I use the B setting when I want to slow down, but don't want someone behind me to see brake lights being applied. i.e. highway patrol

 

You jerk that baby in B at highway speeds?????????????Just may be picking up the power divider off the pavement one day lol.

 

Because of the CVT, I don’t think there is a problem putting the car into B-mode at highway speeds. You are not asking the transmission to engage into a different gear like a standard transmission. In fact, page 163 of the owners manual talks about using engine braking at high speeds, and nowhere does it say “not recommended” or when not to shift into B-mode (i.e. do not shift into B-mode if traveling at more than 50mph)



During high speed driving you may feel that engine braking is less effective than that of conventional vehicle.



Although I think that last word is a typo and was supposed to be “braking”.

 

I am curious whether there really is a thermos-like storage bottle for the warm coolant in the TCH. I had read elsewhere that the TCH does NOT have this feature like the Prius has.

 

Growing up in MD, I always used the lower gears during the winter, like 2 and 1, and so will probably be using B in the winter here in Columbus when it's snowy and slippery. The boyfriend's dad was convinced that "B" stood for battery mode too. Hahaha.

 

I use the "B" setting when I want to slow down quite frequently. I have a one mile downhill drive from my house, it saves the brakes since the momentum builds in that situation. I waited a few weeks before I was brave enough to try. I also use it when exiting the freeway as well. Love my TCH.

 

it saves the brakes

I thought we all determined unless it was a panic stop you don't save the brakes until you get below 12 mph. When you apply the "brakes" in the TCH you are actually encountering resistance from the generator to slow down and thus charging the battery. That's what it's all about - free energy.

The hydraulic brakes (brake pad wear) are not typically involved in most gradual slowing procedures.

 

You just may be right. If it is omitted, something sure gets the engine up to operating temperature mighty fast. It takes about a city block for the temp gage to get to about 9:00 o'clock.
I do NOT hear a pump running as I did in the Prius after startup and after shutdown.
J

 

By using B, am I actually recovering any energy at all? The most knowledgable sales rep we spoke with said it recovers more energy than braking. I've always used engine braking to slow my other cars down and save on the pads, so it's a hard habit to break. I don't want to keep down shifting if the brakes are more beneficial.

I can hear a whirrring sound when I press the brakes. Are the pads actually being used first during the light steady braking or is something else happening?

 

I'm not sure how long a city block is, but I can be 1 mile from my house on the way to work around 9:00am, come to a full stop at a red light and watch the MPG meter peg itself at 0 MPG while no energy transfer is shown on any of the "Energy" screens. It drives me crazy to see that happen! My entire commute to work is only 3 miles so those seconds spent at 0 MPG really hurt my overall gas mileage.