Glide button

There are some posts discussing the different ways to engage EV mode. How about a switch to engage glide mode? I'm not sure if the accelerator pedal is connected to a digital device or a simpler device like a potentiometer, but would it be possible for the car to think that the accelerator was being pressed slightly (to engage glide)? A side effect might be an increase in the level of simulated automatic transmission creap, which might in turn increase the electrical current when the car is stationary.

It's not a switch that I would desire to install, but some people have complained about the simulated engine drag when coasting.

Attention Toyota Design Team: I won't need a new Prius for a few more years, but I hope that when I do, it might have driver selective programing so that I can switch between Normal Economy and Enhanced Economy (I resisted using the terms "Economy and Performance" because I would never expect the Prius to be a Sports Sedan). I wouldn't mind a reduction in acceleration for normal driving if it would enhance the fuel efficiency. However, getting onto the highway or passing another car on a two-lane road, it would be nice to have a button for a little added power. It would be similar to my old Honda where I had to disengage the A/C temporarily so that I could accelerate.

 

You're probably right about the general public, it was just an idea.

I remember a post about a previous SAAB owner, and how he missed the free-wheeling of his former car. When I let my parents drive my Prius, my Mom commented that it felt like something was dragging all the time. It seems that their Buick doesn't have the engine drag of most cars. When I explained why the drag was there, she was OK with it, and was only concerned that the parking brake was on, or that one of the tires was low.