Honda Malaysia boosts aftersales for IMA hybrid batteries
It is no secret that the biggest question mark faced by hybrid vehicles revolve around the durability of their batteries. Despite persistent assurances from car makers of the reliability of their batteries, many consumers continue to harbour concerns over the battery lifespan and the potential costs that might be incurred once the battery goes south.
Having had to tackle a feisty customer who took them to court over battery problems in 2010, Honda Malaysia has grown extremely sensitive to question marks regarding the reliability of their hybrid batteries, and the company has since worked hard to assure the public of the reliability of its batteries, most notably to separate, extended battery warranties.
Today, the company has announced a further extension of its IMA battery warranty cover to eight years unlimited mileage and it has gone as far as retrospectively applying it to vehicles bought since January 2011. Previously, Honda had offered 5-year / 140,000km battery warranties for the Insight, CR-Z and Jazz Hybrid, before upgrading the package further to 5-year unlimited-mileage for the Civic Hybrid and 2013 CR-Z.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia said, “We have been constantly studying the market and taking feedbacks from our valued customers into consideration. We have learnt that the two main concerns of the customers in accepting the hybrid vehicle are the hybrid battery’s life-span and its replacement cost. Thus, we have taken a huge step to reduce the price of the hybrid batteries and to extend the warranty period. This extended warranty of up to 8 years with unlimited mileage is a testament of Honda’s confidence in our hybrid battery and also to give assurance of the quality of our products to the customers.”
Complementing the extended battery warranty is an overall price reduction of replacement batteries by margins of up to 52% depending on model. From today onwards, nickel metal batteries powering the Insight, Jazz Hybrid, and 2012 CR-Z are priced at RM3,980, whilst the more advanced lithium-ion batteries used in the Civic Hybrid and 2013 CR-Z go for RM5,480. Previously, prices of the nickel batteries ranged from RM6,934 to RM7,580, whilst the Civic Hybrid’s lithium-ion battery was priced as high as RM11,480.
Mr. Ueno explained, “Honda Malaysia is able to reduce the price of the batteries and transfer the benefit to our customers due to three main reasons. Firstly, we reviewed the total cost of logistic as well as the administrative expenses and have reduced it by enhancing the efficiency of our business. Secondly, the costs of hybrid batteries are gradually decreasing due to the increase of global hybrid sales and production of hybrid vehicles including its batteries. Furthermore, the recent depreciation of Yen against the Ringgit has reduced the import cost of hybrid batteries that are fully imported from Japan. This new scheme is in line with Honda’s global direction of increasing cost competitiveness to provide high brand value products at affordable prices. With this, we hope to improve the ownership experience of Honda Hybrid owners.”
