Toyota has added ‘geo-fencing’ technology to the plug-in hybrid 220 version of the C-HR compact SUV.
The C-HR plug-in hybrid 220 (PHEV) gets 220hp from a combined 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 120kW electric motor, with a 13.6kWh rechargeable battery pack. On a full charge, that battery gives the C-HR PHEV 220 a WLTP range of up to 66km, but Toyota reckons that in urban stop-start driving, that range stretches to just over 100km (106km according to the WLTP test).
What’s the new efficiency tech, then?
To help with that, Toyota has fitted the C-HR PHEV with a new ‘Predictive Efficient Drive’ which constantly learns your driving style, and then mixes that knowledge with the route that it’s taking (it helps if you put in a sat-nav destination) to best juggle the combined petrol and electric power sources for the best efficiency.
What about geo-location?
The geo-location bit is that the Predictive Efficient Drive knows when there’s a low-emissions or zero-emissions zone on your route or at your destination, and so it will work out how best to save enough battery energy so that you can get in, through, and out of that zone on zero-emissions electric power. It does that automatically, so you can just set your destination and head off, not needing to worry about it.
Anything else?
There’s another layer to this, which is Predictive Deceleration Support, which - again, by learning your regular routes, automatically boosts the engine braking effect for the locations on your route where the system knows you need to slow down, therefore maximising the efficiency of the brake energy recuperation system. The obverse of that system is that the C-HR PHEV 220 also knows when there are steep hills on your route and again juggles the system so that you get maximum efficiency when you need to use the full power of the hybrid system for tackling big gradients.
The C-HR PHEV 220 also gets a clever battery management system, which ensures faster charging and incorporates a heat pump to minimise the battery drain when heating or cooling the cabin.