Hybrid drivers should immediately give up this habit when parking.

Recently, a driver of a Toyota Yaris Cross HEV while waiting at a red light encountered a remarkable warning from the car's system. It is known that because the red light lasted up to 120 seconds, the driver shifted the gear lever from position D to N (neutral) and kept the foot brake on to wait.

However, when preparing to move, the dashboard suddenly displayed a warning: "Traction battery need to be protected. Refrain from the use of N Position". This made many users feel confused.

Accordingly, hybrid cars use two energy sources to operate: an internal combustion engine and a traction battery (hybrid battery). When the car is running, the internal combustion engine will rotate the generator to charge the battery, while the regenerative braking system helps recover energy and store it in the battery.

The hybrid battery supplies power to the electric motor, especially when the vehicle is starting, moving at low speeds or assisting in acceleration. This helps reduce dependence on the gasoline engine, so hybrid vehicles will save fuel and reduce emissions compared to conventional vehicles.

However, the habit of shifting to N when stopping for a long time is common in traditional gasoline cars, but this is not recommended by hybrid car manufacturers because it may not be suitable for this type of car.

Specifically, when the car is left in N for a certain period of time, the transmission system is disconnected and the car will not be able to charge the hybrid battery, even when the gasoline engine is still running. If this condition persists, the hybrid battery may be depleted, causing a warning on the dashboard or causing the car to be unable to continue operating.

On the other hand, when stopping for a long time in N position, the car has to restart with a low battery level, the gasoline engine will have to work harder to charge, leading to increased fuel consumption, going against the fuel saving goal of hybrid cars.

In addition, hybrid cars are designed to optimize the coordination between the gasoline engine and the electric motor. Therefore, when stopping at a red light or in a light traffic jam, you should leave the car in D and hold the brake, this will not harm the car.

At the same time, if you encounter a warning related to the N position as in the above case, hybrid car users should stay calm and act quickly to fix the problem. The above message will disappear when the driver needs to switch to P mode and restart the hybrid system. Absolutely do not continue to leave the car in N for too long, because it can adversely affect the hybrid battery.

Currently, most hybrid cars are equipped with an automatic brake hold feature (Auto Hold). When stopping at a red light, the user only needs to keep the car in D and activate Auto Hold, without having to shift to N. In case of having to stop for a long time without Auto Hold, the driver should shift to P and pull the handbrake, which is both safe and helps the legs rest.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nguoi-lai-xe-hybrid-nen-tu-bo-ngay-thoi-quen-nay-khi-dung-do-10299303.html