About The Rx400H - Lexus RX400h 2006 Emergency Response Manual

ABOUT THE RX400h

The RX400h sedan is the first 4WD petrol-electric
hybrid vehicle for Lexus in Australia. Hybrid
Synergy Drive means that the vehicle contains a
petrol engine and an electric motor for power. Two
energy sources are stored on board the vehicle:
1. Petrol stored in the fuel tank for the
petrol engine.
2. Electricity stored in a high voltage Hybrid
Vehicle (HV) battery pack for the electric motor.
The result of combining these two power sources is
improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.
The petrol engine also powers an electric generator
to recharge the battery pack; unlike a pure all
electric vehicle, the RX400h never needs to be
recharged from an external electric power source.
Depending on the driving conditions one or both
sources are used to power the vehicle.
The following illustration demonstrates how the
RX400h operates in various driving modes.
❶
During light acceleration at low speeds, the
vehicle is powered by the electric motor.
The petrol engine is shut off.
❷
During normal driving, the vehicle is powered
mainly by the petrol engine. The petrol engine
also powers the generator to recharge the
battery pack.
❸
During full acceleration, such as climbing a hill,
both the petrol engine and the electric motor
power the vehicle.
❹
During deceleration, such as when braking, the
vehicle regenerates the kinetic energy from the
rear wheels to produce electricity that recharges
the battery pack.
❺
While the vehicle is stopped, the petrol engine
and electric motor are off, however the vehicle
remains on and operational.
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