Toyota Prius: Behind the Wheel Blog
Reversing the Prius -- be alert, not alarmed!Toyota Prius i-Tech
Read our Toyota Prius news report here.
The trip meter has ticked over 500km today and the tank is actually showing more than a third remaining -- it's more like 40 to 45 per cent. At this rate, Prudence in theory, could cover at least 800km before needing a refill.
The split window in the tailgate has filmed up with the back-wash spray of road grime, obscuring the view astern slightly. Oh well, it's great when it's clean, but you can't help the weather.
If there's one feature fitted to Prudence we would 'quietly' ditch, it's the reversing alarm, which sounds inside the cabin when reverse gear is engaged. It isn't an acoustic guide to keep the driver appraised of the proximity of objects to the rear. Nor does it warn pedestrians at the rear of the car that the Prius is reversing. And lastly, one presumes that the driver would know that the car is in reverse without having an incessant beeping tone annoying the #@!& out of him or her.
Tried the 'EV' mode on Rathmines Road today. Rathmines is the continuation of Canterbury Road before you reach Liddiard Street. It's mostly flat or downhill, so it seemed like a logical place to try the electric-only mode. When activated by pressing the appropriate button on the centre console, the EV mode prevents the Prius from using the petrol engine at all. However, once the speed rises above 30km/h (which happens pretty quickly on a downhill grade), the car automatically disables EV mode -- presumably on the basis that you really want the power that's only available with the petrol engine running for safety purposes.
It's kind of curious though. Toyota advises that even in normal mode, the Prius will run on battery power only, at speeds up to 50km/h. In our experience, on a downhill run, the petrol engine will remain off at speeds as high as 65km/h. So there are occasions when the car is travelling at speeds well above the 30km/h cut-off for electric-only drive and the petrol engine doesn't run. From EV mode, the Prius will shift back to normal mode at a speed around 45km/h, but it would make sense for the EV mode's upper limit to be extended higher in the Australian context -- and probably on LA freeways as well.
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