Question about best practice

Your situation is exactly what the EV button is designed for. Use it while you are in the neighborhood, both when leaving and returning, and turn it off otherwise.

 

:welcome: Welcome to PriusChat, lmp!
I don't think your European Prius has the hot coolant storage thermos bottle, I think that it, and the notorious fuel bladder, are North American affectations. But you do get 4-wheel disk brakes, which we don't.

 

So, Evan, you're saying that for the average driver it's better not to use the EV button at all? I here define "average driver" as "someone who is not going to bother to find out what S4 is". I'm not trying to be confrontational.

 

Re: aussie version

bill, so does the aussie version come with any of the stuff mentioned above?

and also, is the water source of the rear wiper coming from the same tank as the front wiper spray?

 

Re: aussie version

I should think you'd be in a better position to answer than I. I do know that there is only one washer reservoir.

One thing I noticed about the Prius I saw in Melbourne a couple of years ago is that the plastic lens covering the headlamps is a bit more angular than the NA version, though still smoothly rounded.

And you have the marker lights below the Hybrid badge on the front fenders.

 

hmm, i'll go have a look, thanks!

 

Evan is quite correct about the use of the EV switch.
I would not use it leaving the neighborhood in the morning when the car is cold.
I would use it coming back in.

Anything that depletes battery state-of-charge (SOC) significantly is very bad from an efficientcy stand point.
Use of the ev switch will do that.
Plus, It's best to let the ICE warm up before you really get it on the road, because the Prius will try to reduce engine load if you don't, by favoring electric assist and deplete your battery. (Or, possible worse, if you push it too hard, you'll induce rapid ICE opporation when its cold.)
That will result in huge opportunity cost in glide and stealth operation down the road until it can recharge. Very inefficient. Those who really understand how this car works and how to get the most out of it realize this.

When the ICE is cold, the ev switch should only be used if there is no intention of actually driving the car, like driveway or parking lot reposition.
If you intend on driving, don't use it until the ICE is warmed up and then only for very short duration. Again you don't want to intentionally deplete SOC too low, because it will cost you later. Example, 1/4 mile or so of forced EV will cost you MILES of opportunity cost in lost glide, stealth and warp stealth possibilities. Not a good trade-off.

There is a tremendous temptation to use the Ev switch when you first get in the car, cold. Don't fall for it. Most of the time it's a bad idea.
Use ev on the road to link glide opportunites, where the incline/pedal load demand is too high to allow basic stealth opporation for that brief moment. Use it to move forward in traffic for that obvious shot distance to the next stop, especially if the needed rate of acceleration would prevent basic stealth movement. (EV swich allows more demand/pedal lattitude without starting the ICE.) That's where it's really useful.
Use it during a glide at lower speeds to crest that hill that would induce opporation, unit you can get to the other side and glide again.

 

Thanks for the clarifications. Using EV on the way out will harm fuel efficiency. The original poster may still want to use it while operating in the neighborhood to minimize noise or emissions while driving there.