3 Awesome Ways On How To Charge Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery At Home

Last updated on December 7th, 2022 at 04:52 am

How To Charge Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery At Home: Have you wondered what happens when hybrid runs out of charge? Or how do you charge a Prius hybrid battery at home? Is it even possible to charge Prius hybrid battery at home, or must it be with a regular outlet? Then this is the post for you as we will discuss some of the following topics: How do you charge a hybrid Prius? How much does it cost to charge your Prius at home?  What happens when a Prius hybrid battery dies? Can you charge a Prius hybrid with a regular outlet? And can you charge a hybrid battery at home Etc? 

Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery overview:

Contemporarily, Prius’s long-lasting leading brand from Toyota is known to be the hybrid industry’s gold standard as regards overall/battery efficiency, safety assurance, and reliability to fuel economy. Although, the first and second generations of the Toyota Prius model had a 1.5liter fuel engine and 12-volt battery that powers the electric motor. As the Toyota Prius developed, the vehicle became classy due to technological advancements, and it began to use a 1.3 kWh NiMH battery pack after 2012.

Similarly, the Prius has 2 types of hybrid batteries: the onboard generator (primary battery) and the auxiliary battery for regenerative braking. In essence, the Prius engine serves as the power generator that recharges the battery to enhance the regenerative braking using the kinetic energy acquired by the moving vehicle and converting this energy into the battery’s stored energy as it requires manual charging. The second battery is the 12-volt battery that helps to start the Prius. These modifications to Prius made all its models robust and eco-friendly, with a low emission rate and the same fuel efficiency.

Nevertheless, as a Prius driver or owner, if you are wondering how to keep your Toyota Prius hybrid battery charged or your Prius hybrid vehicle wouldn’t start due to discharged battery, in any case. This informative guide will examine, explicate and proffer solutions to these typical issues and questions, such as how do you charge a Prius hybrid battery at home, how can I charge my hybrid battery at home, what happens when a Prius hybrid battery dies, what happens when a hybrid runs out of charge, and more.

Can you charge a hybrid battery at home

Yes, you can charge a Prius hybrid battery at home by using the normal Prius hybrid battery charger (PHEV cables) and plugging the charger into any 120-volt household-style outlet you have at home. Although this charging method might not be the fastest way to charge hybrid car battery but will get the job done. Alternatively, to speed up the home charging a little, you can install a 240-volt fast charger station in your garage or space you deem fit. Although this comes at an additional cost it is well worth it for faster charging at home. 

Can You Charge A Dead Prius Hybrid Battery?

Yes, of course, you can charge a dead battery of your Prius hybrid.

It is vital to know that you don’t charge the main battery in non-plug-in models of the Prius hybrid. Notwithstanding, the auxiliary battery is designed to start the Prius, so you only jumpstart the smaller battery if it is dead. Conversely, if you have a plug-in Prius, you would charge the main battery by simply using the plug-in charger.

Essentially, hybrid batteries don’t last forever; they die after 8 to 10 years or at a mileage of 80,000 to 100,000 miles of usage, whichever comes first. Perchance it might be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. If anything converse against that, you are responsible for the cost of replacing a new battery if it comes to that point.

Also, watch this video here. See the steps:

How Can I Charge My Hybrid Battery At Home?

Although hybrid vehicles are energy friendly as they rely on gasoline engines and electric power to run, they are economical since they don’t solely depend on fossil fuels. So, your hybrid electric running on electric requires the battery to be recharged periodically and at necessary intervals. So far, if you own a hybrid vehicle, you can charge your hybrid battery conveniently at home. The steps I have outlined in the above section in this post would be vital to achieving that, especially if your vehicle is a plug-in hybrid.

What Happens When A Prius Hybrid Battery Dies?

It is indispensable that a Prius hybrid has two, the hybrid battery and the smaller battery, which powers your hybrid’s electronics. Peradventure, the smaller battery dies, and there is no cause for alarm as you would still drive your vehicle. Conversely, if the hybrid battery dies, you would face a more complex situation in that you might not drive your car as it won’t start or would you operate it. Replacement with a refurbished hybrid battery would be the best option. So, it is necessary to check for these signs of a dying hybrid battery before it completely dies.

Here you have them!

• Strange noise from the engine.
• A battery having complex difficulty of holding charge.
• Drop in fuel efficiency or getting worse mileage per gallon of gasoline.
• The internal combustion engine often kicks in.
• Odd electrical fluctuation.
• Clunky driving conditions.

How Do You Charge A Prius Hybrid Battery At Home?

Without much talk, let me show you how to charge Toyota Prius hybrid battery at home as you thoroughly study the procedures below!

• Get your Prius hybrid battery charger from the trunk.
• Plug the charger end into an electric outlet.
• Open the charging port opposite the side of your Prius vehicle gasoline tank.
• Connect the charger to the charging port, as you will feel a click once the cable is open.
• Press the trigger on the back of the charger to ensure charging. Although, a green light should illuminate at the bottom of the charging panel, indicating charging.
• It would be best if you allow it for 2 to 3 hours for a complete charge. However, if the outlet to which you connected your vehicle’s charger is 120 volts, your battery would charge for 2 hours 30 minutes if drained entirely to 100%. 

Note: To reduce the charging time at home, contemplate upgrading a 9-level 2 charger setup.

• If the battery is 100%, press the small button as you disconnect and replace your charging cable into the trunk as you close the charging port cap and the charging panel.

How Do You Charge A Hybrid Prius?

The Prius models have two battery systems- the primary battery that powers the engine and the auxiliary 12-volt battery responsible for starting your vehicle. Although, the auxiliary battery charges itself using the regenerative braking pattern, which can drain out if you leave your vehicle’s lights on.

So far, if your hybrid Prius requires charging or won’t start, without much ado, charging is done in 2 ways: using the jumpstarting method and a battery charger (plug-in charger). Nonetheless, I would explore the jumpstart method in this section; if your vehicle won’t start, then the auxiliary battery is to be charged.

Let’s get started with the simple steps below!

• Open your vehicle’s hood or trunk to access the 12-volt battery. If your car is 2012 or older, the battery is under the floor mat in the trunk, but if it is a newer model, pop the hood and pull off the smaller battery’s black covering towards the high-voltage battery.
• Connect the positive traditional jumper cable to the positive part/terminal on your vehicle’s engine. Although doing the jumpstart, you would need another hybrid vehicle or a remote battery charger.
• Attach the other end of the red cable (+) to another vehicle with a 12-volt battery or battery charger. Perchance you’re using a remote charger, ensure to fix the free end of the red wire (+) to the positive port. If you use another vehicle, attach the remaining red cable or wire to the positive terminal on the battery.
• Connect the black wire (-) to the battery charger or the other running vehicle’s negative terminal.
• Ground your connection by connecting the remaining negative cable to unpainted or bare metal on your vehicle to prevent an open circuit which might cause a spark as you begin charging.
• You should wait 5 minutes as you turn the other vehicle and continuously rev the engine. If you use the remote battery charger, press the power button to start charging.

Note: If your remote battery charger has selective amperage settings, select 2 amps and 12 volts, not more or less, to avoid damage to the circuit.

• To start your hybrid Prius, put your foot on the brake as you press the push-to-start button. Then on seeing theready light illuminated on the dashboard, perchance your 12-volt battery is on, and you’re good to go. Peradventure, the ready doesn’t glow, or nothing happens; charge for about 5 minutes more and try again.
• Detach your connections in a reverse order starting from the negative cables on the Prius vehicle and the other from the car. In like manner, do the same to the positive wires.
• Drive your Prius for 10 to 25 minutes to charge the battery since the 12-volt auxiliary battery charges itself when you drive and through the conversion of kinetic (motion) energy to electrical energy to enable the 12-volt battery to power.

How Long Can A Prius Sit Before The Battery Dies?

The period you would comfortably sit your Prius before the battery dies is about 3 to 4 weeks if your Prius is with the Smart Key System (SKS), but if it is without SKS, it could last on sitting or unused for at most, 4 to 6 weeks. Nevertheless, it could die more often when you don’t avoid parasitic drains as regards the failure to put off all electrical components in your vehicle.

Let’s look at other conditions that might propel your Prius battery to die faster when you sit it.

• Extreme weather conditions (hot or freezing weather)
• Faulty alternator
• Lousy electrical wiring.

What Happens When A Hybrid Runs Out Of Charge?

Since a hybrid uses batteries to power the gasoline engine (internal combustion engine) ICE, and the electric motor, if it runs out of charge, your vehicle runs out of electrical power as the battery is nearly depleting, automatically your Prius hybrid switches the system to the ICE. This process allows you to drive until you get a station or outlet to charge the battery again.

How Much Does It Cost To Charge Your Prius At Home?

Since the Prius hybrid is capable of traveling for more than 550 miles on a full gasoline tank which is approximately 11.3 gallons, and a complete charge of 8.8kWh battery.Although, charging your Prius hybrid at home based on the electrical standard would cost $0.12 per kWh. By math, you would spend over $1 (0.12 x 8.8 = 1.06) for a complete charge. Perchance you want a partial charge from the nearest charging station or your home; you can have your cost as you multiply $0.12 by any kWh unit.

Can You Charge A Prius Hybrid With A Regular Outlet?

Of course, you can charge your Prius hybrid with a regular outlet. However, charging the Prius hybrid at home or any station is similar to charging your phones and laptops. You would need to plug the charger cord into a regular outlet, which would take about 2 to 3 hours to charge completely. Although, if you tend to charge faster, you must upgrade your level 2 home charger.

Conclusion 

My final words on how to charge Toyota Prius hybrid battery at home are this. If the Toyota Prius hybrid battery dies, you can conveniently charge it at the station or at your home using the jumpstart method (for a dead battery) or the plug-in method. 

Perchance, I have given detailed procedures on the earlier-mentioned methods of charging your Toyota Prius hybrid battery. 

Ensure to follow the guidelines for the successful operation of your vehicle, and keep your Prius sit for a more extended period to avoid parasitic drain or discharge of your hybrid battery. Do like and share this educative guide with others!

Investing your money in a Toyota Prius is a great feeling you will not regret. The reasons have been that the battery is a vital part of the mechanics of any hybrid vehicle, and the Prius is no exception. The batteries make the power required for complete available operation, allow fuel economy, and enhance low emissions. In essence, the entire system of your Prius is around supplying regenerative energy from the braking system and converting kinetic energy to electrical power to the battery.

Related: How Much Does A Battery Weigh In Grams?

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