Fuel consumption bar and line graph

Is this a new-to-you car or a new-to-you behavior?

Not having ever changed my PiP to metric, I can't say for sure. But I'd guess that your bar graph is pegged (as I would expect) but the indicator by the speedometer is just shut off since you're in EV. My PiP in English measurements, always showed the same for both. In EV, the indicator would be pegged at 100 mpg just like on the bar chart.

 

it actually means infinity, because km/l doesn't make sense for electric driving, so they show the max the bar has capacity for.

 

So, in one case, infinity is shown by max reading and in the other it's shown by zero?

 

good point. now i'll have to look. i haven't in years.

 

you're right jerry, when you're moving, they're both pegged at 100mpg, and only when you come to a stop does the mpg gauge go to zero, and the bar graph remains so it looks like the picture above, not in metric.
was the pic taken while driving?

 

Well the speedo says 105 km/h so they must be driving.

@pokenoprius seeing as you're in NZ, is this car a used Japanese import? Maybe whoever did the English firmware conversion goofed up the instantaneous fuel consumption bar, and it's actually showing l/100km (like metric European models would) and not km/l? The bar would essentially be inverted, so no fuel being used would show 0, and if you're flooring it while climbing a hill it would be near the top (10 l/100km).

As you see the "km/l" next to it are discrete segments on the VFD with no alternatives, so models which normally show different units (l/100km or MPG) have totally different VFD units installed. So it could potentially be misconfigured during the language conversion, but it has no way of physically telling you that it's not showing km/l.

My car's a UK import so shows MPG (imperial gallons, so different again!), and only goes to 0 when stopped. I would imagine km/l should work the same way as it's a measurement of fuel economy in the same way, not fuel consumption like l/100km.

 

JDM models would also be badged "Prius PHV", and not "Prius Plug-in Hybrid". Sounds like yours is a Japanese import anyway.

The manual I have is the same for Aus/NZ models (some sections are specific for those markets), it doesn't have anything specific about units - the images of the instrument cluster show l/100km. The speedometer can be changed between MPH and km/h using a button where fitted (mine has this, as is common with UK spec cars with digital speedos), but there is no way of changing the trip computer or fuel consumption units, or change the language from Japanese on JDM models without modification of the firmware. This is often done on an unofficial basis by independent importers, but I don't know what Toyota NZ's process is. Over here, main dealers do not import used cars from Japan, and generally want nothing to do with them.

 

Your PiP is a demonstrator for sure, the cars brought in by Toyota, refurbished at the Thames factory, and sold as Signature class, display L/100km, not km/L.
Your display shows a speed of 105kph, so despite being in EV mode, the engine is running as in HV mode with the speed above 85kph.
Your interval fuel consumption display, being in K/L, shows that you accelerated for 4 minutes, then coasted for 4 minutes, hence the low bars between minutes 8-4 (heavy consumption), followed by the most recent high bars (light consumption).
Your instantaneous fuel consumption gauge when the photo was taken, reflects you were coasting, hence in temporary EV as part of HV mode (no revs so no consumption).

 

You can set the charge timer to finish after your departure time. That way the battery won't be clear full when you start down the hill. It'll take some experimentation to find the best time, but it will save a little on the electric bill.

 

If your hill climb wasn't swallowing up most of your charge, it would be swallowing lots of petrol - the car need so much energy to get to the top, and it doesn't matter whether it is from a wall charge or from the fuel tank. Getting a big EV range number just means you are coasting a lot, and you would use very little petrol if you used HV mode instead over the same route. The Prius will optimise your economy regardless; you will not get better economy by trying to maximise your EV range result. FORGET the number!
What you should do:
-Always fully wall charge because Kiwi petrol is much dearer than domestic electricity
-Use up your EV range ASAP because if regen occurs when the battery is full, the car wastes the energy by spinning the motor (without petrol)
-If your engine is starting cold under load before the top of your big hill, then I would warm it up briefly as soon as you exit your driveway, then return to EV mode when you start your climb.

 

But if it's a refurbished JDM car, wouldn't the EV mode speed limit be 100 km/h? That would 108 km/h indicated with my car (15" wheels), though I don't know if the speedo calibration is different on JDM cars. Or did they modify it to match Euro/Aus/NZ domestic models with the 85 km/h limit?

 

I'm not sure on requirements in NZ, but speedos in the EU are essentially designed to over-read as that is more acceptable than under-reading. Tyre wear, incorrect inflation, or fitting different size tyres/wheels can affect the reading, and the car manufacturers don't want to be held accountable for any speeding.

If you want an accurate speedometer, use the GPS on your phone. Mine's over-reading by about 8%.

 

@pokenoprius your car was a demonstrator, and your dash illustrations show it is different to the Thames factory conversions, so I don't see that the Toyota advertising you reference, necessarily applies to your PiP.
It DOES apply to mine, but the supplied manual states 85kph; it appears to be, or based on a UK manual, so a little confusion. I'm pretty sure I have run mine over 85kph in EV.
Your speedo illustration showed 105 so you were in HV regardless.
The speedo can be very optimistic - mine at 100 has GPS about 93. However, the 1 kilometre pegs check just north of the Bombay hill climb heading south, has my trip and odo readings just about spot on, so different sized tyres would throw that out. As @QuantumFireball suggests, rely on GPS..

 

It won't turn off EV mode when you go over the limit, it's just the ICE will engage and if looking at the HSI bar the "EV" indicator will turn off.

If the speedo is calibrated the same way, that's still under 100 km/h. 85 km/h is the EV speed limit on mine, and that corresponds to about 92 km/h indicated. Occasionally it will stay in EV-only up to 93-94 km/h because... reasons.[/user]