The Five Stages of Prius Hybrid Operation

[usbseawolf2000]

You can try warming up first but it may not make a difference. I think the best approach is to drive gently in S1. Don't let the arrow from HV battery go to the wheels. You can use some HV power, especially if it is green. This is to prevent having to charge it back later.

Always park with your head out. This way, when you leave you will not have to reverse the car. Running ICE in reverse is not efficient so you want to avoid that.

[Corwyn]

Originally Posted by Spcalan1

or do I just let it run to warm up before going to work?

The energy needed to warm it up is the same regardless of whether you are traveling or not. You might as well be moving during that warm up time, just don't tax the engine too much.

[usbseawolf2000]

Originally Posted by Corwyn

You might as well be moving during that warm up time, just don't tax the engine too much.

In S1 warm up, the ICE runs with a special ignition timing - making very little power. During this time, the HV battery is used first for the additional power requests. This is why it is easy to drain the HV battery easily in S1.

If the HV battery can't provide the requested power, the ICE is used. This is bad in term of emission and efficiency.