Do you find EV mode useful and, if so, how do you use it?

useless, sorry.

 

The scenario you just described is about the only time I use it, and most of the time it works really well for that. The catch is you have 10 seconds (on the gen 3, not sure about the new ones) to engage it before the car enters the warmup cycle and won't let you do EV until it's at a certain stage. You also have to have at least four bars (I think that is about 50% SOC) of battery remaining.

 

maybe they finally changed the gen 4 not to have the ice come on for 60 seconds, no matter the temp or battery state of charge.

 

Would be nice to have 60 instead of just 10 under a bunch of conditions. Also I don't understand why not let it go all the way down to 2 bars (40%)

 

On my Gen3 I use it to move it from 2 different office buildings when ICE is cold or any other similar situations.
And I read on the Gen4 manual that it is the same as gen3: you turn on the car and press the EV mode button before the ICE starts warming up.
Other uses? Very rare corner cases when the ICE is warm and you want to make sure it stays off (like entering an underground car park) or while washing it in a automated car wash and need to keep it on in N.
The weird thing is that I know that gen3 is supposed to be able to drive up to 2km in EV mode, gen4 manual states only 1km....
(ICE = internal combustion engine)

 

I use it to go to the grocery store and back. Love it.

 

wow! how far is that?

 

It is the same with the Gen 4, not sure about the number of bars on the SOC though, I think it may only need 3. I also noticed that the engine stays warm for longer after being stood and the ICE is less likely to start up.

 

Actually I checked today my gen3 user's manual and it says exactly the same as the gen 4 manual (it's in German but that's what it says, as you can aww from the numbers):

 

I use it in my neighborhood. It works best in stop and go traffic. I got about 86 mpg going about 20 miles in stop and go traffic.

 

I'd say 1/2 mile each way. Maybe a bit less.

 

nice. can you use it anytime, or only if the engine is warm?

 

20mi EV mode? Cannot be. The EV mode we are referring to is the one you select with the EV button, not when the EV car symbol shows up while regular driving.
EV mode that forces the Conbustion engine to stay off only managed about 1 mi or less...

 

I haven't had much use for the EV mode, as the car can go much further and faster without the restrictions of the mode. The engine doesn't start until you reach a certain level of acceleration. The EV mode might be useful if you want to keep the engine from starting from cold when on a very short trip. EV would be more useful in the earlier(1st-2nd) generations of the Prius as they start the engine almost immediately after starting. It really doesn't make sense to start the engine to move just a few feet. In my old car, a Corolla, I would shift to neutral and push the car in and out of the garage whenever I washed the car. With the Prius, this is completely unnecessary as the engine won't start.

 

If I correctly understand the quoted German manual it stays for 40 km/h max speed in EV mode. Our manual does not have an exact speed limit. My recent experiment shown that above pretty low 30 km/h EV mode disengages. The massage displays that speed limit has been exceeded. Are there a way to adjust the maximum speed to at least 40 km/h or more?

 

The Gen 4 will cut out of forced EV (button pressed) at 20 mph (32 km/h) until the ICE full warm up cycle has completed, then when warmed up it will cut out of forced EV at 30 mph (48 km/h), same as Gen 3. Although when the gen 4 is warmed up and HV battery well up, the car will continue well above 30 mph in EV, but the forced EV light will go out even though it's still in EV.

 

ICE was fully warmed (after commute of 15 km), battery almost full and ambient temperature about 5 C.
On my way home just before 0.5 km from home I decided to force EV mode for the following reasons:
1. Improve mileage rating.
2. The depleted battery will be charged next day during warming time.
However max speed I could get was only 30 km/h, after that EV icon disappeared, exceeded speed message displayed and ICE kicked in.

 

At an ambient temperature of 5 deg C, I assume you had the heater on, the ICE kicks in any time as and when heat is needed. You should find that if you turn off the heat then force EV, it will go up to 48 km/h before it kicks out of forced EV. If not then it's maybe related to ambient temps.

 

On my Gen3, I use EV mode (and B mode for that matter) many times in situations that would have the computer turning the ICE on and off for ridiculously brief periods. For example, if when the light turns green I need to drive 100 feet before taking a corner, EV mode will keep the ICE off for that 100 feet, and as I'm turning I'll toggle off EV mode and use the ICE to accelerate to cruising speed after the turn. Otherwise, the ICE would turn on for a total of about two seconds before the turn, turn off while I'm turning, then turn on again.

Now, if there's no traffic I'd skip EV mode and just accelerate lightly until the turn to keep the ICE off, but at rush hour, EV mode gives pretty good acceleration at low speeds.