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Steering paddle for EV mode only.

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by JayLn, May 7, 2017.

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  1. kevinwhite

    kevinwhite Active Member

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    You're right - I was mixing up my generations.

    thanks

    kevin
     
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  2. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Better than mixing your drinks, I suppose. Hic! :sick:
     
  3. JayLn

    JayLn Active Member

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    It's just my idea, because I think it is better to have paddle to maintain speed when you reach the speed you want, and I never said paddle to turn off ICE I don't even know what ICE means, it just always makes me think why I need to check if the gas engine is On already (EV=letter is gone on the panel)on the panel when they can just place a paddle on the steering so we can just press it to maintain speed in EV like 40mph and just press a paddle. And here in Bay Area SF, we have a lot off hills here to keep the battery perfectly Full and when I say Full it's Full Bars, the only time I hear engine charging the battery is when I am stop for a while watching Warriors or Giants game with my air-condition On. And I bought a Prius to make sure I can use all the battery charge of the battery, I think that is why they place the battery there so we can use it and save gas. That is why it has better mpg in city compare to highway, unless we drive 65mpg on freeway.
     
  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    ICE = Internal Combustion Engine - the gasoline engine,
    The Prius is designed to run mainly as a Hybrid car, not as an EV (Electric Vehicle). IT appears yo want to run it as an EV but Toyota has designed the car and its software to be most efficient as a Hybrid. Forcing it to run as an EV like you want can possibly shorten the life of the Traction Battery too.

    The Prius Prime is a PHEV (Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle) that is designed to run in purely EV mode and can be charged from a wall outlet. For longer trips, it also functions as an EV. It has a larger Traction Battery and different software and eCVT transmission.
     
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  5. JayLn

    JayLn Active Member

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    I don't want it to run on EV alone, you are missing my point, everyone knows the best way to get good mpg is maintain speed by using Electric motor maintaining speed it doesn't defleet the battery using this style of driving a Prius even when I am on Fremont no uphill or downhill like SF has I can not make the ICE have to charge the battery because braking charge it and I accelerate using gas engine fast and use E motor to maintain speed, I learned that from here, and I think that is why the battery is there to use the charge of the battery not to just maintain it at full charge all the time, and I already said I am here in SF with all the hills even I am using this style of driving a Prius without this paddle mode I can't force the ICE to charge the battery because one downhill here will charge the 3 bars battery to Full Bars. And I have a 2015 prius which I traded in, and use the same style drove 67,000+ miles on it for 2yrs and 1 month they check the battery it is still has 98% capacity so damaging the battery is not an issue here these battery that they put on are Prius is top of the line with regards to quality.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't think the prime has steering paddles, but it would be a good idea.
     
  7. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Is it bed time yet? :sleep:
     
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  8. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Riverboats have paddles. :whistle:
    There is actually paddle on the Prius steering wheel to maintain speed it's called Cruise Control.
     
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  9. liquidtenmillion

    liquidtenmillion Active Member

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    This is where you are mistaken. It is not more efficient to maintain speed using the electric motors. Any time you use the battery to do anything, at some point in time the engine will have to kick on to recharge it and you will lose efficiency because a gasoline motor generating electricity and storing it in a battery has losses.

    There are very specific instances where it may increase efficiency, and that is when it requires less power than the engine provides in it's most efficient RPM to maintain speed. If that is the case, then you will find your car is already in EV mode just pressing the pedal normally to maintain your speed. If pressing the pedal to maintain your speed causes the engine to kick on, then it means that you are already traveling at a speed or under conditions where it is more efficient to just let the engine drive the wheels, or that the engine is producing more power than you need to maintain speed, but it needs to recharge the battery and so the excess power of the engine is used to charge the battery.


    There absolutely is no "overall battery life percentage" reading that anybody can obtain from a Prius. Your dealership never checked your battery and lied to you.
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe the o/p meant neutral paddles.
     
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  11. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

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    Id day this is closed. I mentioned neutral paddles in this post before too. He clearly wanted it for constantly going up and downhill in the city. But the hills allow him to full recharge that small battery quickly, thus reducing the efficiency differnce you are mentioning. I think op understands the efficiency concept of recharging with the ICE.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yeah, i thought it was closed until it wasn't.:cool:
     
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