Re-manufactured hybrid battery in a first generation Toyota Prius, view looking into trunk with rear seat removed (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive in Austin, TX)

It’s what every hybrid vehicle owner fears: having to replace the expensive hybrid battery buried somewhere in the back of the car. Our 2002 first-generation Toyota Prius has 130,000 miles and all symptoms indicated it was time.

We spent a lot of time researching the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries and read up on Toyota options, memos, recommendations, and pricing. Pricing diversity across Toyota dealers is concerning. For a Gen 1 Prius, $4,000-$6,000 will buy a new curiously somewhat obsolete hybrid battery that, like the expired battery, is prone to leaking cells and corrosion (those issues were addressed with the Gen 2 battery but Toyota has not passed all those improvements to the Gen 1 version). Some dealers require replacement of more than essential hybrid battery components while others try to convince us the hybrid battery is not the problem and lobby for more analysis. We spent $200+ on various Toyota dealers’ interpretations of inconclusive data held within our Prius on-board computer.

After talking with several Toyota dealers and probing online, we select Re-Involt Technologies in North Carolina. They have a unique innovative method of re-manufacturing Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries, but more importantly they’ve updated the Gen 1 battery with some Gen 2 enhancements, plus common sense elements of their own design. We couldn’t find a repair facility in Houston so with help from Re-Involt we shipped the battery and moved the car to Raul’s Automotive in Austin, TX. Javier with Raul’s and Tracy with Re-Involt kept us informed at every step along the way, from battery exchange and shipping to installation and road test results. Javier even emailed photos taken during the Re-Involt battery installation.

The results speak for themselves: we saved money, had the pleasure of dealing with motivated independent businesses, kept a battery out of the landfill, and early reports indicate the self-diagnosed performance issues have been resolved.

Raul's Automotive mechanics lift the 130+ pound hybrid battery into place (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive)