How to charge Toyota Prius and change charger lock settings

Charging the hybrid battery on your Prius Prime is easy, and it’s equipped with some features that gives you peace of mind knowing the hybrid battery will be charged when you return to your vehicle.

Toyota Prius – (photo by Toyota)

Note: This guide is specific to fourth generation or XW50 Prius vehicles assembled from 2015.


  1. To charge the hybrid battery using the Toyota supplied charging chord, connect it to a standard electrical outlet.
  2. Then, be sure your vehicle is unlocked and press the charge ports door on the right rear quarter panel to open it.
  3. Inside the charge port, an LED lamp illuminates the various components.
  4. Remove the cap and place it in the holder.
  5. Insert the charger into the port until it clicks into place.
  6. The green charge indicator light will illuminate to notify you that the hybrid battery is charging.
  7. On the top of the dash, on the passengers side, are three blue lights. These will blink to show the charging progress. When all three are fully illuminated, the hybrid battery is fully charged.
  8. In the multi information display, or MID, the charging status will appear and display the amount of time needed to fully charge the hybrid battery.
  9. When charging is complete, disconnect the charger from the charge port, and put the cap back over the port and close the door.
  10. Then, store your charger in the specially designed space in the trunk to keep it secure.

Charging Time

The system takes into account the charger you’re using. When you’re charging from a standard electrical outlet, the Prius Prime will fully charge in less than five and a half hours. When charging from a 240 volt charging station, the Prius Prime will fully charge in less than two and a half hours.

When you’re on the go, charging your Prius Prime’s hybrid battery is safe and secure thanks to your smart key system and the charge connector lock that’s activated by this button in the charging port.

Charge Settings

  1. To set your charging connector lock that is linked to the smart key system, use the steering wheel controls to access the vehicle settings menu in the MID.
  2. Select Charge Setting, and then Charging Connector Lock.
  3. From here, you can set it to Manual Lock, Auto Lock, or Auto lock and Auto-unlock.
  4. In the manual lock mode, you have to press the charge connector lock button to lock and unlock the charger to the port.
  5. In the auto lock mode, the system will automatically lock the charger in the port, once it’s inserted. With the smart key in proximity of the vehicle, press the button to unlock the charger, and remove it from the port.
  6. In the auto lock and auto unlock mode, the system will automatically lock the charger in the port when it’s inserted, and the system will automatically unlock the charger when the hybrid battery is fully charged. This is a good feature when at free charging stations so that you don’t lock up the charger longer than you need.
  7. With the smart key in proximity of the vehicle, pressing the charge connector lock unlock button will also unlock the charger from the port. When using a public charger, always be sure that the charger locks to the port for added peace of mind.
Author: Nabeel K
Email: nabeel@wheelsjoint.com



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