When to use EV mode ?

Still learning when to use EV mode too!

So far, I've found it useful in the parking lot and near my home...otherwise, it seems like the Gen III is "smart" enough to turn off the ICE when it's not needed...

 

yes and no. I like the credit card analogy, but it's not the most accurate way to explain it.

Instead of a credit card, think of the EV/ICE relationship like your stock market retirement account. You will be slowly depleating the principle over many years (miles), but you want to leave it in as long as possible and take your earned interest and dividends whenever they are available. When the market is going to be good, build up your balance. Withdraw and use what you have smartly. Try to live off the interest & dividends alone when possible, even though you'll need a little of the principal at times too.


Using the ICE in the Prius alone would not get the mileage figures we see. The battery & EV system adds to it and is an overall benefit. The ICE produces more energy than it needs at times, such as when steadily cruising at speeds above the EV range, or "foot off the gas" deceleration. During those moments, the ICE is running, but the car doesn't need all of what it's producing. That extra energy is converted & stored in the battery pack.

The battery pack is also charged by braking, which is converting mechanical energy into electricity. That's absolutely free. It's the period of "No interest" in the credit card analogy, and the "earning dividends" in the retirement account analogy.

You're absolutely right about the costs of converting, storing, & then using energy. Some is always lost in the process. That broker will always charge you; it's not free to invest in the market.

The best way to use EV is when you know that you'll be earning some anyway in the near future. You've already earned 2-3 bars of energy in your battery, so you use it to drive 2-3 blocks to the post office before hitting the highway onramp. If you're already on full battery before you hit the freeway, you've wasted the opportunity to build up more savings. You can't put more energy in the system if it's already full. (unlike the retirement scenario)

Bah... my analogy isn't very good either. hwell: