In message
T i m wrote:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2021 15:12:11 +0100, John Bryan
wrote:


[snip]

So what does it do when descending hills, assuming you approach the
top of one with a fully charged battery? Two questions really:

Does it 'coast' if you don't touch the brake like a car in neutral or
'hang' on the motor / transmission like one in gear but with you foot
off the throttle?

[snip]

The high voltage battery can never be fully charged under normal driving.

Understood.

It is only charged to 80% capacity and allowed to discharge to 40%, this
preserves the cells.

Understood.

The energy monitor inside the car normally has one bar left.

So it knows there is 40% left but inhibits you using it any further?

Yes and it then starts the petrol engine being a hybrid car.

So when descending a hill with a fully charged i.e. 80% battery, the
regenerative braking charges the battery to 100% filling the remaining bar
on the energy monitor regardless of the gearbox normal or the additional
braking mode.

Ah, 'additional', so am I right in thinking it would typically include
electrical / regenerative braking *and then* mechanical braking under
all circumstances? I believe Theo suggested that the mechanical
braking can come in quickly if you aren't gentle on the brake but I
wasn't sure if it *always* applied both or if there were instances
where you just had mechanical only (other than when it was 100%
charged etc)?

It takes quite a bit to fill this one bar and I have only seen it happen
once in the two years I have driven my Prius generation 3.

Nice long down hills where you had to apply some level of braking the
whole time?

The transmission never coasts it is always engaged going down a hill is
like a manual car with your foot off the throttle.

Understood.

I hope this answers your questions.

I'm getting a better feel for it all (thanks).

Actually, whilst watching (typically) taxi drivers dropping people off
when out walking the dog when it's quiet at night and being fascinated
by the 'silence' as these (typically Prius's) waft about, I have
suggested to the Mrs we see how much it would cost to hire one for a
day, when we have somewhere 'urban' to go?

I am familiar with pure EV's as I have had one for over 30 years, but
it's very basic (std mechanical brakes and no regen), not a hybrid and
it's those that interest me from these technical / usage POV.

Cheers, T i m


--
John Bryan