Interesting. Good for your friend. You do realize that Prius "hybrids" were not actually made available to consumers in the US market until 2001 less than 20 years ago?
Hybrids are not electric vehicles by definition. The original batteries do eventually wear out; Prius batteries started out as nickle metal hydride and are dozens of times smaller and cost just a fraction of the price to replace compared to an actual electric vehicle. A rebuilt original Prius battery still costs approximately $2000 not including installation. And what do you mean that the car died? Cars don't die they just get to a point where they are not worth fixing. I have never had a gasoline or diesel powered vehicle that wasn't worth fixing, but that I becasue I do all my own maintenance including replacing and repairing major components including transmissions and engines.
The first "plug-in" Prius hybrids came out in 2012 with a much larger 4.4 kwh battery with a range on battery power alone of 11 miles. Compare this to 50 kwh to 100 kwh batteries found in actual Electric Vehicles.
I am very familiar with Prius automobiles as they are extremely common in our area and we have many friends who drive them. I have ridden in and driven Prius cars. They have gasoline engines and are not what we are talking about in this thread.
The first “plug-in” Prius hybrids came out in 2012 with a much larger 4.4 kwh battery with a range on battery power alone of 11 miles.
It crapped out around 2016. The owner had an 85 mile round trip commute. I recall him something at the time it crapped out, that if the dealer had offered him [something like] 20 years and 250,000 trouble free miles, he would have taken that deal. (85 miles/day x 200 days/year x 15 year = 255,000 miles. Seems legit.)
After 250,000 miles (and a forty years working) he could afford a new car. He was through with it. He wasn’t interested in repairing it. His old car was a red Prius. His new one was a red Prius. Better radio and blue tooth phone.