2012 TOYOTA PRIUS ECO drive mode

19
Air conditioning system P. 326
Rear window defogger switch P. 346
D
EV drive mode switch
Eco drive mode switch
Power mode switch P. 199
P. 204
P. 204
Emergency flasher switch P. 484
Shift lever P. 202
P position switch P. 205
: If equipped

56
1-1. Hybrid system
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological driving, pay attention to the
following points:
■Using Eco drive mode
When using Eco drive mode, the torque corresponding to the
accelerator pedal depression amount can be generated more
smoothly than it is in normal conditions. In addition, the opera-
tion of the air conditioning system (heating/cooling) will be mini-
mized, improving th e fuel economy. (P. 204)
■ Use of Hybrid System Indicator
Eco-friendly driving is possible by keeping the indicate of Hybrid
System Indicator within Eco area. ( P. 225)
■ When braking the vehicle
Make sure to operate the brakes gently and in good time. A
greater amount of electrical energy can be retained when slow-
ing down.
■ Delays
Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at
traffic lights, will lead to bad fuel consumption. Check traffic
reports before leaving and avoid delays as much as possible.
When encountering a delay, gently release the brake pedal to
allow the vehicle to move forward slightly while avoiding overuse
of the accelerator pedal. Doing so can help control excessive
gasoline consumption.
■ Highway driving
Control your speed and keep at a constant speed. Also, before
stopping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to release
the accelerator and gently apply the brakes. A greater amount of
electrical energy can be reta ined when slowing down.

82 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
■Alarms and warning indicators
A combination of exterior and interior alarms are used to prevent theft of the
vehicle and unforeseeable accidents resulting from erroneous operation.
Take appropriate measures in response to any warning message shown on
the multi-information display. (P. 517)
The following table describes circumstances and correction procedures
when only alarms are sounded.
AlarmSituationCorrection procedure
Exterior alarm
sounds once for
5 seconds An attempt was made to
lock the vehicle while a
door is open Close all of the doors
and lock the doors
again
Interior alarm
pings continu-
ously
*1
The “POWER” switch was
turned to ACCESSORY
mode while the driver’s
door was open (or the
driver’s door was opened
while the “POWER” switch
was in ACCESSORY
mode) Turn the “POWER”
switch off and close
the driver’s door
Interior alarm
sounds continu-
ously
*1
When the “POWER”
switch is in ON mode or
ACCESSORY mode, an
attempt was made to open
the door and exit the vehi-
cle, and the shift position
was not in P Shift the shift position
to P and turn the
“POWER” switch off
Interior and exte-
rior alarms sound
continuously
*1
When the “POWER”
switch is in ON mode or
ACCESSORY mode, the
driver’s door was closed
after the key was carried
outside the vehicle, and
the shift position not in P Shift the shift position
to P, turn the
“POWER” switch off
and close the driver’s
door again

89
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
Automatic door locking and unlocking systems
The following functions can be set or canceled:
■ Setting and canceling the functions
To switch between setting and canceling, follow the procedure
below:
Close all the doors and switch the “POWER” switch to ON
mode. (Perform within 20 seconds.)
FunctionOperation
Shift position linked
door locking function Shifting the shift position out of P locks all
doors.
Shift position linked
door unlocking function Shifting the shift position to P unlocks all
doors.
Speed linked door lock-
ing function All doors are locked when the vehicle speed is
approximately 12 mph (20 km/h) or higher.
Driver’s door linked door
unlocking function All doors are unlocked when the driver’s door
is opened within 10 seconds after turning the
“POWER” switch off.
STEP 1
STEP 2

122 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
■Mirror angle can be adjusted when
The “POWER” switch is in ACCESSORY or ON mode.
■ When the mirrors are fogged up (veh icles with outside rear view mirror
defoggers)
The outside rear view mirrors can be cleared using the mirror defoggers.
Turn on the rear window defogger to turn on the outside rear view mirror
defoggers. ( P. 346)
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
Observe the following precautions while driving.
Failing to do so may result in loss of control of the vehicle and cause an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Do not adjust the mirrors while driving.
● Do not drive with the mirrors folded.
● Both the driver and passenger side mirrors must be extended and properly
adjusted before driving.
■ When a mirror is moving
To avoid personal injury and mirror malfunction, be careful not to get your
hand caught by the moving mirror.
■ When the mirror defoggers are operating (vehicles with outside rear
view mirror defoggers)
Do not touch the rear view mirror surfaces, as they can become very hot and
burn you.

200 2-1. Driving procedures
■Situations in which EV dri ve mode cannot be turned on
It may not be possible to turn EV drive mode on in the following situations.
*
If it cannot be turned on, a buzzer will sound and a message will be shown
on the multi-information display.
● The temperature of the hybrid system is high.
The vehicle has been left in the sun, driven on a hill, driven at high
speeds, etc.
● The temperature of the hybrid system is low.
The vehicle has been left in temperatures lower than about 32
F (0C)
for a long period of time etc.
● The gasoline engine is warming up.
● The hybrid battery (traction battery) is low.
When the amount of remaining hybrid battery (traction battery) charge
displayed on the meter is low. ( P. 42)
● Vehicle speed is high.
● The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
● The windshield defogger is in use.
*: Depending on the circumstances, EV drive mode may also not be
switched to in situations other than those above.
■ Switching to EV drive mode when the gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is started while the gasoline engine is cold, the gasoline
engine will start automatically after a short period of time in order to warm
up. In this case, you will become unable to switch to EV drive mode.
After the hybrid system has started and the “READY” indicator has illumi-
nated, press the EV drive mode switch before the gasoline engine starts to
switch to EV drive mode.

201
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■
Automatic cancelation of EV drive mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gasoline engine may automatically
restart in the following situations. When EV drive mode is canceled, a buzzer
will sound and the EV drive mode indicator will flash and go off.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery) becomes low.
● Vehicle speed becomes high.
● The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
■ Possible driving distance when driving in EV drive mode
In EV drive mode, it is possible to drive up to about 1.3 mile (2 km) if driving
at a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or less. (The distance that is possible
depends on the hybrid battery [traction battery] level and driving conditions.)
■ Changing a driving mode when in EV drive mode
EV drive mode can be used in conjunction with Eco drive mode and power
mode.
However, EV drive mode may be automatically canceled when used in con-
junction with power mode.
■ Fuel economy
PRIUS is designed to achieve the best possible fuel economy during normal
driving (using the gasoline engine and electric motor [traction motor]). Driv-
ing in EV drive mode more than necessary may lower fuel economy.
CAUTION
■While driving
When driving in EV drive mode, pay special attention to the area around the
vehicle. Because there is no engine noise, pedestrians, people riding bicy-
cles or other people and vehicles in the area may not be aware of the vehicle
starting off or approaching them, so take extra care while driving.

204 2-1. Driving procedures
■Selecting a driving mode
The following modes can be selected to suit driving conditions:
Eco drive mode
Suitable for improving the fuel economy, because the torque corre-
sponding to the accelerator pedal depression amount can be gener-
ated more smoothly than it is in normal conditions and the operation of
the air conditioning system (heating/cooling) will be minimized.
When the “ECO MODE” switch is pressed, the “ECO MODE” indicator
comes on.
Power mode
Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable, such as
when driving in mountainous r egions or when overtaking.
When the power mode switch is pressed, the power mode indicator
comes on.