My 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid just turned 100k miles this weekend.
So far, I can notice some degradation in the capacity of the Nimh pack, but it is still fully functional. My daily commute takes me over a couple of medium sized hills on the freeway, which can nearly deplete the battery when climbing. It nearly fully recharges by the time I get to the bottom on the other side. Since I cross the same hills on the way home, the total charge/discharge cycles on the pack are considerable (thousands).
The car has never failed other than tires blowing and the windshield getting cracked by a rock. The front brake pads are almost getting to the point where they need replacement (still on original pads).
My gas mileage averages around 42-43 mpg (measured at the pump). I think it would be quite a bit higher if I didn't have those hills to deal with or if I drove at the speed limit.
The only maintenance done so far is to change the oil (10,000 mile recommended interval) and the CVT transmission oil (30k mile interval), along with the filters, including the air filter. There have been two software updates for the car computer that were covered by warranty (no charge).
Now that the warranty is fully expired, I guess I can see about hacking the battery. I have not seen a plug-in pack conversion for Hondas, so it could be quite challenging (impossible).
Now, if we could just get e-bikes up to this level of reliability...
So far, I can notice some degradation in the capacity of the Nimh pack, but it is still fully functional. My daily commute takes me over a couple of medium sized hills on the freeway, which can nearly deplete the battery when climbing. It nearly fully recharges by the time I get to the bottom on the other side. Since I cross the same hills on the way home, the total charge/discharge cycles on the pack are considerable (thousands).
The car has never failed other than tires blowing and the windshield getting cracked by a rock. The front brake pads are almost getting to the point where they need replacement (still on original pads).
My gas mileage averages around 42-43 mpg (measured at the pump). I think it would be quite a bit higher if I didn't have those hills to deal with or if I drove at the speed limit.
The only maintenance done so far is to change the oil (10,000 mile recommended interval) and the CVT transmission oil (30k mile interval), along with the filters, including the air filter. There have been two software updates for the car computer that were covered by warranty (no charge).
Now that the warranty is fully expired, I guess I can see about hacking the battery. I have not seen a plug-in pack conversion for Hondas, so it could be quite challenging (impossible).
Now, if we could just get e-bikes up to this level of reliability...