2018 Plug-in Driving Mode?

[TGL]

Hello,

Just taken delivery of a Prius Plug-in 2018 model, and would like to know what the different driving modes mean in terms of use or electric versus petrol?  I have looked at the car manual, and although I am technical, it really isn't clear.

Any input appreciated.

[FROSTYBALLS]

If you have just taken delivery, the year, which refers to the date of first registration, is 2017.

[16_Auris_HSD]

Typically model years change in July/August, so he would have taken delivery of MY2018.

[Devon Aygo]

Not on a Plug-in, there are no changes for Model year 2018 so it remains a MY17 conventional Prius is a MY16 and is just switching to a MY18 as there are changes coming. 

In the UK/EU we tend to keep the MY designation as the launch of that type and only rename when a significant alteration has occurred usually of a technical, apperence or legislative nature requiring new model numbers to differentiate model types whereas the US however seems to change the MY designation every year often based on the slightest specification altering.

As examples:

Aygo is still considered MY14 as although trims have changed there have been no technical alterations

MK3 Yaris has gone through MY11, MY13, MY15 and is currently MY17

Conventional Prius is MY16 Switching to MY18 with new colours, Trim etc but it is the first car for Toyota in the UK that now uses the new EU WLTC fuel/emissions testing regime and as a result its official fuel economy & emissions are altered affecting its taxation and therefore requires official distinction as a MY18 model rather than an altered MY16.  As yet Plugin has not been altered so it retains its MY17 title.

Currently the following Toyota models are transitioning to MY18

Landcruiser - Receiving internal and external facelift

Prius + - No details on changes yet

Rav4 - New trim levels, specs and deletion of diesel 

Auris - New trim levels, specs and deletion of 1.33 petrol, 1.4d4d & 1.6d4d engines

[TGL]

I agree it's registered as 2017, but the MODEL is 2018. I know this, because unexpectedly the dealer called me to confirm the change. There is a slight change to the design, and the Toyota dealer wanted me to be sure that it was ok.

[Devon Aygo]

3 hours ago, TGL said:

Hello,

Just taken delivery of a Prius Plug-in 2018 model, and would like to know what the different driving modes mean in terms of use or electric versus petrol?  I have looked at the car manual, and although I am technical, it really isn't clear.

Any input appreciated.

Try: 

 Note the UK Plugin is called Prime in other markets

[TGL]

Thank you for the video. Sadly the video doesn't really help, because it talks about EV Auto that doesn't exist on UK models. Also, it talks about 25 miles in EV, and yet my wife and I both get 35+ miles (we both have new plug-ins).

[Devon Aygo]

4 minutes ago, TGL said:

I agree it's registered as 2017, but the MODEL is 2018. I know this, because unexpectedly the dealer called me to confirm the change. There is a slight change to the design, and the Toyota dealer wanted me to be sure that it was ok.

I think your dealer may have confused the MY changes happening to conventional Prius as anyone ordering a Conventional model that is no longer available will have their order switched to a MY18 which will have consequences for some as the official fuel economy has been reduced and emissions increased due to the new WLTC testing regime, potentially affecting company car taxation and resulting in no version of the conventional MY18 Prius being exempt from London congestion charge.

[Devon Aygo]

The buttons are just named 

1 minute ago, Devon Aygo said:

I think your dealer may have confused the MY changes happening to conventional Prius as anyone ordering a Conventional model that is no longer available will have their order switched to a MY18 which will have consequences for some as the official fuel economy has been reduced and emissions increased due to the new WLTC testing regime, potentially affecting company car taxation and resulting in no version of the conventional MY18 Prius being exempt from London congestion charge.

The buttons are named differently but have the same function and the US testing regime gives a different official Battery range

[ecps]

I have had my Prius plug-in for 3 or 4 weeks now and I understand your confusion about the modes. As I understand it:

HV mode is like a "normal" hybrid. The petrol engine and electric motor are both used and the Battery charge is kept roughly constant with the charge being used and replenished as needed. It is the mode of choice for longer journeys and higher speeds.

EV mode is like a "normal" electric vehicle. The petrol engine is not used unless it is absolutely needed for rapid acceleration or steep gradients. At higher speeds (out of town) the battery charge drops quite rapidly (nowhere near 30 miles when fully charged - more like 20) but is much more efficient when in slower moving traffic.

EV City mode is supposed to be a more frugal EV mode. The power output is reduced with the intention of extending the range. I hardly notice the drop in power but, similarly, I do not find that the range is increased significantly. It is designed for pottering around town and will not work if the Cruise Control is set.

Charge mode (longer press on the EV/HV button) will charge the Battery to 80% from the petrol engine while the car is going along - but the mpg suffers.

If I am going on a journey of 30 miles or under (I only charge at home) I use the EV mode. If I am going on a longer journey I will use HV mode until I get into a built up area (30mph limit) when I will switch to EV mode but revert to HV when the road clears. In a traffic jam I use EV City mode.  As far as Eco/Power/Normal drive modes are concerned they mainly seem to affect the responsiveness of the accelerator and I have not found the need to use anything other than Normal.

Hope this helps.

 

[TGL]

23 minutes ago, Devon Aygo said:

I think your dealer may have confused the MY changes happening to conventional Prius as anyone ordering a Conventional model that is no longer available will have their order switched to a MY18 which will have consequences for some as the official fuel economy has been reduced and emissions increased due to the new WLTC testing regime, potentially affecting company car taxation and resulting in no version of the conventional MY18 Prius being exempt from London congestion charge.

I don't think he was confused at all, because the 2017 Chrome pack no longer fits the 2018 model. He even showed me both the 2018 model and the 2017 one. The body has differences in styling. I can also confirm that my car is NOT exempt from the London congestion charge, as the emissions have changed. Incidentally my car tax has also gone up a level.

[TGL]

17 minutes ago, ecps said:

I have had my Prius plug-in for 3 or 4 weeks now and I understand your confusion about the modes. As I understand it:

HV mode is like a "normal" hybrid. The petrol engine and electric motor are both used and the battery charge is kept roughly constant with the charge being used and replenished as needed. It is the mode of choice for longer journeys and higher speeds.

EV mode is like a "normal" electric vehicle. The petrol engine is not used unless it is absolutely needed for rapid acceleration or steep gradients. At higher speeds (out of town) the battery charge drops quite rapidly (nowhere near 30 miles when fully charged - more like 20) but is much more efficient when in slower moving traffic.

EV City mode is supposed to be a more frugal EV mode. The power output is reduced with the intention of extending the range. I hardly notice the drop in power but, similarly, I do not find that the range is increased significantly. It is designed for pottering around town and will not work if the Cruise Control is set.

Charge mode (longer press on the EV/HV button) will charge the battery to 80% from the petrol engine while the car is going along - but the mpg suffers.

If I am going on a journey of 30 miles or under (I only charge at home) I use the EV mode. If I am going on a longer journey I will use HV mode until I get into a built up area (30mph limit) when I will switch to EV mode but revert to HV when the road clears. In a traffic jam I use EV City mode.  As far as Eco/Power/Normal drive modes are concerned they mainly seem to affect the responsiveness of the accelerator and I have not found the need to use anything other than Normal.

Hope this helps.

 

That's really helpful. Thank you. Just what I wanted to hear. I must admit I suspected through trial and error that the modes operated in this way, so it's good to add your input to my experiences.

Thanks!

[Devon Aygo]

Well I'll confess to being confused then as all the changes you listed have just been announced for Conventional Prius not Plugin?

Just out of curiosity we aren't confusing a late 2017 Registered MK3 Plugin with a MK4 Plugin, as Toyota have not listed any Styling changes for either Plugin or conventional Prius also all the updated info for MY18 Conventional Prius clearly states that only the Plugin will retain the Congestion charge exemption?

[16_Auris_HSD]

1 hour ago, Devon Aygo said:

Not on a Plug-in, there are no changes for Model year 2018 so it remains a MY17 conventional Prius is a MY16 and is just switching to a MY18 as there are changes coming. 

In the UK/EU we tend to keep the MY designation as the launch of that type and only rename when a significant alteration has occurred usually of a technical, apperence or legislative nature requiring new model numbers to differentiate model types whereas the US however seems to change the MY designation every year often based on the slightest specification altering.

As examples:

Aygo is still considered MY14 as although trims have changed there have been no technical alterations

MK3 Yaris has gone through MY11, MY13, MY15 and is currently MY17

Conventional Prius is MY16 Switching to MY18 with new colours, Trim etc but it is the first car for Toyota in the UK that now uses the new EU WLTC fuel/emissions testing regime and as a result its official fuel economy & emissions are altered affecting its taxation and therefore requires official distinction as a MY18 model rather than an altered MY16.  As yet Plugin has not been altered so it retains its MY17 title.

Currently the following Toyota models are transitioning to MY18

Landcruiser - Receiving internal and external facelift

Prius + - No details on changes yet

Rav4 - New trim levels, specs and deletion of diesel 

Auris - New trim levels, specs and deletion of 1.33 petrol, 1.4d4d & 1.6d4d engines

In the part of UK/EU I'm in we've always been referring to MY aka model year as the production year the model was made in not when it was launched/facelifted. Manufacturers do it globally since in most instances MY changes almost always bring slight tweaks and new improvements (or as is the case with some French manufacturers, cost cutting) which helps identify which parts go with which car. These changes are in most cases not publicised since they are irrelevant to general public, unless they are on larger scale.

[Heidfirst]

1 hour ago, 16_Auris_HSD said:

In the part of UK/EU I'm in we've always been referring to MY aka model year as the production year the model was made in not when it was launched/facelifted.

My last Avensis was one of the first "facelift" T27s, built in Autumn 2011 but was a MY2012 (as that was when the facelift was officially available/launched - my car was registered 03/01/2012) ...

[Harters]

I notice that in the US their top '4 Touring' model is getting the large portrait screen from their 'Prime' plugin so I wonder if this will be coming to us too?

[TGL]

3 minutes ago, Harters said:

I notice that in the US their top '4 Touring' model is getting the large portrait screen from their 'Prime' plugin so I wonder if this will be coming to us too?

I wondered that too. It would be nice to get the equivalent of their 'Prime' app as well. You can review all sorts of technical data, but sadly we don't get that here. There is a third-party app available on the Apple Store, but I wouldn't trust it with my new plug-in.

[TGL]

8 hours ago, Devon Aygo said:

Well I'll confess to being confused then as all the changes you listed have just been announced for Conventional Prius not Plugin?

Just out of curiosity we aren't confusing a late 2017 Registered MK3 Plugin with a MK4 Plugin, as Toyota have not listed any Styling changes for either Plugin or conventional Prius also all the updated info for MY18 Conventional Prius clearly states that only the Plugin will retain the Congestion charge exemption?

I very much doubt it, because why would the dealer tell me it was the 2018 model? The 2017 Chrome pack fits all 2017 models. The design has definitely changed around the front lighting array which is where the problem is with fitting a 2017 pack to a 2018 car. In fact, the 2018 Chrome pack only comes out early next year, so the dealer refunded my the money for that and suggested he notify me when the newer chrome pack arrives in the UK.

[QuantumFireball]

11 hours ago, ecps said:

I have had my Prius plug-in for 3 or 4 weeks now and I understand your confusion about the modes. As I understand it:

HV mode is like a "normal" hybrid. The petrol engine and electric motor are both used and the battery charge is kept roughly constant with the charge being used and replenished as needed. It is the mode of choice for longer journeys and higher speeds.

EV mode is like a "normal" electric vehicle. The petrol engine is not used unless it is absolutely needed for rapid acceleration or steep gradients. At higher speeds (out of town) the battery charge drops quite rapidly (nowhere near 30 miles when fully charged - more like 20) but is much more efficient when in slower moving traffic.

EV City mode is supposed to be a more frugal EV mode. The power output is reduced with the intention of extending the range. I hardly notice the drop in power but, similarly, I do not find that the range is increased significantly. It is designed for pottering around town and will not work if the Cruise Control is set.

This sounds pretty much the same as the modes in the first generation Plug-in (except we don't have Charge mode). For "EV City" mode it's more for restricting ICE usage as much as possible - I don't think it's necessarily designed to increase range. I can't say for sure with the current model but in mine you pretty much have to floor it for the ICE to engage. I think it's intended for areas with restrictions on emissions, but I don't know if these places really exist (yet).

I would do the same regarding long journeys - I use EV mode for low speed areas (50-60 km/h or 30-40 MPH), and HV for anything higher than that.

[Devon Aygo]

On 20/11/2017 at 8:27 AM, TGL said:

I very much doubt it, because why would the dealer tell me it was the 2018 model? The 2017 Chrome pack fits all 2017 models. The design has definitely changed around the front lighting array which is where the problem is with fitting a 2017 pack to a 2018 car. In fact, the 2018 Chrome pack only comes out early next year, so the dealer refunded my the money for that and suggested he notify me when the newer chrome pack arrives in the UK.

Even more confused Toyota don't offer a chrome pack on the Plugin only the conventional model. can you PM me your registration or vin number ?

[FROSTYBALLS]

On 19/11/2017 at 10:34 PM, TGL said:

I agree it's registered as 2017, but the MODEL is 2018.

Profiles show 'Toyota Year' which refers to the year of first registration, not 'Toyota Model Year'. Using the model year makes it far harder for members to comment on warranty queries, etc.

So please change it to the year of first registration - or I will.

[johalareewi]

22 hours ago, Devon Aygo said:

Even more confused Toyota don't offer a chrome pack on the Plugin only the conventional model.

Doesn't the gen2 PIP have a slightly different body shape to the gen4 Prius?  Unlike the gen1 PIP and gen3 Prius (facelifted).

[PeteB]

1 hour ago, johalareewi said:

Doesn't the gen2 PIP have a slightly different body shape to the gen4 Prius?  Unlike the gen1 PIP and gen3 Prius (facelifted).

From what I can see, only the rear lights, headlights and rear window (a double bubble type affair which precludes the fitting of a rear wiper) are physically different outside, plus the missing centre rear seat inside.

[Devon Aygo]

34 minutes ago, PeteB said:

From what I can see, only the rear lights, headlights and rear window (a double bubble type affair which precludes the fitting of a rear wiper) are physically different outside, plus the missing centre rear seat inside.

Plus it is longer at 4645 mm for the Plugin over 4540 mm for the Conventional, also the tailgate ( carbon fibre ), front & rear bumpers plus a load of technical variation under the skin.

I'm still confused by this thread as all the items mentioned by the OP suggest a Conventional Prius not a Plugin:

1. MY2018 Changes, having spoken to TGB they confirm there are no changes to the Plugin only the Conventional Prius

2. Congestion charge, Plugin and MY17 Prius will retain exemption only the MY18 Conventional Prius looses it

3. Chrome pack Toyota do not / have not offered a Chrome pack for Current Plugin only the Conventional model

[TGL]

On ‎22‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 12:17 AM, FROSTYBALLS said:

Profiles show 'Toyota Year' which refers to the year of first registration, not 'Toyota Model Year'. Using the model year makes it far harder for members to comment on warranty queries, etc.

So please change it to the year of first registration - or I will.

Thanks. I just went into my profile, and it shows 'Toyota Year' as '2017', so I'm guessing you already changed it on my behalf(?)