Page 89 of 680

892-1. Plug-in hybrid system
2
Plug-in hybrid system
gently and a timely manner.
A greater amount of electrical
energy can be regenerated
when slowing down.
Repeated acceleration and
deceleration, as well as long
waits at traffic lights, will lead to
high fuel and electricity con-
sumption. Check traffic reports
before leaving and avoid delays
as much as possible. When driv-
ing in a traffic jam, 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
electricity and fuel consumption.
Control and maintain the vehi-
cle at a constant speed.
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 regenerated
when slowing down.
Electricity consumption will
increase significantly when
driving 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 freeway, it is recommended to drive in
HV mode while on the free-
way and change to EV mode
or AUTO EV/HV mode after
leaving the freeway. (
P.74)
Turn the “A/C” switch off
when it is not needed. Doing
so can help reduce excessive
electricity and fuel consump-
tion.
In summer: When the ambient tem-
perature is high, use the recircu-
lated air mode. Doin g so will help to
reduce the burden on the air condi-
tioning system and reduce electric-
ity and fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Avoid excessive and
unnecessary use of the heater.
Usage of the heated steering wheel
(if equipped) and seat heaters (if
equipped) are effective. ( P.443)
Make sure to check the tire infla-
tion pressure frequently. If there
is improper tire inflation pres-
sure in the tires, the EV driving
range will become shorter, and
fuel consumption 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.
Delays
Highway driving
Air conditioning
Checking tire inflation
pressure
Page 90 of 680

902-1. Plug-in hybrid system
Carrying heavy luggage will lead
to poor fuel economy. Avoid car-
rying unnecessary luggage.
Installing a large roof rack will
also cause poor fuel economy.
Since the gasoline engine starts
up and cuts out automatically,
warming up is not necessary.The value displayed on the SOC
(State of Charge) gauge
(P.155) is estimated from the
following information.
The amount of hybrid battery
(traction battery) charge cur-
rently remaining
The electricity consumption
(the estimated distance that
EV driving is possible per unit
of electrical energy) based on
the recorded value
Past air conditioning system
electricity consumption
amount
The electricity consumption var-
ies depending on how the vehi-
cle is driven. The vehicle
Luggage
Warming up before driv-
ing
EV driving range
The EV driving range dis-
played on the meter shows
the reference distance that
EV driving (driving using
only the electric motor) is
possible, and the actual dis-
tance that can be driven
may differ from that dis-
played.
Even if the EV driving range is
displayed, EV driving may be
canceled and both gasoline
engine and electric motor are
used depending on the situa-
tion. ( P.79)
Displayed value
Page 91 of 680

912-1. Plug-in hybrid system
2
Plug-in hybrid system
automatically records the elec-
tricity consumption when being
charged and uses the electricity
consumption for estimating the
EV driving range. Therefore, the
EV driving range displayed
when the hybrid battery (traction
battery) is fully charged may dif-
fer from the previous EV driving
range depending on how the
vehicle was driven.
The EV driving range may
change significantly with each
charging until the electricity con-
sumption based on the recorded
value is stable (for approxi-
mately the first month or two).
However, this does not indicate
a malfunction.
When the air conditioning sys-
tem is turned on, the EV driving
range (with using the air condi-
tioning system) is estimated
based on the past air condition-
ing electricity consumption
amount considering that the
electricity consumption may
become higher.
The distance that EV driving is
possible varies significantly
depending on how the vehicle is
driven, road conditions, the
weather, the outside tempera-
ture, usage conditions of electri-
cal components and the number of occupants.
The distance that EV driving is
possible can be extended if the
following is performed:
■When starting off, depress
the accelerator pedal
smoothly to accelerate
As a guide, accelerate up to
approximately 12mph (20 km/h)
in the first 5 seconds.
Electrical and fuel efficiency can
be improved just by using the
ECO Accelerator Guidance dis-
played on the multi-information
display and taking care to start
off gently. ( P.163)
When the driving mode is set to
Eco drive mode, depressing the
accelerator pedal generates
smooth torque that makes it easier
to operate the accelerator gently.
At the same time, the air condition-
ing control is switched to eco air
conditioning mode ( P.437) to
reduce the strength of the air condi-
tioning operation.
■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.
Tips for extending the EV
driving range
Page 92 of 680

922-1. Plug-in hybrid system
■Release the accelerator
pedal early before stopping
the vehicle, such as at a
traffic light
The regenerative brake will
operate to convert the kinetic
energy of the vehicle into electri-
cal energy, which will charge the
hybrid battery (traction battery).
The regeneration status can be
checked from the Hybrid Sys-
tem Indicator. ( P.158)
When the brake pedal is
depressed lightly during decel-
eration, the regeneration
amount increases, enabling
more electrical energy to be
recovered.
If the brake pedal is depressed too
strongly, the recovered amount
indicator will reach the maximum
level and the upper limit of the
recoverable en ergy will be
exceeded. Therefore, be sure to
operate the brake pedal early.
■Use the air conditioning
system appropriately, and
also utilize the heated steer-
ing wheel (if equipped) and
seat heaters (if equipped)
In EV mode, the vehicle is
cooled and heated by electrical
energy. (Except in extremely
cold temperatures of approxi-
mately 14°F [-10°C] or less.)
Preventing excessive cooling or
heating of the vehicle will reduce
power consumption and
improve electrical efficiency. When eco air conditioning mode
is used, the air conditioning con-
trol is switched automatically to
a lower setting. (
P.437)
The heated steering wheel and
seat heaters are efficient heat-
ing device that directly warm the
body using less electric power.
When used together with the air
conditioning system, a low tem-
perature setting can be used to
improve electrical and fuel effi-
ciency.
■Check the tire pressure
If the tire pressure is lower than
the specified value, it will
worsen the electrical and fuel
efficiency.
A pressure level 7 psi (50 kPa, 0.5
kgf/cm
2 or bar) lower than the spec-
ified value will cause a worsening of
several percentage points.
■When driving on highways,
use the EV/HV mode selec-
tion switch to drive in HV
mode
The power consumption will
increase significantly if the vehi-
cle is driven in EV mode on
highways.
■Do not load unnecessary
objects in the vehicle
Driving with objects weighing
220 lb. (100 kg) in the vehicle
will worsen the electrical and
fuel efficiency by approximately
3%.
Air resistance also greatly
Page 93 of 680

932-1. Plug-in hybrid system
2
Plug-in hybrid system
affects electrical and fuel effi-
ciency. Remove any exterior
accessories such as a roof lug-
gage 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 lon-
ger needed.
■Know your vehicle’s electri-
cal and fuel efficiency
If you know your vehicle’s daily
electrical and fuel efficiency, you
will understand the benefits of
Eco drive.
Use the Power Consump-
tion/Fuel Economy, ECO Accel-
erator Guidance/“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-informa-
tion display when a door is
opened with the power switch
off ( P.112)
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.143
Display when charging is
completed
Page 94 of 680
942-2. Charging
2-2.Charging
AC charging inlet
AC charging inlet light
Charging indicator (P.96)
AC charging port lid ( P.94)
AC charging port
AC charging cable ( P.97)
■Open
Slightly open the charging port
lid by pressing the rear edge of it (the position shown in the illus-
tration).
Fully open the charging port lid by
hand.
Charging equipment
This vehicle features equipment for connecting to an external
power source.
Charging equipment and names
A
B
C
D
E
F
Opening/closing the
charging port lid
Page 95 of 680
952-2. Charging
2
Plug-in hybrid system
■Close
Move the charging port lid to the
slightly open position and then
press the rear edge (the position
shown in the illustration) to close
it.
■Lid lifter
The charging port lid is not closed if
the lid lifter is pushed in before clos-
ing the charging port lid. In that
case, push again with the door
unlocked and release the lid lifter,
and close the charging port lid
again.
■Charging port lid open/close
detection switch
When the charging port lid is open,
be careful not to touch the charging
port lid open/close detection switch
(position shown in the illustration). If
you accidentally touch the switch,
the vehicle may incorrectly indicate
that the opened/closed status of the
charging port lid, or the charging
connector may not be able to
lock/unlock normally.
Page 96 of 680
962-2. Charging
The illumination/flashing pattern changes to inform the user of the
charging status in the following ways.
*1: The indicator is dimmed when the charging is done
*2: Flashes for a certain period of time, and then turns off.
Charging indicator
Illumination/flashing pat-ternVehicle condition
IlluminatedCharging is in progress*1
“Battery Heater” ( P.108) is operating
Flashes normally*2When charging schedule is registered ( P.123)
and AC charging cable is connected to vehicle
Flashes rapidly*2When charging cannot be carried out due to
malfunction in a power sour ce or the vehicle etc.
( P.141)