Driving basics
6-3Driving your vehicle
Steering column lock
The steering column locks whenever you
remove the key. You may need to turn the
steering wheel slightly to align the
mechanism that engages the lock.
To release the steering column lock, turn the
key to the ACC position. If it is difficult to turn
the key, turn the steering wheel slightly.
Selecting gears
The vehicle has four selectable gear
positions. When a gear is engaged, it’s
associated button illuminates green.
• P (Park). Selectable whenever the
vehicle’s forward speed is less than 1 mph.
To select another gear when the vehicle is
in Park, you must press the brake pedal.
Whenever the key is in the OFF position,
Park is activated automatically, regardless
of which gear was engaged before you
turned the key.
• N (Neutral). Allows the vehicle to be
stationary without the transmission being
locked. If the hand brake is not engaged,
the vehicle can roll freely if pushed, or if
located on a slope. To select another gear
when the vehicle is in Neutral and moving
at a speed less than 5 mph (8 kmh), you
must press the brake pedal.
• R (Reverse). Selectable whenever the
vehicle’s forward speed is less than 5 mph
(8 kmh). The maximum speed in reverse is
limited to 15 mph (24 kmh). An audible
tone will be heard when you select
Reverse.
• D (Drive). Can be selected at any time
except when the vehicle is moving over 5
mph (8 kmh) in reverse.
When a gear is engaged, its associated
button illuminates green. If you select a gear
that is not allowed in the current situation (for
example, you select Reverse when driving
forward over 5 mph (8 kmh), its associated
button illuminates red to indicate that the
gear change is denied.
Similar to a conventional automatic
transmission, when you select Drive or
Reverse, the vehicle will move, even if you
have not pressed the accelerator pedal.
Note: When in Park, the transmission is
locked and the rear wheels cannot turn. In
the event that the vehicle needs to hauled
on a flatbed truck, Park must be deactivated
before the vehicle can be pulled onto the
truck. You can pull the vehicle by selecting
Neutral or by using the Touch Screen to
activate Tow Mode. For details, see Vehicle
recovery, page 9-13.
Driving tips
Driving an electric vehicle is similar to driving
a gasoline-powered vehicle. Maximizing
driving range is done using the same driving
habits that you use when maximizing fuel
economy. However, here are a few guidelines:
Drive sensibly to maximize range
Energy consumption depends on driving
habits and operating condition. Your vehicle
is designed to travel over 200 miles (320
kms) on a charge.
To get the maximum mileage from a charge,
you should:
• Avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration.
• Anticipate stops and instead of using the
brake pedal to slow down, move your foot
off the accelerator. Whenever the vehicle
is moving and your foot is off the
accelerator, regenerative braking slows
the vehicle and feeds energy back to the
battery.
• Drive with the top on and the windows up
to minimize aerodynamic drag.
• Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures.
• Remove unnecessary belongings from
the trunk.
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