Economic Payback Time of Battery Pack Replacement for Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This article investigates the economic viability of replacing the high-voltage battery pack of a power-split hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) by estimating the impact of battery aging on the fuel economy, drivability capability, and electric range. The HEV is modeled first, an optimal energy management strategy based on dynamic programming is then implemented, and experimental characterization data for the battery cell is presented. The batteries are tested to a heavily aged state, with up to an 84% loss of capacity. The battery pack payback period is estimated by assessing the vehicle operative costs in terms of fuel and electricity as obtained through numerical simulations as a function of battery aging. Replacing the battery pack at the conventional end-of-life limit of 80% residual capacity is suggested not to be convenient from an economic standpoint for both the HEV and the PHEV. On the other hand, acceptable payback periods (i.e., 2–5 years) can be achieved for the battery pack when being replaced at 20% to 40% residual capacity. The proposed methodology can be implemented to advise an HEV or PHEV user regarding the benefit of replacing the battery pack due to excessive aging.