how many miles can prius can go after gas empty sign is turned on?

Answer 1

The Prius is not an EV, but a hybrid.

Toyota specifically says in their FAQ, question 13:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2006/prius/faq.html
"Can Prius run on electricity when it runs out of gas?
No. Though Prius can operate in electric-only mode when gasoline is in the tank, it is not designed to run without gasoline. Doing so could cause severe damage to the hybrid system, so drivers should be sure to keep gas in the tank at all times."


Some owners have absent-mindedly run out of gasoline, or purposely ran out to see how far they could go on electric only. Basically, once all the warning dash lights and bells go off, get yourself to a safe location on the side of the road. How far you can go on electric only when the gasoline engine shuts down for no more gasoline will depend on how fast you are going, terrain (uphill or downhill, flat, etc.), and weather. Usually not much more than a mile (so maybe to the next gas station if you're lucky). The longest distance I've heard was from someone in the UK that was doing highway speeds, ran out of gasoline while coasting downhill for 7 miles. You have about 2 reboots available while out of gas before your hybrid battery is depleted to the point of no longer being able to start the car and needing a special charger to recharge it... So make sure that when you get gas for your empty Prius that you get at least 3 gallons so that it registers!

(So, fill up at 2 bars remaining like the owner's manual suggests, for safety reasons. Usual thoughts by other owners is start looking for gas stations at 2 bars, find one soon if at 1 bar, and stop at the nearest one if you are down to 1 bar blinking/add fuel warning. If all warning lights (out of gas), pull off the road to a safe place and call for roadside assistance.)

Answer 2

As long as there is juice in the batteries until the batteries die out as well?

The next poster knew his stuff - I was under the impression that a hybrid could run on electricity for enough miles to get to the next gas station.

Answer 3

I assume about 200 miles, after all, it's a Prius.

Answer 4

You can work it out. Fill up when the light comes on. Then see how much fuel you have put in, then you subtract that from the fuel tank capacity. The answer is how much fuel you still had in your tank. You then work out your fuel consumption and you will be able to work out how far could go on the fuel left in the tank when the light comes on.
This method is not fool proof, but can give you a rough idea.