Best mode for long distance driving?

it's really a personal decision. if you're using cc a lot, see if one mode works better than another. i'm always in eco. not sure why you can't use ev auto.

 

On a trip that long, start out with a full EV battery. When it runs out you will get ICE warm up. I would use Eco mode. In the Prime, HV will let you use the HV part of the battery any any speed I have driven. The recharge is much faster than previous versions and not limited to the 43 mph. The charge mode uses more gas than you will gain from EV. Just HV should get you 60+ mpg.

 

ev auto, he computer determines when the plug portion will be used up. assuming you will be exiting the highway from time to time, i suspect that's when it would be used, but don't know for sure. sounds like a fun experiment.
achieving the best highway mpg's is tedious. i would just set the cc to the speed limit and stay to the right.

 

Just curious, do you have hybrid driving experience?

 

I'd say try several possibilities, but I bet economy HV is your best bet. You might want to pop over to EV (eco) below 40ish MPH.


iPhone ? Pro

 

Then you will do better in using HV (ECO mode) than you did in the 2015. I had a 2012 v and got about the same as you. Now I'm getting about 64 avg, in HV only, and it is not that warm yet. Happy trails.

 

Once EV is depleted, Ice will come on for a warm up period, length depends on ambient temp, I've found. But is a little erratic til the ICE is totally warmed up then it is steady. After the EV is depleted you are in HV mode even though the indicator says EV. That means you are using the HV portion of the battery. Full charge for the battery on 120v (L1) is about 5.5 hrs. L2 charge will do it in about 2 hrs.

 

• Fill up the night before and fully charge car.
• Set driving mode to whatever is comfortable.
• Find a truck highballing your route.
• Use cruise control to follow truck at a comfortable distance.
• Take music.

If the "low gas" comes on, switch to CHARGE mode; find lower speed traffic to follow, and; take first opportunity to refuel.

Bob Wilson

 

... or you can take some inspiration from a gas saving adventure

Winner's choice (64.1 mpg): Eco mode + EV Auto (see 4:15)
702 miles, 13 hours, 54 mph

Note (EV Auto vs HV): It seems that the control algorithms in EV Auto are trying to use EV (ICE off) more often as in HV, following, the consumption in EV Auto could be slightly better.

 

Just my preference but ..

Fully charge before. Use Ev, except on steep uphills, and highway.

 

not following you here ed, if your out of plug charge, isn't 6 hours to recharge about normal?

 

No, that's a misconception. In most cases, it ends up to be a wash. Used strategically, there can be a gain.

 

Ed, we have two different things we're calling *Mode*

There is the battery vs. engine operation. EV is all battery. HV is almost all engine. EV Auto lets the car's computer decide when to use the battery (if the battery still has some charge) and when to use the engine. If you have EV switched on and the battery becomes depleted, the car will switch itself to HV. Try EV Auto for your trip--and it'll still switch itself to HV when it needs to do so.

There is Econ vs. Normal vs. Power modes. This is just the programming of the accelerator pedal. Econ gives little power for a bit of pedal travel. Power gives lots of power for the same pedal travel. Normal splits the difference. There ain't no free lunch. At the end of the pedal travel Econ gives more power for the pedal travel. Power doesn't have it to give--you get little added power. And, Normal splits the difference. Econ will give a bit longer battery life or burn a bit less gas. Power helps safely scoot into gaps in traffic. Set it how you prefer.

 

I'm still waiting for my P.Prime to arrive, so I can't speak from direct experience, however...

My impression from discussions here, as well as some videos from Toyota, is that EV Auto mode tries to operate as an EV as much as possible, only switching on the engine when it needs greater acceleration. That, as opposed to, for example, switching to HV operation at high speeds or long times at moderate speed.

So, it sounds like EV Auto is not so much for optimal efficiency on long trips, but for better acceleration in a pinch. It will tend to drain, rather than sustain, the battery.

Comments from actual current owners?


iPhone ? Pro