Less than 5K miles on my 2014 - can't find the answer in the manual. What does the car symbol in the minute-by-minute fuel consumption gauge indicate? IMG_4663.JPG
So the car symbol appears when there is more regenerative braking? Why would there be an entire "stack" of cars in a one minute column when driving on the highway? How is "regenerative" braking different than regular braking?
Your Prius has several braking systems and modes. For light braking, it uses Motor/Generator 2 to convert rotation back to electricity, then stores the regenerated electricity in the HV Battery. (this is about 30% efficient) If you need more braking, M/G2 can't keep up, and the friction brakes (all discs on your 2014) dissipate some of the energy as heat. If the battery 'fills' or you shift to B, some energy is dissipated by using the engine as an air pump. Both engine braking and friction braking are 0% efficient. If you panic stop (and under 7 MPH) all the braking is friction braking. Switching between modes can lead you to believe you 'lost' braking, as the pedal feel is not identical. Both regenerative braking and engine braking only use the front wheels in a Prius, friction braking uses all 4 wheels and your parking brake only uses the back wheels.
