2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID ECO mode

1002-1. Plug-in hybrid system
Shift the shift lever to D when
stopped at a traffic light, or driving
in heavy traffic etc. Shift the shift
lever to P when parking. When
using the N, there is no positive
effect on fuel consumption. In the
N, the gasoline engine operates but
electricity canno t be generated.
Also, when using the air condition -
ing system, etc., the hybrid battery
(traction battery) power is con -
sumed.
 Drive your vehicle smoothly.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and
deceleration. Gradual accelera -
tion and deceler ation will make
more effective use of the electric
motor (traction motor) without
having to use gasoline engine
power.
 Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration con -
sumes hybrid battery (traction
battery) power, resulting in poor
fuel consumption. Battery power
can be restored by driving with
the accelerator pedal slightly
released.
Make sure to operate the brakes
gently and a ti mely manner. A
greater amount of electrical energy
can be regenerated when slowing
down.
Repeated acceler ation and decel-
eration, as well as long waits at traf -
fic lights, will lead to high fuel and
electricity consumption. Check traf -
fic reports before leaving and avoid
delays as much as possible. When
driving in a traffic jam, gently
release the brake pedal to allow the
vehicle to move forward slightly
while avoiding overuse of the accel -
erator pedal. Doing so can help
control excessive electricity and
fuel consumption.
 Control and maintain the vehicle
at a constant speed. Before stop -
ping 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 regener -
ated when slowing down.
 Electricity consumption will
increase significantly when driv -
ing at high speeds in EV mode or
AUTO EV/HV mode. If there will
be a long distance to the next
external charging point after
leaving a freewa y, it is recom-
mended to drive in HV mode
while on the freeway and change
Shift lever operation
Accelerator pedal/brake
pedal operation
When braking
Delays
Highway driving

101
2
2-1. Plug-in hybrid system
Plug-in hybrid system
to EV mode or AUTO EV/HV
mode after leaving the freeway.
( →P.86)
 Turn the “A/C” switch off when it
is not needed. Doing so can help
reduce excessive e lectricity and
fuel consumption.
In summer: When the ambient tem -
perature is high, use the recirculated air
mode. Doing so will help to reduce the
burden on the air co nditioning system
and reduce electricity and fuel con -
sumption as well.
In winter: Avoid excessive and unnec-
essary use of the heater. Usage of the
heated steering w heel (if equipped)
( →P.462) and seat heaters (→P.463)
are effective.
 Using the Remote Air Condition-
ing System ( →P.460) while the
AC charging cable is connected
to the vehicle can reduce elec -
tricity consumption immediately
after starting off by operating air
conditioning mainly using elec -
tricity from an external power
source.
 When setting the charging
schedule, setting the charging
mode to “Departure” and “Cli -
mate Prep” to on can reduce
electricity consumption immedi -
ately after starting off by operat -
ing air conditioning before
charging is completed. ( →P.144)
Make sure to check the tire inflation
pressure frequen tly. If there is
improper tire inflation pressure in
the tires, the EV driving range will
become shorter, and fuel consump-
tion when in HV mode will increase.
Also, as snow tires can cause large
amounts of friction, their use on dry
roads can lead to increased fuel
and electricity consumption.
Carrying heavy luggage will lead to
poor fuel economy. Avoid carrying
unnecessary lugga ge. Installing a
large roof rack will also cause poor
fuel economy.
Since the gasoline engine starts up
and cuts out automatically, warm -
ing up is not necessary.
Air conditioning
Checking tire inflation pres -
sure
Luggage
Warming up before driving

103
2
2-1. Plug-in hybrid system
Plug-in hybrid system
■When starting off, depress the
accelerator pedal smoothly to
accelerate
As a guide, acce lerate up to
approximately 20 km/h (12mph) in
the first 5 seconds.
Electrical and fuel efficiency can be
improved just by using the ECO
Accelerator Guidance displayed on
the multi-informat ion display and
taking care to start off gently.
( →P.182)
When the driving mode is set to Eco
drive mode, depressing the accelerator
pedal generates smooth torque that
makes it easier to operate the accelera -
tor gently.
■Maintain sufficient vehicle-to-
vehicle distance and do not
accelerate or decelerate
unnecessarily
Try to maintain a fixed speed while
driving. Driving at a short vehicle-
to-vehicle distance will result in
repeating wasteful acceleration and
deceleration, which will worsen the
electrical and fuel efficiency.
■Release the accelerator pedal
early before stopping the vehi -
cle, such as at a traffic light
The regenerative brake will operate
to convert the kinetic energy of the
vehicle into electrical energy, which
will charge the hyb rid battery (trac-
tion battery).
The regeneration status can be
checked from the Hybrid System
Indicator. ( →P.177)
When the brake pedal is depressed
lightly during deceleration, the
regeneration amount increases,
enabling more electrical energy to
be recovered.
If the brake pedal is depressed too
strongly, the recovered amount indica -
tor will reach the maximum level and
the upper limit of the recoverable
energy will be exceeded. Therefore, be
sure to operate the brake pedal early.
■Use the air co nditioning sys-
tem appropriately, and also
utilize the heated steering
wheel (if equipped) and seat
heaters
In EV mode, the vehicle is cooled
and heated by electrical energy.
(Except in extremely cold tempera -
tures of approximately -10°C (14°F)
or less.)
Preventing excessive cooling or
heating of the vehicle will reduce
power consumption and improve
electrical efficiency.
The heated steering wheel (if
equipped) and seat heaters are effi -
cient heating device that directly
warm the body using less electric
power.
When used together with the air condi -
tioning system, a low temperature set-
ting can be used to improve electrical
and fuel efficiency.
■Check the tire pressure
If the tire pressure is lower than the
specified value, i t will worsen the
electrical and fuel efficiency.

1042-1. Plug-in hybrid system
A pressure level 50 kPa (0.5 kgf/cm2 or
bar, 7 psi) lower than the specified
value will cause a worsening of several
percentage points.
■When driving on highways,
use the EV/HV mode selection
switch to drive in HV mode
The power consumption will
increase significantly if the vehicle
is driven in EV mode on highways.
■Do not load unnecessary
objects in the vehicle
Driving with objects weighing 100
kg (220 lb.) in the vehicle will
worsen the electrical and fuel effi -
ciency by approximately 3%.
Air resistance also greatly affects
electrical and fuel efficiency.
Remove any exterior accessories
such as a roof luggage carrier when
they are not being used.
The running resistance of snow
tires is high and they will worsen
electrical and fuel efficiency.
Replace them with standard tires
as soon as they are no longer
needed.
■Know your vehicle’s electrical
and fuel efficiency
If you know your vehicle’s daily
electrical and fuel efficiency, you
will understa nd the benefits of Eco
drive.
Use the Power Consumption/Fuel
Economy, ECO Accelerator Guid -
ance/“Eco Score” and other data
displayed on the multi-information
display.
The following indicate that charging
has been carried out properly.
 The charging indicator of the
charging port turns off
 “Charging Complete” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display when a door is opened
with the power switch off
( →P.131)
Regardless of the type of power
source or whether the charging
schedule function is used, charging
is completed if the above can be
confirmed.
Charging-related messages: →P.160
Display when charging is
completed

109
2
2-2. Charging
Plug-in hybrid system
Mode 2 AC charging cable
Charging connector
Identification label
Plug
Plug-cord
NOTICE
■When using the AC charging
cable and related parts
→ P.135
■Precautions for low tempera-
tures
In low temperatures, the AC charging
cable and plug-cord may become
hard.
Therefore, make su re to not apply excessive force when they are hard. If
excessive force is applied to the hard -
ened AC charging cable and plug- cord, they may be damaged.
The names of each part of the AC charging cable
A
B
C
D

1282-2. Charging
such as the remaining charge of the
hybrid battery (traction battery), the
outside temperature and specifica -
tions of a charger (charging station).
*4: When using “My Room Mode”
( →P.153), the time required for
charging to complete may be longer
or the charging may not be com -
pleted.
*5: If equipped
■Charging time may increase
In the following situations, charging time may become longer than normal:
●In very hot or very cold temperatures.
●When the hybrid bat tery (traction bat-
tery) becomes ho t, such as immedi- ately after high-load driving.
●The vehicle is consuming a lot of elec - tricity, for example, when the head -
lights are on etc.
●When using “My Room Mode”.
( →P.153)
●There is a power outage during
charging.
●There is an interrup tion in the electri-
cal supply.
●There is a drop in t he voltage of exter- nal power source.
●The charge in the 12-volt battery is low, for example due to the vehicle
being left unused fo r a long period of
time.
●The maximum charging current is set
to 8A or 16A* through “Vehicle Set -
tings”. ( →P.125)
●When the “Battery Heater” operates.
( →P.128)
●When the “Battery Cooler” is operated
before charging. ( →P.129)
●When the plug generates heat due to
a loose socket connection etc.*: Vehicles with 6.6 kW onboard traction
battery charger only
■Using a DC Charger
DC Chargers cannot be used with this vehicle.
■Charging electricity
This vehicle can be charged up to
approximately 3. 3 kW or 6.6 kW*.
However, depending on the used char -
ger or AC charging cable, charging elec -
tricity may be limited.*: Vehicles with 6.6 kW onboard traction
battery charger only
This vehicle is equipped with sev -
eral functions that are linked with
charging.
■“My Room Mode” ( →P.153)
When the AC charging cable is
connected to the vehicle, electrical
components such as the air condi -
tioning system or audio system can
be used using the external power
source*.
*: The power of the hybrid battery (trac -
tion battery) may be used depending
on the situation.
■“Battery Heater”
When the outside temperature is
low and the AC cha rging cable is
connected to the vehicle, this func -
tion automatically warms the hybrid
battery (traction battery) until it
reaches or exceeds a certain tem -
perature.
“Battery Heater” will operate when
the “Battery Heater” of the
“Charging Settings” on the multi-
information display is on. ( →P.187)
Charging-linked functions

1302-2. Charging
maximum of approximately 30 min -
utes. However, when the “Departure” time is set ( →P.144) and there is not
sufficient time between the current
time and the time that charging will complete, “Battery Cooler” operation
time may become shorter.
●When there is a small amount of
remaining charge in the hybrid battery
(traction battery), even if the hybrid battery (traction battery) is hot, “Bat -
tery Cooler” may not be implemented.
●When the following operations are
performed while “Battery Cooler” is
operating, the hybrid battery (traction battery) cooling operation stops.
• The hood is opened
• The power switch is turned to any mode other than off
• The Remote Air Conditioning System
is operated ( →P.460) • “Charge Now” is implemented
( →P.145)
●“Battery Cooler” uses the power of the
hybrid battery (tr action battery) and
external power source. • While “Battery Cooler” is operating,
the amount of the remaining charge of
the hybrid battery (traction battery) increases and decreases in a certain
range, and does not increase as in
normal charging. • The operation of “Battery Cooler” is
recognized as charging by a charger.
The charger that calculates the fee according to charging time causes a
charging fee.
To enable the use of EV mode or
AUTO EV/HV mode, we recom -
mend systematically charging the
vehicle.
■Before leaving home
In order to use EV mode or AUTO
EV/HV mode, charge the hybrid
battery (traction battery) at home
before leaving.
The charging schedule function
( →P.144) can be used to set the sys-
tem to automatically fully charge the
hybrid battery (traction battery) before
your desired departu re time. It is also
possible to set the air conditioning to
make the interior in a comfortable state
before your desire d departure time.
■At your destination
Use a public charging station to
charge the hybrid battery (traction
Charging tips
This section explains methods
for using the charging function
for this vehicle and checking
information related to
charging.
Systematically charging

1342-2. Charging
each part of the AC charging cable
is in good condition. ( →P.117)
■During charging
●The charging starting time may differ
depending on the state of the vehicle,
but this does not indicate a malfunc - tion.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard from near the rear seat. ( →P.98)
●During charging, sounds may be heard from near the hybrid battery
(traction battery) in accordance with
the operation of the air conditioning system or “Battery Cooler” ( →P.129).
●During and after charging, the rear seat and its surrounding area in which
the onboard traction battery charger is
installed may get warm.
●The surface of the CCID (Charging
Circuit Interrupting Device) may become hot, but this does not indicate
a malfunction. ( When using Mode 2
AC charging cable.)
●Depending on radio wave conditions,
interference may be heard on the radio.
●The current chargi ng condition and the estimated time until charging will
complete can be checked on the
multi-information display.
■Capacity reduction of the hybrid
battery (tracti on battery)
The capacity of the hybrid battery (trac -
tion battery) will dec line gradually when
the hybrid battery (tr action battery) is in use. The rate at which it declines will dif -
fer in accordance with environmental
conditions and the way in which the vehicle is used. Observing the following
can help suppress battery capacity
decline.
●Avoid parking the vehicle in areas with
a high temperature under direct sun - light when the hybrid battery (traction
battery) is fully charged.
●Avoid accelerating and decelerating
frequently and suddenly when EV
driving.
●Avoid frequent driving near the top
speed for EV driving. ( →P.90)
●Leave a low level of charge in the
hybrid battery (trac tion battery) when leaving the vehicle undriven for a long
period of time.
After confirming that EV mode or AUTO EV/HV mode has switched to
HV mode, turn the power switch off.
●Use the charging schedule function as
much as possible in order to fully
charge the hybrid battery (traction bat - tery) immediately bef ore starting off.
( →P.144)
Also, if the hybrid battery (traction bat- tery) capacity reduces, the distance that
can be driven in EV mode or AUTO
EV/HV mode decreases. However, vehi - cle performance does not significantly
become worse.
■When the remaining charge of the
hybrid battery (trac tion battery) is low after charging
In the following situations, the remaining
charge of the hybrid battery (traction battery) after charging completes may
be less than normal in order to protect
the system (the EV dr iving range after the battery is fully charged may be
shorter).*
●Charging is carried out when the out -
side temperature is low or high.
●Charging is carried out immediately
after high-load driv ing or in extreme
heat.
When none of the above situations
apply and there is a drastic drop in the
remaining charge of the hybrid battery
(traction battery) after charging com - pletes, have the veh icle inspected by
any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.*: When this occurs, even if the remain -
ing charge display of the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) shows that it is