Featured Toyota cars will now turn themselves off if you forget

In the Model 3, "dog mode" keeps climate on until the SOC declines to 20%. Plugged-in, it runs all night. Perhaps the Prius needs something similar?

Bob Wilson

 

Not only camping, where we leave the engine on for heat / AC / fan ventilation, but it will also kill powering other things, such as your home during a power outage, or using an inverter, such as I do, to cook rice in a rice cooker, or to run a small microwave while camping. When cooking rice, which takes 20 minutes, I lock the doors with the emergency key, and go do something else. When using the microwave, I leave the car running but I'm not in it, but at a picnic table cooking. I never leave the fob in the car. Too easy to steal then.

 

confusing, one would think dog mode would be the opposite of ludicrous mode

 

<AHEM>I am the dog.

BARK, BARK, ‘A Choo.

Bob Wilson

 

Been there - done that.

But it was my Mum - she didn't want to go into the shops on a hot day, was exhausted, left her locked in with the Climate running. She had decided not to go in, was going to put the windows down - when I told her I can leave the A/C on, she was delighted. Asked for a repeat a few times. Did it briefly with the dog once.

 

How often does dog and chill mode get confused?

 

chill mode should be a/c full blast for hauling ice cream in august

 

Woody Allen, Sleeper ?

 

I'm thinking the beatles song : I am the walrus.

I am the egg man
They are the egg men
I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob

But in my mind, combining dog mode and ludicrous mode should be Mog Mode.

 

Congrat's to Toyota! .... mimicking a 1/2 decade old Tesla

let not anyone's shorts get bunched up over the humor ... the same tongue in cheek humor got tossed out to the Caddie, when they started advertising & bragging about key-less ignition, years after the 2004 Prius 1st had it.
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It would be more confusing if there was a Chili Dog mode, for cooking

Mike

 

That's on the Rivian.

 

This would be a major bummer. Any chance the car will sense an occupant and not turn itself off?

 

That is one heck of a truck.

 

The article says the car will be shut down after a predetermined time. Predetermined by the owner or Toyota?

 

yep ... or pets / kids / elderly. There are other manufacturers already that have taken these factors into account, allowing you to either have the features on or off. Regardless how you have it set, there will be occasions when you want to change the modes, too. The better ½ always liked having the model X front doors in "auto open" mode. But working in the garage, it got to be an annoyance - trying to walk by the side of the car, only to have your path blocked - because the stinking door would open right in front of you.

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I'm not against either of these features.
I think the benefits of safety far outweigh and very specific potential drawbacks.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning and deaths have happened when some people have accidentally left their vehicles running.

I once watched from across a parking lot as a guy got out of his pick-up, forgot or didn't have it in gear or set the parking brake, and I hopelessly watched as his vehicle rolled casually but detrimentally towards my vehicle. It resulted in a dent and an insurance claim.

So I can't be against these two measures.

 

I've seen the same happen. If he was in a PRIUS - open the door and it puts it into "P", so won't roll.

 

the manufacturers are quickly dummying down drivers' cars so that even if you are so stupid as to get out of a car while in 'drive' - the sensors will pick up the car rolling & stop before it hits the back of the garage, or a person, or another car in the parking lot. Isn't it great, no driver responsibility anymore, just sue the manufacturer for not making safety tech standards ever higher & greater.
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What's "stupid" is a design that allows this, requires you to always be on your toes. And maybe uses a bandage solution: warning chimes.

An example of a "smart" ploy: say you want to make sure to take something along, when leaving the house. If you prop it against the door beforehand, you will remember it. Similarly:

Cars with physical keys and shifters used to make these "stupid" actions less common. You couldn't lock car without the key, and you couldn't get the key out of the steering column without shifting to park. Not bullet-proof, but all these cues went a long way to preventing screw-ups. Smart design.