MAGLIOZZI

Dear Car Talk: A snowbird question! We don’t want to drive back up to Michigan from Florida later this spring, so we’re thinking of leaving our 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid in the garage for six months.

Should we arrange for someone to drive it periodically or can we just leave it? In either case, how full should the gas tank be, and at what level should the electric battery be charged while not actively used? — Scott

The fuel level is relatively unimportant, Scott. Gasoline won’t degrade in six months, so that doesn’t really matter.

For the traction battery, you’ll want to run that down to zero miles. That’s what Toyota recommends for long-term storage. When your RAV gets to zero EV miles remaining, it switches to normal “hybrid vehicle” (HV) mode. And even with zero miles available in EV-only mode, the big battery maintains a reserve charge of 15-20% for hybrid operation. Toyota says that’s the ideal battery chemistry for long-term storage and stability.

A bigger concern, Scott, is the 12-volt starter battery. That’s much more likely to cause you to be stranded when you get back to Florida next winter.

So, one option is to just disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Or you could leave the battery connected and set up a trickle charger (also known as a battery tender) to keep the battery charged while you’re gone.

I suppose you could also just let the battery run down over the summer, and have a 12V battery charger standing by to throw on it when you arrive. But that will delay your crucial first trip outside the house, a run for mojito makings.

And then there’s my biggest concern of all, Scott: mice. So in addition to all that, be sure to leave a cat in your garage, too.

Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.