Want to get the very best out of your ground-breaking Toyota hybrid? We’ve gathered a number of hybrid driving hints and tips that will help you to get the best from the system, improving fuel consumption and getting you further for less.
Whichever Toyota hybrid you’ve set your heart on, the following tips and pointers should maximise the range and fuel economy of your Toyota.
The basics
It’s not just hybrids that benefit from the first seven tips – these will help to improve any car’s fuel efficiency:
- Clear out the boot! Keeping the boot free of unnecessary weight will give your car and immediate boost in performance and economy.
- Check your tyre pressures – dig out your owner’s manual, and do a weekly check to ensure that your tyres are correctly inflated in line with Toyota’s recommendation. Or read our handy tyre pressures article here.
- Think ahead – by planning your journeys, you can avoid traffic jams and minimise the likelihood of getting lost.
- Shut up! Closing the windows and sun roof at speeds above 45mph will reduce drag, reducing fuel consumption.
- Remove unused roof racks, boxes and bike racks – they’re a real drag too!
- Steady as she goes – maintain a steady speed and don’t go over the speed limit.
- Smoothly does it! Try to avoid sudden braking or acceleration.
Hybrid driving: hybrid-specific tips
Sorry everyone else, but these tips are for hybrids only:
- Become familiar with the hybrid information display so you can know how much energy is being used.
- EV does it! Keep the car in EV mode as much as possible by using the accelerator gently, pressing it lightly but consistently.
- Improve efficiency with ECO mode, which reduces aggressive throttle response.
- Harvest time – braking gently and early helps the regenerative braking harvest more energy, which means EV mode can operate for longer periods.
- Keep an eye on the dials and gauges to fully understand the hybrid system and manage the charge levels in the hybrid’s high-voltage battery.
- If you’re in stop-start traffic, don’t put the car in neutral (‘N’) when stationary, as electricity will not be generated and the hybrid battery will discharge.
- Consider using cruise control (where fitted) to maintain steady speeds.
- When using climate control, Re-circulate mode reduces energy usage.
- Think about the environment! Constant or heavy use of systems like air-con, lights and wipers will increase energy consumption.
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Hybrid driving: drive modes
Toyota hybrids have four drive modes: Normal, EV, Eco and Power. When you first start your hybrid, the car defaults to the ‘Normal’ drive mode, which automatically manages the most efficient use of both the engine and the battery.
Drivers can also select one of the car’s on-demand drive modes to achieve better fuel consumption in certain settings.
These drive modes are: EV Mode where the car is powered by the battery only during city driving, running near-silent and with no tailpipe emissions; Eco Mode that reduces A/C output and lessens throttle response to limit harsh acceleration; and Power Mode which boosts acceleration by using the hybrid battery to assist the petrol engine.
The shift lever offers four positions: R (Reverse), N (neutral), B (engine braking) and D (drive). For normal driving, D (drive) is absolutely fine, but should you need it, position B has the effect of engine-braking handy when descending a steep hill, for example. It’s not recommended to leave the car in position B for normal driving, mainly because you’d end up using more fuel than necessary!
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Hybrid driving: read the road ahead
Another great hybrid driving tip is to use the car’s battery whenever possible.
Another great hybrid driving tip is to use the car’s battery whenever possible. You can do this in town and urban driving by accelerating to your required speed, easing off the accelerator and then gently easing the accelerator on again. By doing this, you can activate EV mode – indicated by the dashboard light – which means that the engine has switched off and you are using the electric battery.
Try to maintain a constant speed and, as always, it’s important to read the road ahead. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of unnecessary braking and accelerating, using less fuel. Braking slowly and gently also maximises the amount of energy recovered by the regenerative braking system on the car.
Other factors to consider
Bear in mind that there are many factors that can affect a car’s performance, hybrid included. On cold days, your car will use more fuel as it warms up, but once it’s reached its optimum temperature, the MPG figures will increase.
Also, during the winter, you’re more likely to be using the air-conditioning, lights and wipers, all of which will use some electrical power from the battery. If you regularly travel the same route, don’t be surprised if you get better MPG figures during the summer than in the winter!
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If you’d like more hybrid driving tips or want to discuss your driving technique with other hybrid owners, it’s worth visiting the Hypermiler website.
As a final note, please remember that these hybrid driving tips are published as general guidance on how to get the best fuel economy from your Toyota hybrid. Toyota encourages and supports safe driving at all times – please adhere to the rules of the road.
Read more: Toyota hybrid – how does it work?
Hi Marlon. A hybrid will generally use EV mode automatically when pulling away, so it is something that can be engaged and disengaged by pressing the button whilst driving. Of course, EV mode will only work if there is enough charge in the battery and will only engage below around 30 mph depending on battery charge and driving conditions. Simply press the EV button to engage and disengage. Sharp acceleration will automatically disengage EV mode, so a feather-light right foot is needed. Do let us know if you have any more questions. Thanks.
Hi Chris
Thanks for your post.
It is true that any vehicle left for long periods will mean that the 12 volt battery will naturally discharge. Based on your circumstances trickle charging would prove to be the best option particularly as you are able to work from home and keep a careful eye. This would be the best way to maintain the battery throughout the winter period.
Hope this helps but any other questions please let us know.
Hi, Can you clarify the point about not selecting ‘N’ in start-stop traffic?
I collected my brand new yaris hybrid today 🙂 and it is my first time ever driving an automatic, let alone owning one, I did some research on how to drive an automatic but now I am confused.
I live in an inner city area so ALL my driving is start-stop and certainly feels like I spend most of my time stationary, rather than moving. But should I keep my foot on the brake the whole time instead? That would be really uncomfortable, really soon. Is there a rule of thumb? Going to be stationary for more than a minute, use N, or should it be 5 minutes? or use P instead? I can’t imagine leaving it in D with just the handbrake on would be safe?
Also, can I leave the car in EV mode and it will do its thing, turning on the petrol engine when needed? Or is it better to leave it in ECO mode? I’m looking for the best ‘set and forgot’ option as I don’t want to be fiddling all the time.
Sorry for all the questions!
Hi Elsie,
Thank you for your post. It is not good practice as the hybrid battery will not charge in ‘N’. Hope this helps.
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Hi Rozikhan. We’re not sure what you’re referring to. When you get an error, we advise the safest thing to do is visit your local Toyota dealer who can investigate what is happening. Thank you.
Hi Syed. Unfortunately, bigger wheels do affect the fuel consumption of a vehicle. We don’t know any details about where you drive, but the types of road you drive on can also affect fuel consumption. As you can see from these comments, fuel consumption can vary drastically according to the driver and conditions! We advise that, if you continue to be unhappy with your vehicle, you speak to our customer relations team via this link: po.st/PlQxub. Thank you.
Just got a new Yaris hybrid. On some journeys the electric motor produces a ‘whistling’ noise, on others it is silent. The journeys seem identical to me. Is there anything I can do to eliminate the noise? Someone has suggested that it is ‘overrun’. What is that and can it be avoided?
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your post. We would recommend visiting your local Toyota Dealer for them to perform a visual inspection.Many thanks.
I’ve been scanning the comments and am still unclear on the best approach at traffic lights.
If I leave the car in Drive: I have to apply the handbrake very firmly (such that it’s difficult to release) to stop the car from creeping (unless on an uphill slope).
If I use the foot brake: this goes against road safety advice to use the handbrake to prevent the car from lurching forward if shunted from behind. It can also dazzle the driver behind when dark. Someone above also mentioned pressure on hydraulic seals.
If I select Park (and this is what I tend to do the most): it feels like the most secure and efficient option on the whole, but takes longer to move away due to having to step on the foot brake and engage Drive again. Particularly annoying for short stops. Also, someone above mentioned the risk of damage to the drivetrain if shunted from behind whilst in Park.
Would you (Toyota) mind addressing those points for me? Thanks!
p.s. are there any circumstances in which you advise AGAINST using ‘B’ mode (engine braking)? Sometimes I engage it before descending a steep hill at moderate speed, and the engine note sounds like it’s racing away at high revs. I want to ensure I’m not causing any damage or premature wear…
Hi Chas,
Thanks for your post. Unfortunately, we are unable to advise you on this matter. We would suggest contacting your local dealer for some more information and assistance. Many thanks.
Hi Ella,
Thanks for your response. Whom do you suggest I speak to at my local dealership? I’m just not sure how technical the ‘front of house’ staff are, and for obvious reasons it’s rare that a mechanic is available to chat with. In past experience, the dealers seem more accustomed to dealing with problems rather than advising on best practice etc; this is the sort of thing I thought would surely come down to the manufacturer’s recommendations, as the designer must know best as to how the product is intended to be used.
In general, I’m a little unclear on the types of questions that can and can’t be addressed via this blog, as my questions both seem about on a par with others below that have received a substantive response, notably from David Crouch, but sometimes also Charlotte Mills and Will McManus, for example. If you could elaborate on the types of questions you’re willing to answer via the blog, and what sort of thing will always be referred to a dealer, it may help folk understand what is worth posting and what isn’t.
Best wishes,
Chas
Hi Chas,
Thanks for your query. Anyone in your local dealership should be able to advise you on this problem. If you mention what your query is regarding, they will find someone who can advise/assist you.
With regards to your other questions, we try to advise everyone to the highest of our ability in response to their issues. No question should not be asked and we will try and help in any circumstance. However, there will be times when our advice isn’t available or appropriate and with that we would have to refer you to your local dealer. Many thanks.
Hon Ella/Chas
I know more about my Prius than most of the staff at Jemca Toyota Enfield, except for some of the technicians .
I think you need to try this out yourself as a Toyota representative, and find out.
Thanks
Fardad
Hi Fardad,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry to hear that you feel this way. If you would like to contact our Customer Relations team regarding this to discuss the issues you experienced further, you can find their details as follows: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/
Thanks.