TFLcar does the research, so that you don’t have to. In this case, we tricked Nathan Adlen into driving the 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid around the 1-mile test track in EV-only mode. Actually (it was no trick) Nathan graciously agreed to do it, until he realized that EV-only mode requires that you keep your speed under 25 MPH.
In order to get the most out it, you need to hit the “EV Mode” button, and gently accelerate. Monitor the power gauge on the left and make sure the needle stays to left of the green “ECO” line. If you ask for too much throttle, the car will bring the V6 engine on to provide more power.
The Highlander Hybrid is not a plug-in, so you cannot top off the batteries with juice from an outside source. We babied it on the way to track and tried to get as much charge into the battery as possible. Going down the hill and gently braking puts the energy back in. We got the battery nearly full of charge.
Nathan set off around our approximately 1-mile long test track in perfect isolation. No radio, no air conditioning, just the Highlander quietly swooshing away in all electric mode.
Watch to find out how far Toyota’s largest Hybrid go on electricity alone.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011.
