Ask the Mechanic: Can a hybrid car start or run without a battery?
What you need to know:
You need a working battery to start the hybrid car, which only switches to the ICE at certain speeds such as 40 km/hour or when the hybrid battery has low charge
Hello Paul, what happens when a hybrid car runs out of battery?
Rogers
Hello Rogers, a hybrid car is run by both a battery-powered motor and petrol or diesel powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). You need a working battery to start the hybrid car, which only switches to the ICE at certain speeds such as 40 km/hour or when the hybrid battery has low charge. Most hybrid cars give you three attempts to start the car when the battery is at its lowest.
Ordinarily, the hybrid car battery does not completely run out as it is kept charged by the ICE or regenerative brake calipers as you drive. So, at the time you park the car, the hybrid battery will have enough charge to start the car.
Today, there are three common types of hybrid cars; full hybrids with two engines which run on batteries or ICE or a combination of both, mild hybrids which run the hybrid and ICE engines simultaneously, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) which run longer on electric-powered engines and less on the ICE.
Most hybrid cars come with two batteries, the bigger inverter charged battery to power the car electric motor and a smaller 12-volt battery to help supply power to the computer and relays as well as headlights, accessories and audio systems. This smaller 12-volt battery relieves the hybrid battery and helps it start the car.
However, there are cases where the hybrid battery has failed due to age. In this situation, you need to replace the expensive hybrid battery in order to continue driving the car. This is because it will not run on the internal combustion engine alone.
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