Avoid ECO MODE
Ever wonder why Toyota hybrid batteries last so long? Besides Toyota being Toyota when it comes to build quality, one of the main reasons is its battery management system. This system prevents battery modules from overworking—or rather, ensures they’re always underworked. Kind of like telling a Navy SEAL team their daily mission is a friendly game of laser tag—low-stress.
As a battery pack ages, differences in the state of health (SOH) of its modules start to show. Think of it like a SEAL team where some members' physical health stay in their late 30s while others are pushing 70. Since the game is easy, everyone can keep up. But if you crank up the intensity, the weaker members start falling behind. Worse, if you had pushed them hard from the beginning, they all would’ve aged faster.
In this analogy, the "friendly game" is normal driving mode, while pushing the ECO Mode button is like ordering the game to go hard.