What if you DON'T charge your Prius Plug-In and continue to use it?

It's a good sign when owners ask questions about non-issues. That means the technology is attracting newbies who simply don't the background to figure out the answers, but are aware that battery-pack is equivalent to the power-supply found in other plug-in devices.

The system in the plug-in Prius protects itself. It won't allow you to exceed the charge limits, since a primary benefit of the gas engine is to ensure longevity of the battery-pack. So, even if you aren't able to recharge for a very long time, there's no harm done. It will continue to age, since all chemical-based batteries will anyway, just not as fast as when you charge & discharge the usable capacity on a regular basis.

When you do find yourself in the position of not being able to recharge, it's best to allow the system to deplete all the EV range and just drive around with only HV capacity. Don't attempt to preserve any of the plug-supplied electricity. Driving it around as a regular hybrid in the meantime is fine.

 

Actually, you don't even need to worry about that. When you shut off the car and start it the next time it will automatically go into EV mode and try and use up those miles for you.
Just drive it.

Mike

 

There aren't two batteries in the Plug-in, just one bigger LiOn one. When the charge drops under a certain level, the Plugin commutes from EV-mode to HV-mode, showing the charge as a conventional Prius, and like a conventional Prius the SOC never goes to zero.

 

Amazing this thread is two pages when the OP's answer is one word: nothing.

 

On my commute (60 mi/RT) I get a little over 50MPGe on HV only, and around 67MPGe if I use EV strategically.

I am not sure why one would spend extra for the PHEV if they weren't going to use the extra battery capacity regularly. I'm not sure the HOV sticker makes it that much of a big deal (have you been in the HOV lanes at rush hour on a California freeway recently?)

 

what o/p?

some rave about the hov, some agree with you. maybe it depends on your commute. agreed, unless you live in a place where you can't plug in, but hoped to move, i can't see any reason to buy one. it's slightly better, but not worth the extra thousand bucks or so. and you lose your spare tyre.

 

California is in serious jeopardy of losing federal funding because of the lack of speed differential between HOV lanes and regular freeway lanes.

(Green-stickered vehicles include PiPs)

Our HOV lanes are so slow they break federal laws - The Orange County Register

"Carpool lanes are so clogged in California, the state could lose federal funding and approval for projects if it doesn’t fix the problem.

Under federal law, carpool lane drivers in California must be able to go an average of 45 miles per hour or faster during peak hours. Additionally, over a six-month period, traffic has to go that fast 90 percent of the time. Caltrans explains that means the lane’s average speed can drop below 45 no more than two days a month."

"Despite the slowdowns, the California State Legislature in September upped the number of solo drivers who can enter the carpool lane, increasing the cap on green-stickered vehicles that can enter the carpool lane with one driver to 70,000 from 55,000.

Under federal law, the state has until February to speed up its 759 miles of slow carpool lanes. The feds offer four solutions: increase the occupancy requirement, increase tolls on HOT lanes, kick out clean-air vehicles with solo drivers or build more lanes."

Just an explanation - not meant to be a thread hijack…

 

they must see air quality as more important than federal mandates. hey it worked for marijuana.

 

No, they see their political career as more important than federal funding, and likely have slimy side deals with those that stand to gain from such ridiculous legislation that allows certain expensive cars to access high occupancy lanes.

If people were concerned with air quality and fuel conservation, they would reserve lanes of travel for the least efficient vehicles such as big rigs, so that those drivers aren't forced to stop and go as frequently. HOV lanes are a stupid idea, not only wasting tax payer money, but not actually conserving any resources. Fortunately those lanes will die some far day in the future when cars are driving themselves and traffic isn't so bad due to the irrational (emotional) behavior of human drivers.

 

The Orange County Register hates government and especially hates environmental laws and regulations. The paper does have one noble purpose: it makes a fine liner for the bottom of my bird's cage.

 

Orange County is a conservative/Republican island in the Democratic Southern California area.

 

I charged less then 30 times during last 20,000 miles.
No problem so far.

 

With global warming, the surrounding liberal waters are lapping up against the Orange Curtain.

 

no need to charge your pip if you can't/don't want to.