Constantly switching between N and D effect to drive train?

I always thought using N does not allow the battery to charge up which kicks the ice on to charge the battery and reduces the MPG

 

No, you are just switching electronics so no wear and tear. Just be sure you understand the pros and cons of switching to N.

 

As well as the speed and state of ICE when making the switch. Gaining speed on a descent with the ICE off could cause issues with MG overspeed.

 

While it is wildly unlikely that you are saving any gas by using N, the only unsafe part is that you are killing time looking at the shifter instead of the road.

N does not disengage any gears, everything is still rotating. N prevents regeneration, N forces the use of the friction brakes, N can run down the HV Battery. Under certain situations (coasting from below 40 to above 45 MPH) N can cause a motor to over speed in Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius. (As I understand it, in Gen 3, v, c, and Pip, this is moved to under 60 to over 65 MPH)

Toyota is required by Federal law to have an N gear, so it does. When moving forward, be in D, when stopped, be in P.

 

You can glide in D with the pedal depressed the right amount. Then you still have access to power without needing to shift first. There's really no reason to ever use N while driving.

 

This is somehow different from a non-hybrid car? I know in a standard car with the physical P/N/D shifter you feel a clunk, which makes me assume there is some physical wear and tear going on?

I often like to shift to N when at a stoplight (AFTER I've stopped), just to ease up on the amount of brake pressure I need to apply to stay stopped. Yea I'm lazy...

 

I virtually never use anything other than D. No N, almost no B. The one reason I can think of to use N: to purposely use the brake pads more, scrub off surface rust on the discs.

 

Totally different from non-hybrid vehicle. There are no gears to shift. Only electric motors and fixed planetary gears. Going to N only removes electric power to the motors.

Pretty poor reason for using N.

 

Yes there is if you have a PiP. If you're going down hill with a fully charged battery and you don't want the ICE to start you have to be in N. It costs some brake wear, your choice brakes or gas

 

That's what I use P for. The car doesn't try to move, and the engine comes ON as necessary to keep the HV battery charged.

 

The Prius never shifts gears, there are no gears to shift. You are really ALWAYS in D, to get R you rotate the Motor /Generator 2 backwards. To get N you do not let either M/G get any electrical power, P just locks the wheels from moving, and B adds engine braking, reducing efficiency.

There are very few reasons to ever be in N, none of them involve better gas mileage.

 

Why does the PiP use gas going down hill?
My GenII will spin up the engine (above 42MPH), but it doesn't use any gas.

 

The ICE doesn't "start"; it's spinning in B mode but not using gas, as Corwyn notes above. It's just pumping air to regulate the speed of the car.

 

Going downhill in drive, foot off gas pedal, the car charges the battery. If you use the brake it charges even more. However, if the battery is fully charged the ICE turns on to provide the braking (no gas) to not over charge the battery. However, once the ICE turns on it will run until the coolant is 130 degrees and that takes gas even if the trip could otherwise have been all EV.

 

True. If the battery is fully charged the ICE turns on to provide the braking (no gas) to not over charge the battery. However, once the ICE turns on it will run until the coolant is 130 degrees and that takes gas even if the trip could otherwise have been all EV. I make a 5 mile round trip every morning to the gym. If I forget to go into N part way down the hill the ICE goes on and some gas is used for the trip.

 

Are we talking hybrid or PIP or it does not matter ?

 

The -correct- answer to the OPs question is "it wears the "shift switch"."
BTW, in most places, putting the vehicle in "N" while moving is illegal. And I challenge you to convince the nice officer "N" isn't really "N". -If anyone ever noticed you doing it or bothered to stop you because you were.-
They don't even catch 99.999% of texters! They usually get caught by the vehicle in front (bang).

Don't use "N"! Just because Billy does doesn't mean you should! Remember what you mother told you!

 

And don't go over the speed limit, not 5 mph over, not 1 mph over.

 

At very low speeds/traffic jams, no regen is possible, and car crawls forward. To stop that, N is a better choice than D, wears less pads and drains less HV battery.