On my 350h I usually keep the screen on the hybrid battery level indicator page. I often see my battery at full bars especially coming down hilks. Do you experience this? I know it is better for the battery not be charged more than 80%. I am not sure if that screen is showing that actual state of the battery?

 

I don't believe that screen shows the actual battery state.. It's best for the battery to be charged to a certain maximum and discharged to a certain minimum, and the computer management system works to maintain that. As I understand it the screen displays the battery state according to those levels.

 

The in-car display does not show actual charge state. In the case of the RX450h+(I have no experience with the other hybrids), it's not even linear, with 30% being around 13.5% actual SoC, 80% being around 65% SoC, and 100% being around 85% SoC. One can use the Dr Prius app, and I'm sure other apps as well, to see actual SoC of the battery, using a OBD2 dongle.

The battery will fill up going down hills and discharge going up hills. It will also charge while decelerating and discharge while accelerating. That is exactly what it is supposed to do. The hybrid system stores energy where it would be wasted in a non-hybrid and then releases that energy to help accelerate or maintain speed.

The battery will not stay fully charged or fully discharged as the system is designed to keep the battery at a safe charge level. It's ok to be temporarily above or below those levels though.

 

But do you ever see the battery in this full bars state?

 

I see it in that state when I fully charge the battery.

The hybrid system will never over-charge the battery.