It seems like more often than not I am unable to use EV mode and I don't know why. The battery is charged, I'm at a stop! But it says its unavailable. Anyone know why?
As Spiderman has mentioned, there are factors which must first be met before using EV mode. And even once it can be used, sometimes it cuts out at 10mph and others 25mph, depends on engine temp etc.
I use EV from cold. As long as I don't exceed 19mph (traffic permitting) it will go for just over a mile before kicking out (this is on quiet suburban streets so I don't usually slow anyone up). The only time it won't let me use EV when the engine is cold is if I put on the windscreen demisters. Sometimes it kicks out on a cold day if I put the heater on.
What is the air temperature when you are able to do this? I have seen mentioned that if it is over 78 degrees that it would be possible. But since it rarely gets that warm up here, I have not been able to verify myself.
I figured the engine being cold could be the case at times, but there have been many times that I have been driving for 40 minutes, get to bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway, and it still says EV is unavailable.
Is your climate control on? Other accessories? See gen3 warming up stages thread for EV mode conditions that I know of so far.
At least in the Gen II, Ev mode is unavailble if the HV battery gets too hot. IIRC, that's at ~100 degF internal HV battery temp. Heavy electric-only drive and subsequent recharge in stop and slow-go traffic could create this situation, especially if the car had "hot soaked" in the full sun on an open asphalt parking lot just before the event.
Important to point out that use of EV mode usually reduces fuel economy, since the juice will eventually be replenished from the ICE. An EV she ain't.
EV Mode works almost 99% of the times when I back the car out from the garage. Other times, it'd have to depend on lots of conditions (outside temperature, ICE temperature, passenger loading, speed, etc.). Only its computer programmer knows about these required conditions.
A lot of Prius owners wrongly assume EV stands for Electric Vehicle mode. Highest internal Toyota documentation admits that it stands for Expectedly Vague. I suggest you spit on your finger, rub your head, blink your left eye 4 times rapidly, say "James Sikes" 3 times outloud press the button and hope for the best.
It does the same to me too sometimes, Ive noticed now more than before. Its very hot and humid outside so I guess that has someting to do with it
I only bought the car in May this year and here in the UK I'd guess the lowest temperature we've had since then was 10 deg C (50 Farenheight ?) .
I just recently stopped using EV mode (except for moving the vehicle around on/off the drive) and let it do its own thing and guess what, my average mpg has risen slightly. :doh::thumb::nod:
You can just drive the car slowly, as you would in EV mode, using only battery, which is essentially the same as EV mode, i.e., the motor's off, and you're not using any gas.
But EV mode is even weirder than that. I had just gotten home the other day and was about to get out of the car to move the snow thrower out of the way to pull the car into the garage, when the ICE turned back on to warm back up. I thought that was a waste as the car was going to be turned off in another minute, so I hit "EV mode" and was shocked when it actually turned the ICE off.
