Force ICE to start before SOC bars purple when A/C on?

Lately I have had to make a lot of short trips in hot weather with lots of stop and go, and it feels like mostly stop. The A/C is on, the car doesn't get much of a chance to charge when driven like that so the SOC stays in the lower part of its range, and at stops SOC has dropped into the purple bars, often without starting the ICE before the light changes. So when the light changes and the ICE starts the car wants to charge the battery heavily, and then the car doesn't accelerate well.

It would be better, from my perspective, if I could force the ICE to start sooner, like at one blue bar, when the car has been or will be sitting for a long time. When this is needed the transmission is in D and my right foot is on the brake. I suppose I could put it in P and press the gas, which would start the ICE. Is there a way to do it without shifting out of D or taking my right foot off the brake?

Sometimes I turn off the A/C to prevent the SOC from dropping into purple. Not a good workaround though because the car heats up very quickly in the sun when the A/C isn't on. Also I worry that it might not be great for the A/C to be turned on and off like that.

Note: temps in the high 80's or low 90's, although the "outside temp" display is often over 100. That only comes down to something approximating the true temperature with extended driving. This is what comes of putting the air intake next to a lot of hot metal and glass.