RSnyder said:
As jefff12 mentioned, if you run out of gas in a Prius, you can continue to drive slowly a short distance. The main reason I've heard for not doing this, and for avoiding running out of gas, is that the fuel pump is cooled by gasoline, so it experiences extra wear from overheating. This might shorten its life. The fuel pump warning is general automotive information, it is not Prius specific, so it probably applies, but might not.
there's that, and you also drain the hybrid
battery down further than usual. Too many
stop and reboots before refiling with gasoline,
and your car isn't going anywhere without
a tow to the dealer and a few day wait
for the special hybrid battery charger to
arrive... You could shorten the life of
the hybrid battery, much like the
shortening of life of the 12v battery if
left flat/undriven for many weeks.
basically: like with any car, do not
let the gasoline run out. However, the
Prius will let you limp to a safer
location (depending on initial battery
SOC and terrain), whether that be
only to the side of the road, or a
mile or two until the next service station.
However, do note that the "out of gas"
code will be stored in the car's computers,
there for the next service tech to read...
If you're worried, unplug the 12v battery
for about 5min to clear the codes
(and your preset radio stations,
Nav settings, etc.)