I've had my 2010 Prius II for about 4 weeks, it is certified used with 39k on it now. I've put about 2500 miles on it and get about 58-60 mpg. I have a ScanguageII and monitor my State of Charge. I've also been lurking on this site since before I bought it. I'm an Aerospace Engineer so I like technology and to tinker with it. I've been looking everywhere to see if there's anyway to make the car charge the traction battery to its top normal state of charge automatically. Such as if I know I'll be "idleing" with the AC on. I'd like to make the engine just do it once all the way rather than just put like 10% in when it gets down to 40 from the AC. I've tried searching and Google but had no luck. I've checked on "inspection mode", but nothing. Anyone have any ideas? It's not a huge deal, but just figured I'd ask. Thanks Nexus 7 ? 4
The car does a great job of trying to protect your HV battery. My recommendation is just do your part and drive it and let the car do its thing and protect your investment.
You can put the car in "D", hold the brake on, and depress the accelerator pedal, to "force charge" the battery. This doesn't do well for mileage of course. Keep in mind any electrical power produced is used at about 50% efficiency through the overall cycle of generation, storage, battery discharge, and use to power the MG2, compared to the power going directly to the wheels from the engine. So you only get about half back. I'm not counting the inefficiency of actually generating power from gasoline, as that inefficiency occurs in both cases. We get about 30% of the possible power available from gasoline, on average. This compares to just over 20% for most gasoline internal combustion engines. "Full" indicated is actually 80% charge. With so many cells in series it's -dangerous- to charge it too much. You run the risk of overcharging the cells with the lowest capacity, and that could cause them to vent, loosing electrolyte. That would in tern cause them to drop capacity some more, starting a vicious cycle which would end with the battery failing. This is the main reason Toyota engineers run the battery at 30% to 80%, mostly in the 60% area. It's a short term accumulator, not an "EV" battery. The system won't allow more than 80% charge level for the above reason. And of course, room needs to be left for regen. So as posted above, the term "Let it do its' thing, and relax and watch the blinking lights" is probably good advice.
Hello VTAERO, Realize that your AC and just about everything in the Prius runs with the ICE off. There is no reason to set in the car and let the ICE run. Also the Prius starts to do things to waist electrons when it gets to a high state of charge. It will start to spin the ICE to waist electron when it gets to about 75% SOC. So running above about 70%SOC will actually give you lower MPG. Thanks, Dan
The Prius limits it's use of the HV battery to between 40/80% charge to greatly increase it's cycle life. Nimh batteries have a maximum cycle life of about 1000 cycles if charged and discharged fully. Decreasing the maximum and minimum charge level although reduces the usable AH capacity greatly increases the cycle life to many tens of thousands. The Prius systems do there best to limit the charge level swings as far as possible keeping the battery in a charge level Zone that will make the battery last usually into the 200,000 mile range. Other things such as heat do have an effect on the battery life but charge level and cycles have the greatest. John (Britprius)
I do understand about the entire efficiency deal. I'm familiar with the limits of gas and electric and how the car is not efficient at being an air conditioner. However I'm just looking to see if it will while keeping in its own about 70 percent battery range just charge once to 70 instead of 3 times to 50. I'm not planning on driving and I'm not looking for anyway to keep the ICE on. I'm just looking for a mode that may charge the battery once to 70 so that I have longer without it turning back on. I'm big into quiet and once to 70 in terms of gas is the same as 3 times to 50 percent like it normally wants to. I have 3 reasons to want it charged. Air conditioning quietly If I ever want to go to a car wash When I eventually make it a UPS with bigger better battery. Thanks. Nexus 7 ? 4
welcome to priuschat! no, there is no way to do that. you're out of your element, trade it for a pip. you'll never be happier. all the best!
Figured there might be a hidden mode. But I love the car. It's great and easy to get 60mpg. Handy to use for quiet AC too. Thanks for the welcome! Nexus 7 ? 4
I am also a new owner of 2010 Prius III with solar roof package with 715xx miles when i bought it last week. How are you managing to get 58-60 mpg. I drove mine the other day on 94 miles one sided trip total of around 200 miles on 65 mph on highway and got around 55 mpg. i would like any suggestions to increase my mpg.
I always drive in eco mode, to give better throttle control so I can really feather it. It allows for gliding easily without electric or breaking. Also I sort of think ahead on the highway. I commute 50 miles each way and I find my highway mileage a pleasant surprise. It's actually better than my motorcycle and I can relax more while driving rt 95 in the DC area. I also try to maximize my regeneration by using long slow breaking when possible. My first trip of 260 miles 2 days after buying it was at 62 indicated, but 59.75 calculated. I've been trying to hyper mile for years in all my cars. I have even gotten about 23mpg in my Ford Excursion Diesel on the highway over 200 miles, that's calculated. I hope this helps you out a little. I look forward to trying to get the best mileage possible while not impeding traffic and not acting strangely on the highway. It's a great game for me. My wife thinks I might be nuts. Nexus 7 ? 4
You could try this. Wait for the ICE to come on, as soon as it does, put it in "N". From what others are telling me, the computer will keep the ICE in the same state before you put the car in "N". Therefore, if the ICE was running, it will keep running until you take it out of "N". So...while in "N", keep your eye on the SOC and as soon as you're satisfy with the level, put it back in "D" Edit - I take it back. In "N", nothing goes to the battery
For 65 mph, you are already getting what the car should produce. To increase mileage 60 mpg, slow down to 60 mph: Updated MPG vs MPH chart If you really want to do better, start here: Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new or visit CleanMPG.com.
I like to use Neutral on a long level glide to a light or stop sign putting it back in drive the last 200 feet to get regen. It's also good going down a big hill to initially get up to speed before returning to drive for regen.Just returned from Reno and got 92mpg for 112 miles. I only use Brake for rapid slowdown.
I drive 95 at 4:30am so I'm ahead of most of rush hour. Then I leave work at 2pm, so I'm ahead again on the way home. It's actually very good. Been doing it for years and I like it. It takes 50 minutes for my 49.5 mile commute in the morning and about an hour for the drive home. Now I have a mileage game to play even more than in my old car. I. Found out in that car that speeding only gained me 3 minutes. So now I don't do that. It's a waste of fuel and unsafe and stressful. Nexus 7 ? 4
after 10 years of driving the beltway, we hit it at rush hour last year, and let's just say nature was calling. never again!
Yeah, I can see that. But I had the revelation in my old car while I was always timing my trip and calculating fuel mileage. I've been a student of numbers and some might say extremely anal for as long as I've been driving. It's a fun game for me and the Prius just makes it easy to make new goals and see them pay off quickly. I just wish it came with the gauges that I needed to buy a ScanguageII for. Nexus 7 ? 4
