EV mode. Is it really practical?

But that's just because you're hacking into a non US option. Is there any way you can hack a gen3 to use the worldwide EV only speed limits? I mean 10mph/16kmh is poor to say the least. It's hardly worth bothing with.

 

I do this exact same thing. I have a long down hill run coming home, but when I turn into my neighborhood, I have a 1/4 mile uphill to get to my home. If I don't use EV, it's almost impossible to get up the hill because I have to depress the pedal to the point the engine starts, if not, I will crawl. If I use the EV, I can get up the hill with a decent amount of speed with the engine off.

Aside from this, I hardly ever use it though.

 

Well that explains why mine always pops out of EV mode at 10 MPH. I've never gotten it more than about 15 MPH even when warmed up -- thought it was perhaps an error that I wasn't able to go as fast as others. I do much better by light tough on the gas pedal in keeping it all electric.

 

It's easy to use EV when you have a gauge showing coolant temperature.

If above 155°F, you know that power in both the WHITE and RED zones on the Eco-Meter are available with a max speed of 24 mph.

If cooler, that 10 mph cutoff becomes all too real.
.

 

I have no problem staying at 25 mph in EV mode when the car is warmed up. It appears the EV mode does not like when the car is not warmed up because when I have tried it then, I get the lovely not available message - can't remember the exact verbiage but it is along those lines.

 

EV Mode = NO ... PWR Mode = YES.

 

Brian,

There are very specific situations where EV mode is helpful. Your best bet at understanding this is to read up on the Prius warm-up phases here on PriusChat. That will provide you with the technical answers, but allow me to help with some practical advice.

First and foremost, EV mode is most useful when the i/c engine is fully warmed up and the battery is at full charge. If you are operating on the freeway and you encounter a traffic backup, EV mode is very useful. You might get anywhere from 1/2 to one full mile without the i/c engine running, depending on conditions.

Another practical application is that last 1/2 mile to home, assuming you live in a housing development or other densely populated area. We routinely travel our last 4/10 mile in EV mode at moderate speeds using EV mode. My advice to you would be to learn how your Prius works, then work with it as opposed to against it.

 

The more I read the more confused I become. I had my 2011 Prius lll now for three months and have tried (Key word here is TRIED) to use EV mode several times but I go only a few hundred feet and it reverts back to ECO. Now my confusion is what is the NORMAL mode and how to get to that one. Don't see anything in the manual on that.

 

Normal mode is when nothing is selected. Press any selected mode key to switch out of that mode and back to normal.

Tom

 

I had the same experience when I first drove mine, but with a little practice I am able to take advantage of EV when; it's warm (above 50 degrees), when I am not heavily accelerating, and when I am crawling in bumper to bumper traffic (below 25 miles and hour). Also comes in handy at stop lights. I also use it when I enter parking garages where the sprred limit is typically 15 MPH or below.

Although I leave the car in ECO mode all the time, I try and take advantage of the EV switch as much as possible. In the summer months I can average between 52-56 MPG by being diligent with the EV switch and also avoiding fast acceleration from a dead stop...