New to me 2017 Prius Prime

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by PHEVisthefuture, Apr 26, 2026 at 8:02 AM.

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  1. PHEVisthefuture

    PHEVisthefuture New Member

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    Location:
    Illinois
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Just purchased a new (to me) 2017 Prius Prime and loving it so far! Even with a 1 hour commute to work and 1 hour back, with no charging, I’m averaging 80.5 MPG!

    This car is fun to drive (and I’ve had some fun cars and trucks) and perfect for a long distance road trip for 4.

    Since I’m new to Toyota’s design philosophy - Previous PHEV was a 2012 Volt Premium - does the Prime charge the 12V battery from the HV battery when parked and ignition on?

    Reason being, my old Volt was great for live sound, power for your booth at an art fair, or DJing for up to 5-6 hours with an inverter. Just hook it up to the 12V, leave the car in “Ready” with all accessories (radio, fan, and headlights) off, and it would power a decent sized booth or DJ set for hours.

    Would doing the same on the Prius Prime leave me with a dead 12V battery? Or do I have to have the wheels moving for the HV battery to charge the 12V battery?

    Below is a pic of my Prius charging, what a great car!

    Alex
     

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    #1 PHEVisthefuture, Apr 26, 2026 at 8:02 AM
    bisco likes this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    congrats and welcome!

    yes, as long as the car is 'ready', it's charging the 12 volt from the hybrid battery through the inverter.
    when the hybrid battery gets too low, the engine will come on and off to keep it at a minimal state of charge.

    all the best!
     
    #2 bisco, Apr 26, 2026 at 2:06 PM
    PHEVisthefuture likes this.
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