This research assesses the potential of a preemptive battery replacement strategy designed to curtail the escalation of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) operating costs when approaching terminal degradation conditions. These long-term repercussions materialize whilst an optimal plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) active component degradation management process is applied over an extended length of time. The proposed methodology leverages a lithium-ion battery pack, a hydrogen-fueled polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and plug-in grid recharge capabilities to achieve an economically-optimal Markov chain-generated 100-mile extended autonomy scenario during the entirety of a PHEV's useful lifecycle. Proposed results demonstrate the long-term transitional response of the optimal process when burdened with decreasing component performance. A marked shift between battery and fuel energy priority is observed during late stages of component degradation. This delayed evolution suggests the feasibility of a preemptive component replacement strategy whose potential is analyzed according to performance and economic metrics.