As I approach the end of the first months ownership of my 2008 Silver Touring Edition Package #2 Prius, I can say that I am quite impressed. I am getting about 47-50 mpg around town (I commute 20 miles each way to work). I have put about 850 miles on my car and have filled up twice so far. I still have 1/2 a tank left! I actually look foward to driving, as its so much fun to drive... A few concerns come to mind; Are there any repercussions for using the Brake mode to slow the car when I am approaching a red light? Sometimes when I do this to recover the kinetic energy, the battery symbol goes to green. What precautions would I have to take if I want to install my 2 way amatuer radio in the car? Has anyone done this and had any interference issues?
You should not have to use the "B" mode in normal driving; just pressing the brake pedal will engage the regenerative braking mode. (The "B" mode is more for extended downhill sessions, similar to downshifting in manual/automatic transmission to use compression/vacuum braking in order to save brake pad wear and heat fade). To put it differently, unless you're descending something like 1000ft (300m), don't bother with "B" mode. I don't have links handy, but I know that I've seen threads on this board about installing ham radio equipment. It seemed doable, and with proper external antenna installation, it shouldn't be an issue. Try searching the site for "ham" or "amateur radio" Good luck, t. (KC0IKZ, although I'm not active)
Tkil is correct regarding use of B mode. Taking it one step further, though: B mode actually wastes more energy than regenerative braking. See this for a detailed discussion.
I only use B mode when descending a hill I know will charge the battery to a point where the HSD dumps energy by spinning the engine at the bottom of the hill anyway. In other words I use B to dump energy I haven't got room to store. I use it once per day on a 1km 11% grade.
Thanks for the replys... So the B mode is using the pumping loop of the engine to reduce the speed, sort of like an Engine Brake on a Diesel Truck. This is good to know, because that would reduce the longevity of the engine. Its so hard to tell what is going on with the car, since is it so quiet and you dont hear the motor whine... As for the radio, I will look into this. Not too important at the moment, as I need to become more familiar with driving the car and its controls, the radio would just serve as a distraction at the moment
