1 mile to work in the city... EV Mode?

Hmmm, unlikely. It might get you there depending on conditions but would probably not have enough power left for the return trip. Also, the acceleration in EV mode isn't quite there to enable you to keep up with the traffic.

You can but try.

 

EV mode won't work. The ICE will spin up just to get warm.

 

I beg to differ. If you power the car up and then quickly select EV before the engine starts up you will keep the car in EV mode. Depending on the state of battery charge you will be able to drive a small distance on electric only.

I would stress that the EV function is mainly there to be used to move the vehicle small distances without starting the engine. By small I mean moving the car from the garage to your drive or to change parking bays etc. You can go further in EV but it eats your battery and the engine will just have to work harder later to put that energy back.

Once you get used to driving your Prius you will find that you don't need to use EV as such but by keeping acceleration low the Prius will stay on electic quite happily upto mid 30's speed for quite long distances. It's hard to explain this as there are so many variables as to when and how it switches from electric to petrol and back again.

See if you can get an extended test drive from your dealers. Do they do 24/48 hour test drives over in the US?

 

I drive every weekday morning 2.2 miles in EV mode to go to work. Of that, 1 mile is fairly flat, the rest is down hill. If your commute is flat or downhill, you should be fine. If uphill, forget it. You will need to keep it under 34 MPH, as you know, and don't accelerate hard. You will also need a battery in the green, or almost green state.

 

Too bad there wasn't an ev at work you could use for your day trips, Mikey. The mile commute to the office and back is within walking range, I'd say.

 

Alas, no way. The EV battery does not have sufficient capacity for that. It won't even get you there, not to mention back again . It could last a mile only under ideal conditions (starting on eight greens, steady speed, no acceleration, no braking).

If you want to improve your mileage, you are a candidate for a block heater (or temperature measurement hack ). Or a plug-in .

 

How about an electric bike for this one mile (walking would work too!) and just use your car for longer distances.
The mpg will be horrible with frequent 1 mile trips!

 

I don't think I would have chosen a Prius for your commuting needs.

 

Regularly depleting the pack could impact its life. Also, remember that all the EV range comes from the gasoline. If you can keep the engine pretty warm between trips, then the initial warmup is more tolerable. Grill blocking sounds like a winner for you, as does max sidewall psi.

My commute is 1.6 miles one-way. The Gen3 handles it better with ECO mode. But what we both really need is a PHEV (2012) Prius, or a BEV.

Walking and biking are great theories that ignore the realities of our car-centric worlds and the demands of our jobs once we arrive. I reject the notion that one with a 150 mile commute can drive their Prius or Hummer to work and use it during the day, but because I chose to live near work I should walk home every time I need transportation.

We need to focus on consumption, not mpg.

 

Sounds like the Enginer Kit would be perfect for you. Either 2kwhr or 4kwhr. This would get you the capacity to do what you want for the short commute and improve your mileage for the rest of your driving.

Thanks,
Dan

 

No, it's car-centric theory that ignores reality.
"Build it and they will come" has worked brilliantly for cars, and many municipalities are now trying it for pedestrians and cyclists. City planners are recognising that self-propelled transportation is a viable alternative with many benefits. Even simple changes in zoning bylaws can have a huge impact. Instead of commuting by car half way across town, people can live and work in the same building and commute by elevator.

 

I envy your world, I really do. I just don't live in that world yet.

 

Unfortunately, most don't. I can see all of my daily destinations from my house, and all are within a five minute walk. It's a good way to live.

Tom

 

Caveat: Read dan2l's threads on his experience first to make sure you will enjoy the current challenges of his or any other current kit. No offense Dan, but the kit is not yet ready for the crowd complaining about the brakes and the cruise control. And many of the rest of us as well, sad to say.

 

Just to pipe in with my usual spiel, continual use of EV mode--especially in a non-PHEV Prius can significantly increase overall vehicle emissions pushing the vehicle well above the SULEV emissions rating that a stock Prius meets. When you exit EV mode (and you will--trust me) while driving you end up demanding power from the gasoline engine without warming the catalytic converter first (even more if you exit due to low battery--also something that will happen). This means the car is unprepared to deal with the ensuing emissions (to put it crudely) and according to Argonne National Labs can increase regulated vehicle emissions by 10 to 12 times.

No, if you're only driving 1 mile a day and are even slightly concerned about emissions your probably best off just letting the car operate normally. You could get a conversion yes ($$$), but frankly if you just drive a mile...maybe walking would be best?

Sorry to repeat my spiel about emissions but I seem to be the only one who brings this up...for some reason...Am I the only one who cares about lowering emissions?

Andrew

 

Sweet... i thought the same thing. I was right about to suggest, dare I say it... WALKING!

But I saw the reply to your note. Then again, a 15 min walk back to the car if it's needed wouldn't be totally awful. Are there emergencies that one would be called to where 15 minutes loss due to walking would be detrimental? If so, wouldn't the police or medical authorities be better suited for such situations?