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Also, have they sorted out the 12V battery management for this low use scenario? Our family has an older Hybrid Camry from around 2010 and it will destroy 12V
by saltcured 2y ago
Also, have they sorted out the 12V battery management for this low use scenario?
Our family has an older Hybrid Camry from around 2010 and it will destroy 12V batteries with too much local driving and parking. A typical regular ICE does better in the same conditions.
From the behavior, I assume it's because they only charged the 12V via a weak alternator when the ICE runs, rather than also keeping it charged via DC-DC conversion from the larger electric traction power system.
- CharlieDigital 2y agoThey haven't solved it. I just returned from a 21 day trip and my 12v was dead because I left the Prius off the charger. It's fine as long as it's on the charger (my guess is it trickle charges it), but if you leave it off the charger, the traction battery doesn't maintain the 12v.
- saltcured 2y agoThat's too bad. It shouldn't necessarily even need to charge the battery when parked, so much as have smarter battery management logic to get the car into lower power consumption states when parked and to more aggressively maintain the 12V charge when operating. We resorted to installing a big master cutoff switch on the negative battery terminal in the trunk of the Camry. So if there is no plan to use the car again in the next few days, we electrically isolate the battery. Then, we have to go through a longer "boot up" process to reactivate the car for its next use. Use the mechanical key to open the trunk, restore power, then enter the cabin and go through multiple cycles with the START button to let all the computers power back up...