chromedome

Hi everyone, I finally got my hands on a lovely new ES300h after years driving around in a 4-cylinder Accord. It's my first hybrid and this car feels like space age transportation even next to other luxury cars.

I love the kick in the pants from the electric motors' massive torque - maybe this is what Tesla drivers rave about on their rides. I also love the silence when I'm coasting around the neighborhood in EV mode.

I'm not fond of the engine's coarse grumbling at low rpm when it's acting as a generator. This thing sounds more like a diesel than a smooth Lexus power plant. I'm interested in maximizing fuel economy while using the engine the least. Do I need to keep the batteries charged up to maximum as often as I can or should I deplete them often?

atoyota

These days, you just need to drive normally. The computers do everything that needs to be done for battery management.

You will see the best mpg if you have trips longer than about 6-8 miles in normal traffic (the ICE has to warm up and heat the catalytic converter - short trips don't really allow the car to stay in EV mode much). Stop and go (especially jack-rabbit starts) kill mpg no matter what kind of car your drive. Strong headwinds and sidewinds on the interstates will also eat away some at your mpg - conversely strong tailwinds will really increase it.

You do have an EV button. I use this when I am backing out of the garage in the mornings and while easing down the neighborhood street to the main road. The ICE will kick in though depending on your your battery level, engine temp, and vehicle speed. I also use this mode when leaving the parking garage in the evening.

There are websites (priuschatdotcom and hypermilingdotcom) if you want to really push the mpg, but I've driven toyota hybrids for 8 years and you really don't have to do much to achieve good mpg in them.

Just enjoy the car and let the computers do their job. :-)

EDIT: Sadly, the true "stealth mode" in toyota hybrids is gone since they went to broadcasting that whirring sound through the horn/speaker while in EV and driving at low speeds. It used to be totally silent.

jim256

On my third hybrid as well, and the previous post is correct. Drive it, don't over think it. Like any car, the quicker you accelerate, the lower the gas mileage. Coasting is great. Watch the green eco light and the instant mpg gauge above the steering column to get a feel for what is happening. It worries about charging and depleting. Bear in mind, if you use EV mode, the engine will need to run to restore the power used, so it's not necessarily an opportunity--plus, it won't engage unless the engine is fully warm. There are some good how-to's on Prius Chat if you really want to understand hyper-mileing, pulse and glide, and all that, but see how you do just driving initially.

SLH

In my previous Camry hybrid, the old people in parking lots used to walk into my car (walking while looking away) pretty regularly. With my new ES300h, not nearly as many. Most pedestrians seem to know the car is there, and refrain from tripping over it.

Some people are both deaf and blind, of course, but Florida still lets them drive anyway.

Nothing can stop them from reversing out of parking spaces by the "braille" method, but that is a separate problem.

Arty101

When under EV mode, I think the ES is pretty stealth quiet. I don't think it broadcast any sounds, at least not yet.

SLH

To maximize fuel economy, just drive gently. Moderate acceleration up to cruising speed, then cruise control to maintain speed. Avoid braking, and try to brake gently when slowing for traffic or red lights. Let the computer manage the battery. A bunch of very smart engineers spent years figuring out how best to do that part, so you don't have to.

Fast driving and foot-stomping wastes fuel, just like on regular cars. Avoid stomping on either pedal.

There is a most-efficient rate of acceleration. Accelerating either less or more quickly uses more fuel. The rate that the cruise-control accelerates when you "resume" speed (coincidentally?) seems to be the most efficient acceleration rate. To get a feel for it, use the cc to accelerate (from 30 to 65) onto the highway a few times during light traffic. After you have a feel for it, you may notice a slight detent in the spring-rate of the gas pedal, at that same rate of acceleration.

The "eco" mode helps you to avoid rapid acceleration... but it also reduces the air-conditioning, so I don't use it on very hot days.

Above all, don't be crazy about any of this. Don't drive slowly in the left lane. Don't block traffic. Don't watch your display and forget to look out the window. etc. BE SAFE. Auto repairs from failure to pay attention to the other cars, or from road-rage-induced collisions, cost a lot more than any amount of fuel that you might save.

atoyota

Under 25mph or so, there is a very clear and audible sound generated by the horn/speaker when in EV mode. It was added by Toyoata because someone complained in CA that the hybrids were dangerous in neighborhoods when in EV mode. There is info in the user manual about the sound. My 2004 and 2009 toyota hybrids made no sounds. If the fans for the radiator weren't on, you could not hear anything except the tires on the road (depending on the surface).

Vehicle proximity notification system (Page 71)
When driving with the gasoline engine stopped, a sound, which changes in accordance with driving speed, will be played in order to warn people nearby of the vehicle's approach. The sound will stop when the vehicle exceeds approximately 15mph (25km/h).

Recent Article: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/05/...-requirements/

bmbutler

I always love it when people have to change their completely normal habits to cover for those that are clueless. It is like making concessions for those that keep their faces stuck inside their smartphones or tablets instead of being a normal human being. Afraid it is only going to get worse as we continue our slide into the "me, myself and I" culture.

chromedome

No buzzing or beeping when I put the car in EV mode over on the other side of the pond, so it must be a California thing?

I'm still trying to understand the CVT's shifting. When I floor the throttle in whatever mode, engine rpm goes up immediately but it takes a while for speed to actually increase. It's like there's a rubber band in there - or Toyota's version of turbo lag. The muted gruff roar from the engine sounds a bit nasty compared to the V6 but I love how the full-throttle transition from electric to ICE power is so seamless. Today I took off in Sport mode after a toll gate and hit cruising speed in a lot less time than I'm used to

Engine restarts at almost walking speeds are still rough and send a judder through the pedals and steering. Hopefully that'll get better over time.

jim256

The US mandates a "proximity alert system" to alert non-sighted persons that a hybrid is moving. I believe it operates up to 25 mph, odd sound, kind of like a distant electric weed wacker.

CVT is almost like a rubber band! Think of a cone shaped input shaft with a rotating belt moving up or down the circumference of the cone to produce different ratios. More to it than that, but it gives the visual idea. It's helpful on hybrids to deal with the transitions between generator and internal combustion engine (ICE) power without abrupt reactions. You will get a little judder at very slow speeds as it calls for ICE recharging, but you will get used to it. I do believe it also gets a little better with miles, in my experience.

SLH

I do believe that the law was intended to assist people whose eyes do not function, due to injury or medical conditions. It does serve that purpose, of course.

But, it seems, most people who walk out in front of cars have perfectly normal and fully functional eyes. They just don't look where they are going. Most of those same people, also do not listen.

The problem of people doing foolish things, particularly in parking lots, is not unique to hybrid cars. At a grocery near my office, there are collisions and injuries almost every day. The majority are due to people who simply do not look where they are going.