Mainly EV mode but a little ICE use?

My daily commute is 80km/50miles round trip to work. I flip the EV/HV button on demand and as needed and still get pretty decent 1.7L/100km around 138mpg.

I wouldn't use up the EV to 0%, that is my preference.

Even when I do short trip outside of works, I still use HV mode for uphills as those are the EV killer and flip back to EV when uphill is done. Sometimes it takes time to go back to EV as well.

You will learn when the HV warm up is over as you can feel and tell from the engine diagram arrows. The engine does not recharge the battery when it is warming up (that is how I have experienced so far) and during that period, it is all in EV mode with the HV warm up preparation stage. Before I approach any uphills or highway, always give or take 1-2kms or 1-2mins warm up prep process if no warm up done for that day. Once warmed up once, the other warm up is much faster or maybe none required.

Again, different people have their own views on this or different preference.

I have also noticed when flipping EV/HV manually, the kWh/100km gives a better value in return.

In winter time, using HV with heat is more efficient during extreme cold condition. The heat pump using EV is ok but kWh/100km will be very poor in return. Always a pros and cons.

 

EV Auto is EV in Europe, and maybe other markets. It is a blended PHEV mode, like the PiP and Energi's, but the EV performance of the Prime is such that it may never feel the need to turn on the engine for many drivers while there is still grid charge left.

Europe has an EV City mode, that, IIRC, the manual states will turn on the engine when the accelerator is floored. As the name implies, it is for use in an urban area, which might have banned ICE cars. With lower speeds, it seems to be programed to extend EV range under those conditions; two motor operation may be disabled. If the pedal is floored, the assumption is that the driver needs to avoid something. Same with EV Auto. Safety trumps emissions and efficiency.

The Sonic had a slightly higher idle speed during warm up. That might be another way to detect when it is over in the Prius.

 

or.. Traction battery will go out before the gas engine.

 

My concern for that time would be the battery.

 

For whatever it’s worth though, when I don’t need a lot of heating (say, if it’s 10C/50F outside), I’ve found that the heat pump is pretty economical; not much loss in miles/KWh. It also heats up quickly.

 

Doubtful. At best there will be rebuilt and salvaged batteries from other cars. In 10-15 years all the battery makers are going to be 2-4 generations of battery tech past today and working on BEV, residential power walls and commercial grid storage.

Mike

 

It is possible, and people are doing so for Li-ion hybrid models.