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53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as coolant, brake
fluid, and washer fluid should be
checked on a regular basis, at the
exact interval depending on the fluid.
Further details are provided in chap-
ter 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the POWER button is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the driver should
not be used during vehicle
operation.
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Driving your vehicle
65
ON
Press the POWER button while it is
in the ACC position without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the vehicle is started. Do not
leave the POWER button in the ON
position for a long time, otherwise
the battery may discharge.
START/RUN
To start the vehicle, depress the
brake pedal and press the POWER
button with the shift lever in the P
(Park) position.
If you press the POWER button with-
out depressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle will not start and the POWER
button changes as follow:
OFF ➔ACC ➔ON ➔OFF or ACC
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If you leave the POWER button in
the ACC or ON position for a long
time, the battery will discharge.
Redish orangeNot illuminated
WARNING- Starting
vehicle
Never press the POWER button
while the vehicle is in motion
except in an emergency. If the
vehicle stops while the vehicle
is in motion, this would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.
WARNING- Leaving the Vehicle
To avoid unexpected or sudden
vehicle movement, never leave
your vehicle if the transmission
is not locked in the P (Park)
position and the parking brake
is fully engaged. Before leaving
the driver's seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged in
P (Park), set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
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59
Driving your vehicle
Pedestrian Warning System
The Pedestrian Warning System
generates engine sound for pedestri-
ans to hear vehicle sound because
there is little sound while the Electric
Vehicle (EV) is operating.
If the vehicle is moving low speed,
the Pedestrian Warning System will
operated.
- When the reduction gear is shifted to[R], the Pedestrian Warning System
will be operated immediately.
Turing off the Vehicle
1. Depress the brake pedal fully.
2. Place the shift lever in the P (Park).
3. Apply the parking brake firmly.
4. Press the POWER button to turn the vehicle off.
5. Make sure the " (ready)" indi- cator lights on the instrument clus-
ter are turned off.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If the " (ready)" indicator light
on the instrument cluster is still on,
be careful that the vehicle is not
turned off and can move when you
place the shift lever in any position
except P (Park).
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Driving your vehicle
26
5
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
motor compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the vehicle is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.
✽ ✽NOTICE
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive
responsibly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the POWER buttonis turned ON, ESC and
ESC OFF indicator lights
illuminate for approximately
3 seconds, then ESC is
turned on.
ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem. When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.
Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
-
WARNING
Electronic stability control (ESC)
will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers and hydroplaning on
wet surfaces can still result in
serious accidents. Only a safe
and attentive driver can prevent
accidents by avoiding maneu-
vers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the
normal precautions for driving -
including driving at safe speeds
for the conditions.
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Driving your vehicle
38
5
Your vehicle's energy economy
depends mainly on your style of driv-
ing, where you drive and when you
drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a capacity (kWh) of battery. To
operate your vehicle as economical-
ly as possible, use the following driv-
ing suggestions to help save money
in both energy and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear. Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more energy
your vehicle uses. Driving at a
moderate speed, especially on the
highway, is one of the most effec-
tive ways to reduce energy con-
sumption.
Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal. This can increase energy
consumption and also increase
wear on these components. In
addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause
the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and
may lead to more serious conse-
quences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month. Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater energy consumption.
Keep your vehicle in good condi- tion. For better energy economy
and reduced maintenance costs,
maintain your vehicle in accor-
dance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive
your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is
required (see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased
energy consumption and also con-
tribute to corrosion.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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Driving your vehicle
42
5
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights. Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed. (On vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature.) Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
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543
Driving your vehicle
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain: A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condi- tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
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What to do in an emergency
26
ROAD WARNING
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher serves
as a warning to other drivers to exer-
cise extreme caution when
approaching, overtaking, or passing
your vehicle.
It should be used whenever emer-
gency repairs are being made or
when the vehicle is stopped near the
edge of a roadway.Depress the flasher switch with the
ignition switch in any position. The
flasher switch is located in the center
console switch panel. All turn signal
lights will flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher oper-
ates whether your vehicle is run-
ning or not.
The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while
the vehicle is being towed.
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