Recently, a Toyota Yaris Cross HEV driver while waiting for a red light encountered a notable warning from the car's system. It is known that due to the red light lasting up to 120 seconds, the driver changed the gear lever from position D to number N (forward number) and held the leg brake to wait.
However, when it was about to move, the dashboard suddenly displayed a warning: "Traction battery needs to be protected. Refrain from the use of N position", stands for "towing devices that need to be protected, avoid using the N position". This makes many users feel confused.
Accordingly, hybrid cars are allowed to use two sources of energy to operate: internal combustion engine and hybrid battery. When the vehicle is in operation, the internal combustion engine will turn the transmitter to charge the battery, while the regenerative brake system helps recover energy and store it in the battery.
Hybrid batteries provide power for the electric motor, especially when the vehicle starts, moves at low speed or supports the acceleration process. Thanks to that, it helps reduce dependence on gasoline engines, so hybrid cars will save fuel and reduce emissions compared to traditional cars.
However, the habit of switching to N when stopping for a long time is popular in traditional gasoline cars, but this is not recommended by hybrid car manufacturers because it may not be suitable for this car line.
Specifically, when the vehicle is left at N for a certain period of time, the transmission system is turned off and the vehicle will not be able to charge the hybrid battery, even when the gasoline engine is still on the engine. If this continues, the hybrid battery could run out, causing a warning on the dashboard or making it impossible for the car to continue operating.
On the other hand, when stopping for a long time at position N, the vehicle must re khoi dong with a low battery level, the gasoline engine will have to operate more to charge, leading to increased fuel consumption, going against the fuel-efficient goal of hybrid vehicles.
In addition, the hybrid vehicle is designed to optimize the coordination between the gasoline engine and the electric motor. Therefore, when stopping at a red light or causing light traffic jams, you should leave the vehicle at the No. D and hold the brakes, this will not harm the vehicle.
At the same time, if there are warnings related to the N location as in the above case, hybrid vehicle users should stay calm and act quickly to fix the problem. The above notification will disappear when the driver needs to switch to P mode and restart the hybrid system. Absolutely do not continue to leave the vehicle at N for too long, because it can negatively affect the hybrid battery.
Currently, most hybrid cars are equipped with automatic brake hold (Auto Hold). When stopping at a red light, users only need to keep the vehicle at D and activate Auto Hold, without having to switch to N. In case of having to stop for a long time without Auto Hold, the driver should switch to P and pull the handbrake, both safe and help the legs rest.
