How can heat affect your hybrid car battery?

 Summer in Charlotte can be tough for your car - hot temps affect it from the inside out. Heat makes your engine work harder not only to get you where you're going but also to stay cool while doing it; high temps can also damage and fade your car's interior as well as the exterior paint and finishes, especially plastic. However, one thing that hybrid car owners may not know (but should) is that heat can also do a number on their car battery and in turn, lower their fuel efficiency. 

Why is heat so bad for your N Charlotte Toyota hybrid? 

How, though? Here's a basic breakdown. Heat makes your battery work harder because - to put it simply - car batteries of ANY kind do not like heat. This is especially true for hybrid car batteries. Heat can cause them to bubble or bulge, which makes the electrolytes inside the battery evaporate. In turn, this causes your battery to be less efficient, not hold a charge properly, and negatively impact performance. Remember, the less energy a hybrid car battery can store, the less fuel-efficient it's going to be. So if your battery is suffering, so will your MPGs. Not only that, heat can wear a hybrid car battery out more quickly, leading to the need for a replacement sooner rather than later. And replacing a hybrid car battery is no joke - it can cost anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 when all is said and done. 

So what can you do to ward off heat and protect your hybrid car battery this summer? Here are some Charlotte Toyota service tech tips straight from the source. 

Four ways to protect your hybrid car battery from the heat 

Tip #1: Park wisely. Choose your parking spot wisely when you're driving a hybrid car in the summertime heat. Covered parking is ideal; even a few shady trees can ward off the sun and keep things cooler for your car. When you're at home, parking your N Charlotte Toyota in a garage or under a carport can help ensure it doesn't get too hot. 

Tip #2: Keep your cabin cool. It seems weird that we're telling you to keep your car's cabin cool, we know. But in a lot of hybrid cars, the battery isn't located under the hood... it's actually under the back seats of the car. So the cooler you keep the cabin and the more you run the A/C, the cooler the battery will stay. 

Tip #3: Consider tint. You may want to also consider tinting your N Charlotte Toyota's windows to keep the temperatures inside the cabin down. This will also help protect your interior from fading; you might want to further consider buying a sunshade to put up in the windshield to block the sun and keep the interior cooler. 

Tip #4: Stay on top of routine maintenance. One of the best ways to prevent an issue with your hybrid car battery is to bring your car in for routine car care at Toyota of N Charlotte. Our techs will conduct a multi-point inspection and they'll be able to spot any problems that might be developing, which can cut down on expensive repairs down the road. 

Whether you need car care, think you have a hybrid car battery issues, or just need some answers, our Charlotte auto service center can help! Call Toyota of N Charlotte today at (704) 875-9199.