Very specific situation question (about heat and charge level)

Agreeing. What I see is that when there is about one mile of EV left, the display will switch to 7 or 8 segmented bars. It is still in EV mode, as indicated by the green EV-MODE light and the single large car icon with EV in it in the display. When it goes down to zero EV miles left, the green EV-MODE light goes out and the display switches to the two-icon display (HV mode).

 

I don't drive the car a lot, but I seem to recall that when you are in HV mode you get an HV charge level...

 

but the o/p is asking about fully or not fully charging the car. you can't go into hv charge level manually, you either have ev available, or you don't.

 

I would charge it fully. Put the car in Drive and set the cabin heat to 75 deg F.

Easy

I have seen ICE running and making no power (per Torque), YET the coolant temp climbing. My battery was not full, I think only 2 miles left.

I think there is a special mode.

 

Doesn't the Torque app give you battery SOC and numerous other HV battery parameters to help discern what's going on?

 

Yes it does but I was glancing while driving. Logging feature would help me focus on my driving. I can then review the data later.

 

To add to that, I witnessed the "special" mode this evening with the battery at "full". It had literally just finished L2 recharging. I rolled down a half dozen levels on the ramp, watching SOC rise from 85.0 to 86.2. Without the battery being warmed so recently, that wouldn't have happened. SOC will only hit 85.8.

Anywho, when it hit 86.2, the engine fired up at high RPM with the same type of consumption-spin we've heard before to use up electricity for battery longevity. Only then, the engine doesn't actually use any fuel. This time, it did. I watched the coolant temperature rise without SOC rising. Good thing too, since the stoplight just outside the ramp was red.

 

I guess it's all relevant, John. A question somewhat related. I was thinking of inserting a aquarium heater somewhere in the vicinity of the HV battery. Probably enclosed in some type of leakproof container of H2O. Not on, but in the area, tied into the charging line ( 110V ), with a off/on switch. This should increase the charge and range of the EV. Here in CA only a small amount of heat would be needed. The nice thing about a Aquarium heater is its adjustability of temp and it's control. Current draw for the heater should be minimal and not affect the charging rate, or at least minimally.

 

brilliant! what's the question?

 

just wanted Johns Viewpoint.

 

ah. you know, if that works, you could be onto a killer mod! a lot of us would pay big time for a few extra miles in cole weather.

 

It would be intriguing to find a way to pre-warm the battery prior to departure, for those of us who don't see temperatures above freezing. Blowing warmed air through the vent seems somewhat realistic. But it may not actually make much of a difference. Ironically, running the A/C might be more effective, since the battery use would warm itself. The automatic top-off that follows would too.

 

i wonder how much charging the battery warms it. i suppose it depends on the ambient.

 

Good idea John, especially since I always have extra EV charge, however if my garage temp is say 55 degrees, where would the AC find 60 degrees, or 70, or 80 ( target temp ) to pump thru the car and thru the battery cooling system?

 

Sure, it depends on starting temp. But the warming is a secondary effect and not the end design of the charging system. I am sure Toyota designed it for minimal heating of batteries.

 

would the a/c come on if the garage is cold? mines around 45 this time of year.

 

I have played around with the AC several times in the summer. It works fine on max cold. But, for this purpose, one would want something warmer than garage temp I do not think the AC is capable of that. Better yet might be a small electric pad. Low wattage, low output and safer.

 

electric blanket.

 

I got this for my wife a few years ago when it came out. It works very well with two AA NiMH rechargeable batteries.

If heated seats are not enough, this will help with cold steering wheel.

 

Tried the heating pad and only increased estimated to 14 miles, so not worth it. I think if a heater was incorporated into the design to warm up the total battery, it may get a couple of more miles. Maybe next generation.