Does anyone actually use their paddle shifters in their 350h?

 

I don't, find that pretty much useless as with the "manual" options on the shifter. It's a CVT; no gears! Why try to fake it? Marketing. One of the items they could have left out and maybe given us something more useful like a bigger sunglass holder or lumbar adjustment in the passenger seat. Or a glass break sensor to deter thefts.

 

Nope. Never.

 

Only when I want to burn rubber in first and second gear like my old Hurst shifter use to do

YMMV,
MidCow3

 

I use mine all the time ....Leaving my neighborhood, I must travel down a long, winding road with turns limited to < 20mph or so. I use the paddle shifters to "downshift" and hold a lower "gear". This minimizes the amount and number of times that I apply brakes for speed control. When I reach to bottom, a couple taps to the paddle shifter and I'm back in "drive".

 

Absolutely, I do. Just as I did in my 2017 NX F Sport and 2022 RX F Sport.

Why? Because it's a carryover from when I owned stick-shift cars to downshift and not use my brakes.

Not really worried about brake wear, just a habit from the "old days," and it feels good when accelerating again, although instead of running through the gears with the paddles, I just let the CVT decide when to go back "D."

 

I wonder if “downshifting” generates any regen. I would assume more regen if coasting and then “downshifting”.

 

Logically, coasting is "free wheeling" , i.e. not in gear and would not engage regenerative braking and would not charge the traction battery.

Downshifting, if a hybrid, would engage regenerative MG to charge traction battery. So downshifting via paddle shifters should charge traction battery. Also braking via PDA or DCC should recharge traction battery.





Depending on the algorithm logic and if you have your foot off the brake coasting may engage the regenerative charging. Putting your foot on the brake does engage the regenerative charging on hybrids.



If you want to check so this display in your car : When the flow direction is too the hybrid battery, then it is charging






YMMV,
MidCow3

P.S. - The Toyota/Lexus hybrid system, first developed with the 1997 Prius, is by far the best and smoothest hybrid system available!

 

I always reflexively used my paddle shifters in my old car, even though it was also a CVT. That’s allowed engine braking, saved a lot of brakes.

in the NX hybrid tho, I think while it can be used for really long hills to use the ICE for engine braking, it’s actually detrimental to the regen. The charge meter doesn’t go up, the engine is revving and helping slow the car but the battery isn’t getting extra charge. So I’m relearning to use the brake gently, to max out the charge meter, before using the paddles to keep from using the mechanical brakes.

 

Interesting that it didn't regen for you. When I downshift in my h, I do get regen and can run the battery up to the top of the bars.

 

I'll have to try it a couple more times, the car is still fairly new to me, but I distinctly remember the charge bar did not max out until I applied the brake as well. The hills in my are a are rather short so opportunities to effectively use engine braking are few, so slowing down at off-ramps has been primarily where I've been noticing this behaviour.

 

I have my gauge cluster set to the Hybrid with regen and power bars.

I find that if I downshift using paldel shifters I regen much less than using the brakes pedal. Keep in mind that using the brakes pedal while regen is not maximized within that bar feels like the brake pads are not engaged. Once I push the pedal more and the bar is full then the brakes grab a bit.

 

Just keeping the engine running continues to add charge, instead of using only electric in the city. Easiest for me to see the 3 way picture of engine, wheel, and battery. The battery usually stays around the middle to 80% of the bars. I can get it to all bars with downshifting. So I get 3 more blocks on EV?😄 After I burned more gas to charge? 😄 it’s just a novelty.

 

That's not the battery state,it's the charge state. there's a "charge -> eco -> power" meter on the dash, not the power flow display on the entertainment display or on the left dash MFD.
The hybrid battery management should usually keep your hybrid battery charge state somewhere around 80% full, to give it a little space to absorb regen power, and reserve power for normal use. You shouldn't usually actively see that changing dramatically, it can only charge/drain so fast.

The charge-eco-power meter though changes dynamically, and if you just let off the throttle to "coast" you should see like 3 or 4 little "charge" bars show up. That should indicate a slow regen recharge.
Hitting the paddle shifters to slow down DOESN'T increase that very much, if any from what I've noticed. Meaning that the energy from slowing down is going to the ICE and turning into heat, rather than going back to the battery as regen.
Hitting the BRAKE lightly will increase that charge rate meter until it fills up........once that's full, the mechanical brakes will kick in for additional braking if you press the pedal harder.

So it's not a regen-adjustment paddle like in full EVs, it IS just an ICE 'downshift for additional engine braking' paddle. Not quite a novelty, and probably useful for those in more hilly/mountainous regions. The hills where I live it's better to just use the light braking and dump it to regen.

 

Oooh, sorry. Yes, the blue bars on the left side of the dash are the amount of (usable to driver) charge in the battery. I haven't used the center dash charge rate meter or the infotainment center since new. As you use EV, the battery goes down, and as your engine runs (against MG1), coasts, or regen brake, your battery goes up. Basic hybrid operation, and not just for Toyota. Quite simple really.