HOW DOES STABILITY
CONTROL WORK
WARNING: Vehicle modifications
involving braking system, aftermarket
roof racks, suspension, steering system,
tire construction and wheel and tire size
may change the handling characteristics
of your vehicle and may adversely affect
the performance of the electronic
stability control system. In addition,
installing any stereo loudspeakers may
interfere with and adversely affect the
electronic stability control system. Install
any aftermarket stereo loudspeaker as
far as possible from the front center
console, the tunnel, and the front seats
in order to minimize the risk of interfering
with the electronic stability control
sensors. Reducing the effectiveness of
the electronic stability control system
could lead to an increased risk of loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal
injury and death.
WARNING: Remember that even
advanced technology cannot defy the
laws of physics. It's always possible to
lose control of a vehicle due to
inappropriate driver input for the
conditions. Aggressive driving on any
road condition can cause you to lose
control of your vehicle increasing the risk
of personal injury or property damage.
Activation of the electronic stability
control system is an indication that at
least some of the tires have exceeded
their ability to grip the road; this could
reduce the operator's ability to control
the vehicle potentially resulting in a loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death. If your
electronic stability control system
activates, SLOW DOWN. If a driving condition activates either the
stability control or the traction control
system you may experience the following
conditions:
• The stability and traction control light
flashes.
• Your vehicle slows down.
• Reduced engine power.
The stability control system has several
features built into it to help you maintain
control of your vehicle:
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic stability control enhances your
vehicle’s ability to prevent skids or lateral
slides by applying brakes to one or more
of the wheels individually and, if necessary,
reducing engine power.
Roll Stability Control
Roll stability control enhances your
vehicle’s ability to prevent rollovers by
detecting your vehicle’s roll motion and
the rate at which it changes by applying
the brakes to one or more wheels
individually.
Curve Control
Curve control enhances your vehicle’s
ability to follow the road when cornering
severely or avoiding objects in the roadway.
Curve control operates by reducing engine
power and, if necessary, applying brakes
to one or more of the wheels individually.
Traction Control
Traction control enhances your vehicle’s
ability to maintain traction of the wheels
by detecting and controlling wheel spin.
See How Does Traction Control Work
(page 225).
227
Stability Control
PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC
VEHICLE DRIVE MODES
SELECTING A PLUG-IN HYBRID
ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVE MODE
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Your vehicle contains selectable electric
vehicle (EV) modes. Press the button on
the center console to change the mode.
Depending on your drive mode selection
some EV modes may not be available. EV
Now and EV Later modes are only
available when you have electric-only
driving range available.
AUTO EV
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This mode provides an
automatic use of high voltage
battery power during the drive,
staying in electric mode when possible and
running the engine when needed.
EV CHARGE
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This mode uses your vehicle's
engine to charge the high voltage
battery versus plugging the
vehicle into a utility grid. The electric range gained through the EV
Charge allows you to switch to Auto EV or
EV Now for full electric operation later in
your drive. The battery cannot completely
charge to 100% when in EV Charge mode.
This is to allow for full operation of the
regenerative braking system. When the
battery reaches its EV Charge limit, the
vehicle remains in EV Charge mode and
maintains that charge level, until you select
another EV Mode, or until you switch your
vehicle off.
When you enable EV Charge, a white EV
Charge icon appears in the information
display.
EV Charge resets to Auto EV when you
switch off your vehicle. You may select EV
Charge again using the EV button during
your next drive.
EV LATER
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In EV Later, your vehicle runs on
the engine as needed and saves
most of the available electric
range for later use in Auto EV or EV Now
mode.
For example, your initial drive is at high
speeds on open roads, but later your drive
is at low speeds in an urban area where
electric only driving is most efficient. In this
case, you can select EV Later for the higher
speed portion of your trip and then select
Auto EV or EV Now for the urban portion.
When you enable EV Later, a white EV
Later icon appears in the information
display. EV Later resets to Auto EV when
you switch off your vehicle. You may select
EV Later again using the EV button during
your next drive.
259
Drive Mode Control
