most of this is hearsay from internet forums. some of it only applies to certain Prius models (I have a 2010 Prius II).
B mode (engine braking)
P mode (park)
braking
- it's ok to ride the brakes, that is, to apply a steady amount of braking for a long period of time (http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-fuel-economy/34877-engine-braking-high-speed.html#post453008)
- the Prius has both normal brakes and regenerative brakes (regenerative braking means the electric engine is used to brake, gaining electricity from the lost kinetic energy). the normal brakes are only used below 7 MPH and when braking heavily
- don't worry about wearing out the regenerative brakes from overuse (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080418073154AA9qI4X)
- if you are skidding on ice, keep the accelerator pedal pressed firmly down; you have ABS (anti-lock brakes)
- the "max" level of regenerative braking that gives you more battery charge is apparently the same as the max level beyond which the friction brakes are turned on. i don't think you can tell what it is without special equipment, though; i suspect that when the charging indicatior on the display is maxed out, that actually more braking is still charging even more.
- there is still substantial energy loss when braking, so from the point of view of efficiency it's still much better not to accelerate at all than it is to accelerate and then break (of course, you have to accelerate to drive the car, i'm not saying you shouldn't)
gliding
if you just take your foot off of both the accelerator and the brake, the system applies a little bit of regenerative braking. to actually glide, press the accelerator down a tiny bit, so that all arrows disappear from the car cartoon display. i'm not sure if gliding is good or bad for efficiency.
gas
- don't run out of gas; it's apparently very bad for the car. Apparently, if you do run out of gas while under warrenty, you can call toyota and they will send someone to give you enough to get to a station! (http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-advice.htm)
locking and unlocking
- you can auto-unlock the driver's side door just by trying to open it with the key in your pocket
- you can lock the car by touching the driver's side door handle on those markings, with the key in your pocket
- you can customize the car to auto-lock when you shift into gear, and/or auto-lock when you exceed a certain speed, and/or to auto-unlock when you shift into park, and/or to auto-unlock when you open the driver's door within 10 seconds of shifting into park. see the manual.
- it is suggested to always lock the car when you leave it, because then the car will warn you if a door, or the hatch, is ajar (which could drain the battery)
misc
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