Simply select ‘E-Power’ from the menu on the
vehicle’s panoramic 12.3in display to see how
far you can travel ‘fossil-free’. Then, when the
battery’s charge is ‘spent’, the Cayenne will
cross over to Hybrid Auto and the rev counter
will spring to life.
In this mode it will still allow you to harvest energy
to replenish the battery on downhill grades that
can be expended later. You can see how this is
going via the info display on the round dial to the
right of the instrument console.
Another way to view this is through the ‘Energy
Flow’ view on the central info panel that graphically
shows the battery charge remaining when you
select ‘Hybrid’.
Alternatively, if you know you’re going to need
internal combustion power from start-up, select
the Sport mode and you’ll get pure petrol power,
supplemented with whatever charge is left in the
100kW battery, or Sport Plus if you need even
more to surge onto a sandy beach.
In Sport mode, the battery is charged just as
much as is required for a new boost. In Sport
Plus mode, the battery is recharged as quickly as
possible.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The net result is that even towing a large boat,
caravan, or trailer, you will use less fossil fuel
with the Cayenne E-Hybrid than you would with
an equivalent petrol-only SUV of the same tow
rating. And you’ll save more when you unhitch at
your holiday destination.
Given the E-Hybrid’s towing ability, 0-100km/h
in 5 seconds capability, and its offroad ability, I
predict a lot of weekend and travelling fun ahead
for those able to afford one.
I can’t wait for Toyota’s EV HiLux to make guilt-
free weekends even more affordable, though!
Around town without a trailer hitched and fully
charged-up, you should be able to commute
to and from work, guilt and emission free, for
0.0L/100km.
If you take off at the weekend with a van in
tow, this won’t be possible, but as in the
Hybrid Auto mode, the Cayenne can actually
read the road ahead via its navigation
system, calculating when best to
employ electricity or V6 power for the
entire trip. This allows the system to
maximising range and efficiency,
with the battery cutting in and out,
as required.
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