Question about comment in PRIUS Manual

What HE ↑ said...'because electrons can 'change direction' at the speed of light while geared transmission has to contend with inertia (wink,wink).

 

I switched to ECO mode after about 3 weeks of driving in "normal" mode. It took a while to get used to, but I really prefer it now as it makes the pedal less sensitive at lower speeds and thus easier to maximize the glide portion of P&G.

The downside for me was when I tried to drive another vehicle after having only driven the Prius in ECO mode for several weeks. I had gotten quite used to the amount of pedal force needed to moderately accelerate the Prius and found that same amount of force will apparently leave 3ft of rubber while reversing out of my driveway in the wife's Murano. The kids now refer to our vehicles as "Daddy's Blue Car" and "Mommy's race car".

 

What are the mechanical differences to gliding vs shifting into N?

 

Gliding is using the accelerator enough to negate regenerative braking. You are very much "coasting" as you would be if you could roll in Neutral, but the drive systems remain engaged and will return on a moment's notice if you let up on the pedal or press harder. This is much safer than overriding the car's design and trying to roll any distance in Neutral.

Shifting into N could do the same thing, but it is disengaging anything involving the drive system and potentially unsafe...about as smart as turning off the car when going downhill to save electricity. Both ideas, I think, have been circumvented in later designs of the Prius to prevent liability issues on Toyota WHEN some moron gets hurt from doing something the manual clearly tells you is unsafe.

 

Shifting into "N" has the same effect as pushing in the clutch on a manual transmission car. Shifting between "N" and "D" can be done at any speed.

Shifting into "N" is the safest, fastest, first step in an "unintended acceleration." For example, if a carpet or other object jam the accelerator, shifting into "N" means the power steering and brakes will still work and the car will be perfectly controllable. It is a good safety drill.

Bob Wilson

 

Except that it is a purely electrical disconnect (removing the fields on the motors), not mechanical. People fearful of a 'ghost in the machine' will still find an excuse to be fearful of a computer glitch.

That said, ...

That is why I occasionally practice it. When I experienced an "unintended acceleration" first hand, under extreme fatigue, a clutch was sufficient to immediately terminate the event without damage. Another reflex from the pre-ABS days was also sufficient, but that one isn't taught anymore.