OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Kari Kind did not think her trip to Publix would end with her car battery checking out.
“It sounded like a pinball machine going off. It was banging and lights were going off,” Kind told News 6.
Kind took her 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid to the dealership. “Right away they said they thought it was the hybrid battery. It’s notorious for taking some time to get that,” Kind said.
That was back in October. Nine months later, Kind was on her third loaner car. The dealership told her it is having a tough time getting hybrid batteries due to supply issues. This comes as hybrid sales continue to grow, outpacing the sale of electric vehicles. According to J.D. Power, hybrids make up nearly 10% of retail sales so far this year.
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“I keep getting all these emails, ‘Oh, buy a new hybrid,’” Kind said. “I’m thinking if you can make all these hybrids, why can’t I have one of those batteries?”
Hyundai said the following in an email to News 6:
Due to delay in getting raw materials from the supplier, we are experiencing a small number of back orders on certain battery components that impact the 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrids. We are aware of the concern and have significantly increased our ordering above demand to drive a sufficient parts supply. Hyundai is working directly with the impacted suppliers to facilitate the necessary flow of parts.
Ira Gabriel - Senior Group Manager, Corporate and Marketing PR
Hybrid batteries are made from lithium. The metal is used to make batteries for cellphones, toys and other devices, but experts warn of potentially more shortages in the future.
“We still highly rely on some of the material,” said Yang Yang, Ph.D., associate professor at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center. “Supply chain is still outside of the U.S.”
Dr. Yang is working to get results with the supply chain problem by creating a battery made from metals in the United States. He told News 6 the batteries would be cheaper and quicker to manufacture. According to Dr. Yang, the battery could be on the market in three to five years.
Until then, he told us there are things you can do to make your lithium-ion battery last longer:
- Do not keep your car or device charging at 100 percent.
- Do not let the battery go to zero-percent charge either, a drastic change can stress batteries.
- Limit exposure to high and low temperatures. Extreme heat from weather or quick-charging can cause safety problems.
Hyundai told News 6 it offered to buy Kind’s car at Kelley Blue Price, but Kind declined because she did not want to buy another car.
“I just paid for my master’s program, that’s because I was planning on using my car,” Kind said.
News 6 had been communicating with Hyundai for the last few weeks. Since then, Kind said News 6 got her results. She got a new hybrid battery and her car back.
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