I just bought my RX450h last week so I'm a newbie.

Have put 35 miles (all City driving) on the car since then.
Battery was at 50% when I took delivery and is at 80% now.
How long/far do I need to go to get it charged to 100%?
I do see that power is going to the battery when I brake going downhill from my house.

Also, one of the displays says that I'm getting 18.9 mpg since the last fill-up that the dealer did before I took delivery. This is below the 30 mpg that was advertised. So what am I doing wrong?

Sorry if these are stupid questions as this is my first hybrid vehicle.

Thanks in advance,

Cheryl
2014 RX 450h AWD

 

Welcome to the forum Cheryl. I am not sure how many miles you need to drive to get a full charge but just drive it! Back off the accelerator and coast to stops. Don't use your cruise control on hilly highways, you will get better fuel economy without it. Look and see if you are driving in Eco mode. I keep my 2014 in Eco most of the time. I would reset your trip mileage (left side and under steering wheel) when you fill up and calculate your mileage with a known full tank. Then compare what the screen says. Mine seemed off when I first bought the car but is spot on now. And finally, enjoy the ride!
Bill

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hyb...on-rx450h.html

 

The batteries you're referring to are known as the 'traction' batteries to store power for the drive train. They are/will be in a constant state of charge and discharge through a normal driving pattern. If you've never had a hybrid before it may be confusing but spending some time in the owners manual will help. You'll likely not see the batteries at 100% very often nor will you see them fully discharged either and that's by design to keep from harming them.

Drives longer than five miles (in any car) will be better for mileage and the (h) is no exception. If I just go 3 miles to the grocery and then home I see a decrease but with steady driving, coasting to stops, and planning my trips I'm getting an overall average of slightly over 30mpg for the last three years. Even with that, it's higher in the summer than winter because the cold batteries deplete a little faster.

Good luck with your (h)

 

I agree with Cruiter. The only time I've seen the battery at 100% was going downhill in warm temps using the brake. I wouldn't worry about the percentage since the gas engine kicks in as needed. Regarding your mileage, the thread RX330inFL mentioned gives an idea what everyone else has been achieving. It's definitely worth a read. You'll be able to see similar results the more you drive your 450h, 35 miles isn't enough. There's also plenty of other variables that come into play. Eco mode, weather, driving style, flat or hilly roads, highway or city - those are just a few. Be patient and enjoy driving your RXh. And this is the first hybrid for a few of us. We're just ahead of you on the learning curve

 

might be a dumb questions...but is it possible to charge the hybrid battery pack? maybe with a trickle charger?

 

A trickle charger would only be for the 12v battery if you were storing it for an extended period of time. There isn't a user port for charging the 'traction' battery. Even if it's low, it will charge in just 2-4 miles of normal driving. The NICAD battery pack is designed to be charged or discharged rapidly but provide the maximum amount of power for short periods. Plus it's life cycle is much longer then lithium packs and w/o the fire hazard. Some Prius taxi's in the NY area have reported 300,000+ miles on the original packs.

 

Jim, NI-CAD batteries are obsolete now. They actually use Ni-MH chemistry.
The real battery charge is kept within a very narrow range, somewhere between 60 and 80%, exposed to us in a range of 0 to 100%. This was done for longevity purposes. And that would be the reason why a traction battery charger would be of little use. Max one would get out of it is 2 miles.

Cheryl, traction battery is used as an energy buffer. It gets constantly charged and discharged. All of it happens automatically and behind scenes. There really is no reason to keep a close eye on it. It will do its thing and will do it well. The hybrid system will try to drain the battery a little to have some capacity left in case you choose to brake or go downhill. If it was to sit at 100%, it would not be able to recoup this energy down the line.

As already mentioned, just keep driving. The overall efficiency will not show up in just 35 miles. You have to look at least at the tankful. Also, keep in mind, winter mixture gas always delivers less MPG, regardless of the vehicle driven. It is more noticeable on a hybrid, as its operators keep a close eye on the fuel consumption. Also, the hybrid system is less efficient during cold weather, trying to keep up with its heating duties, as well as getting less performance out of the traction battery when it is outside of its optimal temperature range.

 

Geez, I can't belive I said that. I meant Nimh's, sorry

 

You need to just relax and enjoy your car. No way in 35 miles you can judge fuel use. Stop looking at the gauges and enjoy driving. You will seldom see the 30mpg figure except under the most ideal conditions.