Let the ICE run or shut it down?

IMHO, I would let it run despite the efficiency loss. To me, the loss of gas is better than possibly harming the engine by shutting off running under load (vice idle). Just an opinion, though...

 

You are driving the last bit on EV aren't you?
If you are then maybe drop EV for the last little bit. I doubt it is doing any harm but it is my uneducated understanding that rechargeable batteries like to be stored with a good charge in them. Switch from EV mode for the last 200 yards. Also know that driving in EV mode doesn't save any gas, after all that energy you use in EV mode comes from gas.

(Oh my god, I am saying gas not petrol!!!)

 

HI MPG
IMHO I suspect you are "overthinking" the situation. Just drive normally, and this amazing vehicle will do all the thinking. I rarely touch the EV button ... only maybe if I am moving from one parking spot in a lot to a safer spot (I hate door dings). I have never had to use the PWR button. My G3, IV is averaging 54 mpg w/ 5000 miles on the odeometer. BTW, I just changed the oil, and my mileage average is higher .... I do not have an explanation .... maybe the tires were underinflated before the oil change?

Good luck.

 

The car is uber smart. Just drive and let it do what it needs to do. :madgrin:

 

It was that trip to Detroit. You were infected with a virus. Now that virus will spread and the whole continent of Australia will be calling it gas. Have you used the phrase "Ya'll" (meaning all of you) yet? :madgrin:

 

Great question and one I was wondering myself lately. Normally I make it to the 3rd floor parking with two or three bars. Lately I have been required to park on the 6th. The engine kicks in just as I park. I have been shutting it down while running thinking that like previously mentioned it would be more efficient charging while moving. It would be my guess that you would want to charge the battery if you know it would be sitting for a long time or if in really cold weather.

One thing I noticed is the brakes become really sensitive while coming down the garage floors. More so than say if the battery was full.

 

Ditto with efusco...no need to waste gas letting the ICE run at the end of your drive. In fact, pulling into your destination parking space with 3 or less bars (ideally 3) is actually pretty good driving for efficiency...meaning you maxed out the last part of your trip in EV mode without allowing the ICE to kick in (unless you ran less than 3 bars for a great distance and forced ICE to kick in prior to parking).

It is better to run on low battery at the end of your trip than at the beginning or middle as you are not wasting ICE mid-trip to charge the battery. When I say "low battery" I don't mean the car is going to run out of battery energy...it means "lower than optimal energy" in terms of the hybrid system. If you run low battery during your drive you will notice higher than normal rpm's because some of the power normally used to propel the vehicle is diverted to charge the battery to optimal charge. You can test this by noticing how far you have to press the GO pedal to get the same acceleration while at 6 bars vs. 3 bars.

As you get more acquanited with your vehicle you can make mental notes as to how far from your destination you can begin EV mode. When you roughly know where that point is you can begin to extend that marker by coasting in drive where possible to grab small amounts of battery charge along the way. Before you know it, you are using EV mode 1/4, 1/2, 1 mile further from your destination and you will see your mpg go up and up...good luck!

 

No , not "y'all" but "all y'all"!

I'll know the infection is at full strength when I start spelling zoo. "zee oh oh" insead of "zed oh oh". I hate when my son does that.

Infection hey? Maybe that explains the sore throat and 2 weeks off work sick.

 

In the deep South "Y'all" is singluar; "All Y'all" is plural.

 

Here is a very similar thread that you may find helpful. Instead of
focusing on using the ICE to recharge the HV battery, the discussion
centers on using EV mode at the end of the day and a resulting low
SOC. Same issue, different perspective:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...vehicle-mode-just-before-home.html#post907783

 

Did you know that "y'all" can be used for both the singular and plural cases? I learned this in Texas when the rental shuttle bus driver greeted my boss and I with the phrase: "How y'all both doin this evening?" :madgrin:

 

Yep, I knew that, and I know all y'all know that too.

HI MPG, I think that is the right way to go, let the car decide what is best for economy. When you start off in the morning you might like to crawl out in EV but I only do that to keep my escape noise levels low. In the end though, the ICE has to make more power to recharge the battery and the system tries to avoid a great load on the ICE during warm-up by using a higher degree of electric assist until the engine has some heat in it. Parking with a 60% charged battery (that is where the HSD will try to maintain the level of charge) allows this to happen.

Y'all just enjoy your cars there now.

 

Very good. Now that you have the southern dialect down, we'll start working on the California surfer dialect next week, dude. :madgrin:

 

Or Sacramento/Bay Area ghetto slang?

Lesson #1 Money = Feddie, grip, skrilla, cheddar, scratch, paper, cabbage, C-note, and gouda.


As for the best meothd for parking the vehicle, I would let the car do it's thing then after you've established a good route and an average MPG for that route then try experimenting with EV mode.

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The plural is "you'uns".

 

I'm no expert, but my personal take on this is that:
Even on 2 bars, the HV battery is really about 50% full (1-8 bars roughly means SOC is 40% - 80%, so about 5% per bar); Given that the HSD warranty is 8yr/100k (and I only do about 10k/yr);
I would not worry about letting the ICE run after you parked. Just hit the power button to park/poweroff, and go have a nice dinner