1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

EV Drive Mode up to 25 MPH only if ICE is hot which defeats purpose...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Bruno_S, Jun 8, 2009.

Page 2 of 2
  1. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    there is always options and someone will figure it out.
     
    #21 DaveinOlyWA, Jun 9, 2009
  2. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2003
    5,341
    920
    251
    Location:
    Surprise, AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    Not to beat this dead horse, the only way this will change is with an ECU change. Buttons are only the user interface.

    I would also suggest that making said change would put battery longevity at risk (or risk a voided warranty if said changes contributed to premature battery failure).

    That being said the folks who will likely figure this out first will be the PHEV folks. I'd even guess that their system would work better w/o the use of the EV switch as you can (with light pedal) get up to 46mph in stealth mode, whereas you can only force EV via the switch up to 25mph w/ present programming (or 31-34mph if you adopt EU or hacked programming).

    I'm happy with the way mine works because my expectations have been that the button is only for short stints at low speeds. This is helped by the fact that I've had an EV button hacked into my 2004 for the majority of it's service life and grew to understand the limitations. As my 2004's battery has aged, the EV range has become even shorter. Because I only used it for repositioning or very short trips from one end of our warehouse lot to the other, the speed/range was never an issue.

    Don't forget that there are cases where A/C load or ambient temperature will prohibit the use of the button all together. In this case, the car will tell us - in the 2004, I was left guessing based on 2 rapid beeps ;)

    Bottom line is if you want a vehicle that can be fully electric for extended amounts of time, wait for a plug-in version, or stick w/ the Zenn. The 2010 Prius in its present form isn't designed to fit that purpose.
     
    #22 HTMLSpinnr, Jun 9, 2009
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,075
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Ask away. That's what we are here for.

    There is no free lunch. The engine (ICE) must run harder to replace the used energy, thereby using more fuel. It also must make up for the conversion losses in going from mechanical energy to electrical energy to chemical energy back to electrical energy back to mechanical energy. That is a lot of conversion, and it isn't free.

    Accelerating a car is a big hit to mileage. You want to do it in the most efficient manner, which means avoiding conversions when possible. With a Prius, part of the power will go directly from the ICE to the wheels, and part will go mechanically from the ICE to MG1 and then electrically to MG2. Brisk acceleration will allow this to happen in the most efficient manner. Slow acceleration causes too much of the energy to go through the electrical path, too fast causes the ICE to run at an inefficient speed.

    There is a lot of information on this site about the HSD. It is a very clever device.

    Tom
     
    #23 qbee42, Jun 9, 2009
    1 person likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 2 of 2