Prius Prime Amazing Hidden Feature
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- This fantastic feature does not exist on any other plug-in hybrid. The dealer "Prius Experts" don't seem to know about this and no YT Prius Prime reviews have ever mentioned it. Only one obscure paragraph translated from Japanese in the manual refers to it - and it's confusing to read. Good engineering Toyota!
- Наука та технологія
My new 2020 Prius Prime is giving me 103 mpg since I bought it and I don't suffer from "low battery anxiety"! The best vehicle ever!
Is this with the MPGE mode? Or overall?
Nice! How's the bench seat in the back? All the previous models seat only 4 because of the middle console in the back row.
The feature is not so hidden, but I'm not surprised that the "specialist" didn't know about it. It is described in the manual, you can easily locate it using the visual locator for the Mode buttons.
Another thing is that CHG works at any speed, even when idling, but it is better to use at highway speeds because the ICE is at its most efficient.
Thanks for this tidbit of charge mode optimization!
I’ve driven a Prime for the last 3.5 years and didn’t know this! I just traded in my ‘17 for a ‘21 so I’ll be able to use this feature going forward. Very helpful!
how do that work out ? please share you experience .
@@lucthien601 I knew about this from another youtube video. It's ok but MPG drops like crazy.
I'm thinking about getting a 17' Prius Prime. May I ask why you are trading the 17' for a 21'? Is it worth just spending the extra to get a 21'?
works on the ‘17, as well
We just wanted to say THANK YOU! That was like learning our Prime had a magical power! That is a game changer. We appreciate your video so much 🙏
Thank you Sir ! I just bought my Prius prime a week ago. I didn't know about this. That helps a lot.
Thanks for posting the video and sharing. I discovered this feature on my own on my 2017 Prius Prime while on a road trip. However, if one uses the hybrid battery charge mode, it comes at the cost of a greatly decreased mpg. Whenever the Prime does begin to charge its battery, I usually see normally 55-65 mpg drops to 30-40 mpg while monitoring the instantaneous mpg display. Also, your lifetime MPGe may suffer. This is tracked in your car's history and can be found in one of the display settings. I don't believe topping off the battery with this method would be as cost efficient as just charging it at home or at a charging station elsewhere, for the very reason you cited (loss of energy as heat). I don't have any numbers to back this claim, but the energy generated in a plant or by solar has to be more efficient than traction. In a bind, the hybrid mode will get you where you need to go anyway if you are ever in a pinch. One thing that has been useful for me is to switch out of Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to regular Hybrid mode whenever driving on the highway. Like all hybrids, it will periodically charge the battery anyway. The battery level typically stays around the same point as when you first get onto the highway. As soon as I get off, I switch back into EV mode.
I actually initially started driving this way to use up gasoline in the tank. It is real difficult to do because I have a very short commute that I can drive to work an back twice on a single charge and because the vehicle is so darn efficient (is this a complaint?)! My primary concern about the gasoline is if it gets older than 6 months, will it destabilize and gum up fuel lines (like a snowblower or a lawnmower)? I don't feel comfortable adding fuel stabilizer into the gas tank because I simply do not know if it safe for the car. I tried to find some information about this online, and I saw something sketchy like the Prius Prime "knows" when to burn off all the fuel by switching into an all combustion engine mode out of which you cannot switch. I don't quite believe this..... So I started only filling about 5 gallons (less than 1/2 tank) at a time. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks again for posting.
If it has that significant drop in MPG that must be because its using brake regen while still moving and not slowing down (added rolling resistence). The little generator not powerful enough to charge those batteries by itself?
The charge mode is useful on car camping (AC/heat) and city drive. In Japan, they sales the plug-out inverter’s outlets for 110v camping appliances.
No, if you switch out of EV mode, then yes, it will automatically charge to whatever level of battery when you switched, not a percent higher. Then all the possible charging is just lost. And still, if you are below the "critical level", like turning on AC and waiting in the car, then it will charge it back up to the critical level with motor. This is just ridiculous.
If you really care about efficientcy, just get a regular prius. This is a joke.
Yes, after 6 months, the gas is stale & will cause expensive issues. Car Care Nut channel explains this. He's a master Toyo hybrid mechanic.
Just run the car for one week on ecco mode and use up the gas....this is not rocket science.....
Thank you very much sir! Just bought this car and learn something new literally everyday. Much appreciated 👍
Another nice addon you might like, I'm currently adding to mine.
ua-cam.com/video/H7C_BNFgrKk/v-deo.html
Are you keeping it still or sold?
Thanks for putting up this tip. Sorry, the dealers are not pushing this car yet. For a single-car family like ours, this is a great choice, EV in town, gas for trips and then about 60 mpg. Our SE MI dealer was reported to say to a national media outlet in 2017 Toyota does not sell this car, ouch. Cost less than the regular Prius with tax breaks!
We use about 2 tanks of gas a year, even then sometimes less. Great town and county car.
Thank you for an informative and short video!
I actually knew about this feature, and I've used it mostly on longer trips. But you have to take into consideration that the gas engine is running all the time in this state, you are not in hybrid mode.
I just upgraded from having a 2016 Prius for 3 years for work, and I got a Prius prime! Thank you for the amazing video
That is a great tip. I just purchased a 2019 Pime Premium. I kept my F150 for fun stuff, but with a 90 mile commute, one way, it cost me almost $200 a week in gas. I got the Prius specifically for this commute. I feel like your tip will come in handy. Thanks!
You have a ninety mile commute? Do you live in a suburban neighborhood and work at a remote lumber yard deep in the mountains or something?
Wow! This is just amazing!!! Thank you very much for sharing, Bob!!! May God bless you!
I leaned about this by reading the manual. It's extremely useful when you're going down a long grade, pop it in charge mode and between that and regen braking you can get to 80% in about 30 minutes from nothing.
Great video. Surprised by your last comment about EIB. I listen to EIB and I think the Prius Prime is one of the best vehicles made today. Thanks for the charging tip!
Yes! I discovered this thanks to UA-cam! I love this feature. Just got my new/used 2017 prius prime and i love it.
Clarity phev has this feature n its well known. Glad to see the prime has it too, cuz they dont sell clarity in Bangladesh
I bought a brand new Prius Prime Advanced in 2017. Did not know about this feature until watching your video. Will give it a try. Thanks.
We recently bought a 2017 Prime Advanced and so far it has been the best car ever. So much fun to drive and learn. How is yours still doing?
@@Jackiewicz64 We have 67,000 miles on ours and no problems. Very comfortable and quiet compared to our 2010 Prius which my son now has. Wish is got more miles on pure electric though. It surely is the best car that we have owned also.
It’s a net plus between the two circumstances.
Charging while on the free way eats up freeway MPG’s, however; that juice saved up on the freeway adds more MPG in the city than subtracted on the freeway had you not had that juice to push through accelerating.
Thank you! I am in the process of buying this car and appreciate you sharing this awesome news with all of us! 😀
Rav4 Prime does this too! Useful in countries where in certain urban areas during certain times emissions are restricted (e.g. London, Paris). Not efficient use of gas (you're powering the car AND charging the battery), but if you're driving in from the countryside, you can charge your battery so that you have good battery capacity by the time you get into the city.
It’s crazy that a lot of people doesn’t know because if you read your owner manual, it’s in there
Thank you Bob. I just bought a used 2017 Prius Prime Premium that only had the 'Owner's Manual Quick Guide,' so I'm trying to learn from PDFs and videos; thanks for the tip!
Same here
How is your experience with prime 2017 model?
This is in the English manual. Page 83 of the 2017 prius prime manual downloaded from toyota website.
Thanks man I have the car for two years and that is something that I did not know. Seems like it would be useful when I’m waiting for my wife in the car or just sitting in the car waiting for something to start I could be charging up the juice.
I know...can you believe they didn't make this amazing feature obvious?!
@@Yavor54 Your video describes charging while running at highway speeds. Here you are supporting biko's idea of charging from a standing still situation. I like the idea of the standing still position because I camp and actually sleep in the vehicle. I could start the vehicle at the campsite while I'm cooking and have 80% charge when I finally go to bed and I can use this power to run the air conditioner
@@wewilllearn that actually makes some sense
after 2 YEARS I come across this video. Now suddenly my prius is that much better
Nice tip, thanks. Just bought one 3 days ago and didn't know about that.
Update next day, tried the tip while doing a little local driving and it indeed works. I don't really have a place to charge it at home so I wasn't really worried about charging the extra battery. I upgraded to this vehicle from my '10 Prius I got 348,000 miles out of and it's amazing the technology changes. I will definitely keep that extra battery charged with this tip and give that ev driving a try on short runs. Thanks again!
I used to wish my Volt did that until I researched it a bit more. It’s more inefficient to charge the battery with your engine as compared to using that gas to power the wheels directly. The Volt’s generator sends electricity directly to the wheels whenever possible and only charges the battery as necessary because it gets better MPG that way. There’s energy loss converting between the energy stored in gasoline to energy stored in battery. I’m sure there’s useful reasons to charge. Like running AC while car camping to prevent short cycling the engine all night. But most drivers won’t be aware of that energy loss.
Well, that was one of the top three reasons i bought a prime. Thank you
You might want to have a charged battery at the end of the drive so you could use the HVAC system without the gas engine running. It would also be handy if you were going to use an inverter in a campsite after your trip, and didn’t want the engine to run at camp.
It's in the manual page 89, so it's not hidden.
"Switching to the hybrid battery (traction battery) charge mode
Press and hold the switch.Take your hand off the switch once the hybrid battery charge mode indicator starts to blink.The hybrid battery charge mode indicator illuminates when the switch to hybrid battery (traction battery) charge mode is complete. When the hybrid battery (traction battery) is fully charged*, the hybrid battery (traction battery) charge mode is automatically canceled and the operation mode will be switched to HV mode.The hybrid battery (traction battery) charge mode will be canceled by pressing EV/HV mode selection switch or EV auto mode switch.*: The maximum charge amount in the hybrid battery (traction battery) charge mode is approximately 80% of the fully charged capacity for the charging from an external power source."
molan A lot of people don’t even read the manuals this is a great video don’t ruin it!!!!!’
I read the manual and this feature went unnoticed, until now (3 years). I was pretty mad that I couldn’t charge the battery from the use of the gas, specially when on the expressway.
I read the manual if I don't know something, but I agree with another user, majority of people don't read the manuals, and I would bet most people that have these cars have no clue what they can actually do with them, besides what's in front of them.
You are probably right, and usually nobody reads the manuals.
This works on my 2017 Gen IV, as well! It does use quite a bit of gasoline. It’s interesting, it will also charge while idling. I left it running for about an hour in the driveway, and that charged it up to around 8mi of range, or roughly 1/4 of my full battery range.
Omgggg thnk u so much. I just went ahead n tried my prius prime. Its a masterminding thing to do. Now i dont have to leave my car at electric charging station to get extra mileage
Dang! That’s awesome! I sure didn’t know that. Have owned my Prime for about six months now.
I have one that will be delivered this morning.
Really looking forward to driving this amazingly efficient car.
Thanks for the information!
That was sick Mr. Bob!!! Thank you!!! We have even same color by the way!.
You're both white?
What? You are a legend. I got last week a identical 2017 Prius Prime with solar panel roof (japaese market version) Cant wait to try this tomorrow! Thanks
Thanks for the tip, picking my Prius prime up tomorrow!
It took me about 20,000 miles to find this feature. What I learned to do was to switch back and forth from charge mode to EV mode. I would constantly watch the for the battery to stop charging and then switch to EV mode immediately . Yes it would decrease the fuel mileage while charging. This would increase my average by 5 to 10 miles to the gallon on a long trip.
I charge it during my driving on the highway about 60 percent, and I used EV mode for driving in local, it can be keeping the engine lasting long
Wow! Thanks for sharing this, I just got my Prius prime about a week ago and love it so far. I just wish you got more range out of the battery and you just showed me how. Thanks again.
Of course the Chevy Volt does this. It is called Mountain Mode.
This
Super feature !!
thank you for confirming that!!
I tested and it does work it does charge very rapidly and I can foresee that as a possible usage for my camping usage. It is always very useful to have a full charge battery when you arrive at your camping destination
Great video again thank you so much
Go ahead and buy a Prius Prime
do not hesitate. This is my second prii. I had 15 cars in my life and those two Priuses are the best car I ever owned.
8,000 km so far on my Prius Prime 2020 and I average 112 miles per gallon.
One thing also I am very confident is the reliability of that car I had to change only one wheel bearing on my 2010 Prius after 300,000 km of usage
Only one other guy mentioned this feature on UA-cam. So we are talking about the pure EV battery being charged right? The one that gives you 22 or 25 miles of pure electric? I think that’s awesome. You are right after driving on the highway you want juice for city driving. No need to plug in etc. I’m liking this car but like other EV cars I’m concerned about battery life. The cost of replacing etc. if you charge the EV battery everyday on this prime wont that shorten the life of the battery quicker? Degradation?
The battery computer protects the battery from being used in unhealthy ways and Toyota and Honda say their battery's will last the life of the car and those companies being very reliable they will make the batteries last a long time h
Was in my manual quite clearly. I agree with what another person wrote, the conservation of energy would say it'll cost more to charge with gas than plugging it in
Thanks for this! Waiting on my 2022 Prime - Limited. I'm thrilled to know this feature is there!
Literally bought that car yesterday and still finding out all the tips and tricks. The manual actually mentions this mode on page 91, but - seriously, who digs that deep to find nuggets like this? Thanks for this great tip!
Manual: www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM47D71U/pdf/OM47D71U.pdf
It's in my Prius English manual and tests in Europe did mentioned it back when the car was introduced :) Also, it's best to use ICE charging while driving downhill when the ICE would operate just above the idle line and hence wouldn't be tasked to both drive AND charge.
I knew it! Since I get my Prius i was thinking why this car can't charge the battery when I drive in highway when I'm doing 70 mph and engine is running all the time anyways but as you say they not let us know about this function not even in owners manual thanks bro!!
Hey bud. Interesting that you mentioned this. I don't own a Prime, but I've been thinking of getting one. I had heard of this feature before, perchance, when doing research on the Prime.
One thing I read, but you did not mention, is that the charge mode is primarily designed to be used on long descents. By doing this the vehicle does NOT burn more gasoline. It engages more regenerative braking while downhill coasting.
From the literature I saw, that is the primary utility of the feature. It's like a DAC mode in an SUV (many Toyotas have this), which uses engine braking on long descents to avoid wear on the brakes. But in hybrids, obviously, all of that energy can be captured.
Go ahead and buy a Prius Prime
do not hesitate. This is my second prii. I had 15 cars in my life and those two Priuses are the best car I ever owned.
8,000 km so far on my Prius Prime 2020 and I average 112 miles per gallon.
One thing also I am very confident is the reliability of that car I had to change only one wheel bearing on my 2010 Prius after 300,000 km of usage
I bought a 2021 and my salesman told me about this feature. Just remember that you lose fuel economy when you charge your battery on the road. I haven't done it yet, but have seen the eco mode recharging the battery because of the little energy it's using and sends the extra back to the battery to be charged.
I'm loving the car with the hyper mileage features
Energy conversion losses are not I^R losses. I^R losses are power losses due to the resistance in cables. This is what causes voltage drop.
Very useful Tip! Thank you! Now I can have a little e kick when I get to my destination.
i knew that thanks. my tip is researching prior to buying good tip for those that do not read the manual
I would take that back to the dealership and tell them they need to learn their product more.
I've had this car since the very end of 2016. That's no secret.
If other Toyota plug-ins don't have it, ok. But it isn't a hidden secret.
I am in the process of purchasing the 2021 model I can't wait to drive it!
Thank you for posting, i have mine for just over 2 years, lease, nice to learn something new
Thank you for showing us that trick.
Oh my God. I'm sitting I'm my prius and did not know this. It really works
Is that 500+ miles per gallon real? My Prius does the same thing but I thought 133 miles per gallon was closer to A realistic mpg
Amazing hidden feature (!) which you can find in the manual...
In the Summer the car will turn off charge mode after about 10 to 15 minutes. the car holds 8,800 watts you can never go below 25% of the battery the engine will auto turn on. The car will say it’s at 0% but in reality it actual at 25%. And the way I got this number by let it get to 0% then full charge it. It will say after 6,000 watts it’s full but the car hold a total of 8,800 watts. And you can test it out for your self.
Thanks for the video. I am looking into buying a Prius Prime next year.
I'm looking to improve my MPG in my new 2021 Prius Prime. I am trying to figure out all the drive modes and screens. Where is the best tutorial on it all?
Yes, it also beats having to stop at a charging station, or install one right away at your home. This is one reason why I'm buying this Prius besides all the other incredible features. I'll literally never have to buy gas going to work, unless I go on the freeway. Or, I can take the freeway home, so the battery is charged for the next morning, if I don't want to plug in at home. Such a fantastic option to have. All Hybrids should do this by default, just makes more sense to have as many options as possible.
I AM NOT A PRIUS HATER BUT I WANTED TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO COMMENT IN ALL CAPS!!!
Thanks Bob, Happy New year 2022!
I’ve always wondered about this if, for example, you had to take a long trip would you have to run a wire from your hotel to the car. Thanks for the clarification.
It's really on good if u have to run the engine anyways
thank you for sharing. i was wondering if this car could go without charging at all. this answered it.
yUou rock....i had to try it....i think before i stumbled onto it but did not realized at the but thank for confirming it......i'm so stoked about this.
read your owner's manual
Wow! I pick up my Prime XLE on Saturday...will definitely be using this feature!
The Chevy Volt does have this feature.... It is called Mountain Mode.
That's the best tip I have ever gotten. Thank you!
I owned a volt and it does do it, not the same way but you can recharge the battery to 50% on a voit with the engine running
I’m blown away 😳. I’m excited to buy my Prius prime now
I had NO idea that you could do this… I’m going to go try it on my 2018 Prime…
BOB you are awesome!
I thought all PHEVs did this automatically by default. Efficiency wise guess it makes more sense to do it through a charger since ICE isn’t that efficient
is there any way to switch off or change the color of the ambient trim lighting in a 2024 Prius prime XSE premium?
the more you use the prius all the hidden features come alive :D there is another few hidden features i found
Your Volt should have a button for "Mountain mode". That will charge the battery as you drive on gas. IIRC, the purpose is to get some charge back in the battery before you get to the steep mountain roads where the gas engine alone can't hold speed but would be able to when combined with the electric motor. Of course Chevy didn't admit that the Volt's gas engine has a direct connection to the transmission until they were outed. Kept claiming it only ran on the electric motor. Well yes, unless you "request" more power than the electric motor could dish out.
I though the Volt was a true petrol-electric drive. As in the engine only acts like a generator that then powers the electric motors that actually move the vehicle when necessary. Dump trucks and other super heavy vehicles use this system.
@@DAN007thefoxx1 That is what GM was claiming until people looked under the covers enough to find out that there was a direct connection from the ICE to the driveshaft. NOT used most of the time but it was there for the "really need more power" times.
Yes! Thank you this is something I have been searching for.
Just bought my prime today, thankyou for that information.
thanks I wouldn't have known without this video.
Sweet! You rock! Thanks for the tip.
ALL CAPS BUT WOW I ACTUALLY DIDN’T KNOW. Thank you! I think I’m getting this soon
Maybe I didn’t hear correctly but if it’s not going to give you more MPG on electric mode then what is really the point of doing this ?
I just drove cross country and I wish I knew that
Great video
Since you know the car very well, would this work? If the car is in ready mode and the AC set to 73 during a hot day, could it also be plugged in and be charging up at the same time?
Can we check PSI values on each tire from the dash?
The Volt (at least gen 1) charges while driving using Mountain Mode. Takes it up like to 80% or someghing.
Thank you so much! Just bought one yesterday. Very useful info. 😊
Also good if you drive to an airport and leave your car for many days … in that case charging the battery around 50% is better than leaving it at it empty state
It's clearly outlined in the owner's manual.
Did you see the title? It's "hidden" in there.
@@Monkeyseemonkey79 Page 89 I believe -- large headline in a tinted box -- Charge modes... second bullet ... but ok it's hidden.
Wow thats pretty awesome and yeah I did wonder if it did this on 2017 Prius Prime. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I never knew about this, thank you so much. I have a 20212 prius prime.
You're awesome thank you I'm buying a blue one tomorrow I've had a 2012 forever 300.000 miles on it not a problem
Thank you sir.. just got mine (advanced ) today.. 5/30/19..
I had hoped for /wondering if..
About this feature /capability..
Since I had gotten used to this regen feature in my 2013 Prius C
( traded in today )
Thank you very very very much..
It’s in the manual. Do people not read their manuals?
Or have some charge when u hit the campground. This is awesome! Thnx!!
Wish I knew this on my 400 mile ride home after buying this