Help calm my nerves with this issue

While the ICE itself can be shutdown down, the overall HSD system cannot be shut down. It must be in 'Ready' in order to disengage the transaxle's Park position.

 

Assuming the Prius is not in N, the ICE will automatically start if the speed of MG1 reaches its high limit. This is why the ICE is always in motion when gliding at higher speeds.

Tom

 

If only they could make the c as a manual. I am going to miss driving mine when I switch . I think that automatic transmissions have made drivers lazier and less adept (if your car is accelerating out of control, shift to neutral or turn it off people!). And if Google's driver-less cars start hitting the road en mass, people will probably start to not even know how to drive (though I've seen examples already). I'm sure there are loads of technical reasons why a manual hybrid would not work, but here's for hoping . They are so fun to drive!

Ive even heard of example where car thieves didn't steal a certain vehicle because they couldn't drive a manual (though with mine they need only look at the mileage ).

 

I can hardly wait. Think about how much different a driverless car would be. First off there would be no need to have forward facing seats. The front seats could face the rear and all the people in the car could face each other.

Children could operate a voice controlled car and no one would need a lincense to drive. It would be more like riding a bus or a train than driving.

No need for red lights at intersections, cars could "weave" around each other

Also parking is different because the car could be it's own valet. It would drop you at the destination then go "who knows where" to park. You go for a walk then the car picks you up.

car sharing would be very easy and attractive.

Cities would look different because parking lots would not need to be so close to buildings, they could be hidden away.

Eventually the only place you would be allowed to drive yourself would be in a special "car park" or track. Like the way four-wheelling" is done now, they have special areas set aside.

The only question is "when?" Will it be 25, 50 or 100 years?

Yes, in 100 years about as many people will know how to drive as today ride horses. Both horse and cars will be around for a while as a kind of hobby. As technolgy moves one old skills disappear. For example how many people today could use a computer as they existed befor the first Apple Mac? Or could use a non-automatic camera

 

That was a nice thing with the original Honda hybrids, they also had a choice of manual transmission.

That choice seems to have returned with Honda CRZ Hybrid. Have you checked it out?

 

I switched from a manual without regrets, but then I was never obsessed with them and in stop-start traffic they are a downright pain, especially on uphills and especially when you are surrounded by autos s-l-o-w-l-y creeping or pouncing half a car length at a time.

Of course now I get my own back at those autos... in EV mode the Prius thinks nothing of an excruciating crawl that averages out the antics of the car in front while being a pain for the car behind.

 

Wow, so it does. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. As Rob.au mentioned, the one thing that I wont miss as much from driving a manual is stop and go (or stopping on hills at intersections, parking lots, etc.). Thankfully here in Bismarck, there is no such thing as stop and go traffic (but when and if I move, ill probably grumble).

Completely agree. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have driver-less cars. The fact that they have them even now givers me hope to see them in 20 years or so (after all computers went from the size of a room to a PC in a short period of time). They would be efficient and fast modes of transportation (though easy to use mass transit is still much more efficient, something that is severely lacking in the US).

However the fact that people would actually be "forced" to interact with each other while driving would go against the social trends that I see. Its difficult enough to talk to the youth of this generation without texting them or posting something on their social network. Just think about those kids all grown up (increasingly with some that will take alot of doing).

 

I also like manual transmissions, but with HSD it's not possible. The HSD in the Prius is not an automatic in the normal sense - there is nothing to shift, automatically or otherwise. The whole power split dual path concept eliminates gear shifting.

Tom

 

I suspect there is nothing wrong with the car. I have just driven 975 miles from NC to LA and in between there were flats and hills up and down and not once did it vary off of the cruise control set speed of 68. I see people that pass me often and then next thing I know they are behind me again .... the cruise works and maybe it was an optical illusion and you were going up hill at the time. I have found that if I am doing the driving versus the cruise, I don't do as well as the computer ... just my thoughts .... and gee no swearing ...

 

Keep in mind the cruise control uses the regen brakes when it needs them. One thing that hasn't clearly be answered in this thread is was the OP fully releasing the pedal - which generates some regen brakes - or were they pushing back down a bit to glide?

Did you ever get a chance to do this?

 

They put the car in neutral, which would be essentially the same as pressing the pedal to glide. So the regen wasn't the issue. I still maintain the hill just wasn't steep enough to keep the momentum in this light car.

 

Ah yes, sorry I didn't see that right at the end of the OP. I agree. I agree - either hill was not steep enough of there is something wrong with the vehicle. Mine's like a rollercoaster down a hill... it will barely accelerate when there's not much slope, but once that hill takes off, awaaaaaaaay it goes. It was initially quite unexpected when I first transitioned from my old Corolla.

 

I have to agree with Rob... if it's just a wee downward incline, the car will either maintain speed or slowly decelerate. I have yet to drive mine on anything that could rightly be called an actual hill.