Hybrid batteries now come with long term warranties (I believe it is law at this point) of 150,000 miles, so it is likely if the kid gets a car with let’s say 30,000 miles, it will be several years before he hits that limit even with the commute he has. Battery packs can last a lot longer than that as well. And while the gas engine powertrain on cars is very reliable, if your engine or transmission needed major work after 150,000 miles, it would cost you as much to fix that likely as it would to replace the battery pack (replacing the batteries on a prius is around 3500 bucks, which would be the cost with parts and labor of doing any major powertrain work on a gas engine). It doesn’t mean a hybrid is the perfect car, cars that get in the 30+ mpg range may be a better fit than a hybrid, depends on the driver.