Yep 80/20 Skipping to question 4: Because it powers the "Traction" Motors. First heard that term when I worked for a company that supplied parts for Diesel Locomotives. Also Google is your friend: Traction motor - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No, the "full" green is actually 83% capacity. The "empty" green is actually 13%. It's all one battery. So when you dip below 13%, that blue zone, the system is operating as just a hybrid. When it returns to green from regen, recharge, or plugging in, you are back in EV. It's all just a measure of capacity and there's never really a full recharge or full discharge. That's how longevity of the pack is achieved.
#3 Yes, the HV portion will charge back up but normally it will not charge the EV portion. You can put it in CHG mode for a few miles to start the EV charging then driving in HV mode will charge the EV portion and also drain it.
keep in mind, there are no portions or partitions in the battery. the icon simply represents the charge level.
Yes. For longevity. Even your regular Prius’ 1.3kWh NiMH or 0.8kWh Li-Ion battery is used to its fullest - from 20-80%. If you go down a long enough hill or a steep enough one, it will charge back into the EV portion. I’ve gotten 1 mile out of a short but steep hill. Coming down Mt. Baker, I’ve gotten 7-8 miles out of the undulating downhill portion.
It might help to think of the battery as a glass of water, which that symbol resembles. One big container full of electrons. The top 17% of the container is off limits and hidden as is the bottom part. The system won't let it go outside that range so there's no point in showing it. We just have a window into the range that is available for us to use and it has a line at 13% that prevents EV mode below that level.
