXs/etc. last.