glide without pedal but with going to "N"

Zildjian, I see where you are going with this and your concerns are valid. If you were coasting in N without being in "ready", there would be nowhere for that current to go that we are seeing being generated and you could run the risk of cooking things. As it is though, the current that is being generated and put into the pack in N is no different than the current being put into the pack while in D.

 

In any case, I will glide by pedal... N has not been designed for the situations we are discussing here, and I don't exactly know the side-effects of driving on N for, let's say, a couple of miles...

Don't you all think that if it was so easy as turn into an auto-N mode to save some fuel Toyota would have done it as an auto mode?. I know American roads are not like European ones... and maybe is easier in NA to deal with the transaxle than in the hilly roads near my place...

In any case, this thread is quite interesting to see how people are improving their efficiency, and those concerns on reducing fuel consumption makes me feel proud of joining this forum.

Regards,

 

There isn't any current being generated because the wires are effectively disconnected from the "Resistive load" (battery). No continuity = no current, and no electrical resistance braking.

 

Do you understand what I mean? Even forum usual users don't agree all the info related with this issue. Take care of your Prius and let's drive in the safest way...

 

If that is indeed the case, then "coasting" or "gliding" in N is no different than coasting in D. But the latter case provides regenerative electrical energy back to the battery, together with the braking effect from the back EMF that the traction motor generates when being driven by the slowing of the car.

I find the discussion in this thread quite confusing. I have assumed that when the Prius is shifted to the N position while moving (though a no-no according to the O/M), this position in effect isolates the traction motor acting as a generator, so no current flow to the battery occurs. This would be analogous to the neutral position in a regular car. From JimboK's data that is obviously not the case, and could not be anyway since the the permanent magnets in the traction motor will cause power generation to occur with current flow into (as a motor) or out of (as a generator) the windings. Or am I wrong assuming that?

So far I have yet to read a description of the real differences in electrical circuit set-up when the Prius is in shift position N versus its arrangement in position D.

Is regenerative braking possible when coasting in N?