When heading down a moderate slope, am I better off gently breaking... or using that "b" gear? (I suppose the question is... does one of them generate more recharge for the battery)
There are already some extensive threads detailing how and when to use "B." Do a search for "Engine Braking" maybe. Long story short, only use it if your battery is fully charged and you have a long way downhill ahead of you.
Additionally, the gear will slow the car without using the friction brakes. So if you find yourself going down long hills a lot, you can either shift into mode or replace your pads more often.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Mar 10 2007, 10:12 AM) [snapback]403416[/snapback]</div> if your under 32km/h or 20mph using b mode will recover around 15-20 amps without using the engine to help you slow down, anything over those speeds and you'll be wasting energy. Just press a good firm press on the brake predal (17% value of braking) and you'll recover the most energy. http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/ look up his site for prius info.
