Brand new Toyota Auris Hybrid and a Toyota Aygo are parked opposite Acorn Gardens, behind the Co-op Superstore car park.
Easy to get there: 4 minutes walk from Bournville train station;- 2 minutes walk from Pershore Rd Co-op Superstore, buses 45, 47, 27, 38; 10 minutes walk from 11 bus stop at Fordhouse Lane/Pershore Rd; 5 minutes walk from 76 bus stop on Dogpool Lane/Pershore Rd.
Brand new Toyota Auris Hybrid is parked outside 50 Cartland Road, at the junction with Pineapple Road.
Easy to get there: 10 minutes walk from Bournville train station; - 1 minute walk from bus stop (Cartland Road/Pineapple Road), buses 27 and 827; 5 minute walk from Pershore Rd, 5 minute walk from Vicarage Rd.
White Toyota Aygo
Compact and zippy, easy to drive and park, low emissions.
Price category: Family
£4.75 per hour,
£9.50 overnight (8pm-8am)
£33.25 for 24 hours,
plus 18p per mile
Extras: There is an inflatable child booster seat in the boot. Other car seats are available on request for a small charge.
White Toyota Yaris Hybrid
Automatic, easy to drive and park, low emissions. Find more information on hybrid driving in the Co-wheels folder in the glove box.
Price category: Medium
£5.50 per hour,
£11 overnight (8pm-8am)
£38.50 for 24 hours,
plus 18p per mile
Extras: There is an inflatable child booster seat in the boot. Other car seats are available on request for a small charge.
1. Keep the car in EV mode as much as possible by using the accelerator gently, pressing it lightly but consistently.
2. Improve efficiency with ECO mode, which reduces aggressive throttle response.
3. Free energy: braking gently and early helps the regenerative braking harvest more energy, which means EV mode can operate for longer periods
4. If you’re in stop-start traffic, don’t put the car in neutral (‘N’) when stationary, as electricity will not be generated and the hybrid battery will discharge.
5. Consider using cruise control to maintain steady speeds.
6. When using climate control, re-circulate mode reduces energy usage.
7. Constant or heavy use of systems like air-con, lights and wipers will increase energy consumption.
Toyota hybrids have four drive modes: Normal, EV, ECO and Power. When you first start your hybrid, the car defaults to the ‘Normal’ drive mode, which automatically manages the most efficient use of both the engine and the battery. Drivers can also select one of the car’s on-demand drive modes to achieve better fuel consumption in certain settings.
These drive modes are:
EV Mode where the car is powered by the battery only during city driving, running near-silent and with no tailpipe emissions; ECO Mode that reduces A/C output and lessens throttle response to limit harsh acceleration
Power Mode: which boosts acceleration by using the hybrid battery to assist the petrol engine.
The shift lever has four positions: R (Reverse), N (neutral), B (engine braking) and D (drive). For normal driving, D (drive) is absolutely fine, but should you need it, position B has the effect of engine-braking, handy when descending a steep hill, for example. It’s not recommended to leave the car in position B for normal driving, mainly because you’d end up using more fuel than necessary!
Another great hybrid driving tip is to use the car’s battery whenever possible. You can do this in town and urban driving by accelerating to your required speed, easing off the accelerator and then gently easing the accelerator on again. By doing this, you can activate EV mode – indicated by the dashboard light – which means that the engine has switched off and you are using the electric battery.
Try to maintain a constant speed and read the road ahead. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of unnecessary braking and accelerating, using less fuel. Braking slowly and gently also maximises the amount of energy recovered by the regenerative braking system on the car.
1. Clear out the boot! Keeping the boot free of unnecessary weight will give your car and immediate boost in performance and economy.
2. Check your tyre pressures.
3. Think ahead – by planning your journeys, you can avoid traffic jams and minimise the likelihood of getting lost.
4. Closing the windows at speeds above 45mph will reduce drag, reducing fuel consumption.
6. Maintain a steady speed and try to avoid sudden braking or acceleration, this wastes an amazing amount of fuel and reduces pollution.