All batteries have a finite life. Some types live longer than others. It also varies with use and care. But they have a limited life. And they are costly to replace. Not easy to dispose of these days either. What do the bunny huggers want to do with all the discarded batteries from hybrids in a few years? Find some alchemist who can turn them into green energy?
Just look on ebay or the equipment trader and see what an electric lift truck with a bad battery is worth. Nothing. Not much more than scrap value. BJ’s in Syracuse let us have one just for taking it away. All that was really wrong was it needed tires and a battery. A hybrid with a bad battery won’t be worth shit either. Want to make money? Develop a kit to put a regular auto trans in a tahoe hybrid and convert it back to normal.
And remember hybrids only have a big advantage in lots of stop and go or city driving. Not much advantage if you do a lot of highway driving.