PHV Prius Owner Videos

Here's my first with the PHV...


Just Drive It

This was my very first drive with the ScanGauge connected to the 2012 Prius PHV. I attached it to my filming rig with a camera, then covered them all with a box to block out all the external light. That meant I couldn't see any data until watching the video capture afterward. So, I was able to "just drive it" without any influence.

The first thing I noticed afterward was the age and generic nature of that aftermarket gauge was inaccurate reporting of travel speed. Darn! It looks like the gauge is under-reporting by 3 MPH. Oh well, maybe there will be a new version available later for owners like me. That data isn't needed for my driving anyway, especially since I have a HUD (Heads Up Display).

The next observation was engine RPM. It's accurate, but slow to refresh and reports when the engine motion has come to a halt... not when fuel is actually cut. Fortunately, the PHV model has an EV indicator, informing you exactly when that fuel consumption has ended rather than waiting for the fuel-less engine to stop spinning. MPG an unknown. Since I couldn't see the gauge while I was driving, I'll have to wait for future drives on the 70 mph highway for comparison. FWT (coolant temperature) is priceless in an fashion. You could clearly observe how I entered the highway with the system still cold, how long it took to warm up, and how long that warmth was retained once returning to EV driving.

For me, I especially like seeing the low RPM and high MPG while traveling at high speeds. The values themselves are revisions to the system since the early model PHV. That one drained the battery-pack faster, not taking advantage of the engine as much as this one does. This results in an overall higher efficiency and provides more opportunity for EV later. Remember, while in HV mode, the EV range will rise due to the engine running and regen opportunities.
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It was 50°F.

I have no idea. The "just drive it" motto defines my approach well. It seems to fit PHV well too, since the system so easily automatically switches into EV mode.

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I'm looking forward to filming the drive I did several times throughout last year, those routes to the coffeeshop and back.

Today was my first opportunity to try with a full battery-pack. I took the suburb route. Total distance is 15.6 miles. Since firing up the engine was inevitable with a capacity of 13.1 available, I did it intentionally.

First time was by pushing the Power button for the first time ever. It was along a route with a speed limit of just 40 mph. That meant very little need for the engine. My interest was how much EV range would be added from the HV driving and at what temperature the engine would shut off at.

Range was about 0.4 miles. It was hard to tell though, since some was consumed by a hill and accelerating from a stop. Plus, there was some gain from regen too. It was a similar situation on the way back.

Coolant threshold appeared to be 132°F, though that was hard to tell with the value rising so quickly. On the return trip, it looked like the same temperature for the engine shutting off.

213 MPG was the final average from the entire drive.
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It's a GoPro in the window, a tiny wearable light-weight waterproof HD video camera that can also take photos automatically. The triple suction-cup rig keeps it very steady.







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Seeing only the front view without either side or the back can give uncertain & misleading impressions.

On Friday with light traffic like that, you get the large bunch of us that all sticking to the limit (the Prius speedometer said I was going 70/71 not matching the 68 on the aftermarket gauge) and others zip past mostly in the far left. Sadly though, a few use the far right to pass everyone.

Personally, I don't have any desire to weave through traffic. It's more rewarding to just enjoy the ride.
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Coincidentally, the factory tires for PHV are what I switched to with my 2010... Goodyear Assurance Fuel-Max. That makes comparisons way closer than I imagined.

I bumped PSI up to the same as what I've been driving with for years... 44 front, 42 rear.
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No updates, it's the same old gauge I bought for the 2004 Prius.

It's just another suction-cup on the windshield, as countless others have. Of course, mine is far off in the passenger area. Being inaccessible to the driver... quite unlike a navigation device ...makes it pretty much a non-issue.
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Here's the first of my PHV videos including dashboard info:

First Eco-Meter

First-time setup for Eco-Meter filming with the PHV was quite a challenge. I encountered a variety of new problems, like not knowing where the HUD (Heads Up Display) light-sensor was until after laying out all the new glare-mats. Getting the camera mount to stay stuck to the dashboard didn't go so well either. As a result, I forgot to dim the display itself to prevent over-exposure... which means extra edit work later to tone down the excessive glow. The new higher-quality screen with a faster refresh rate left me clueless about what to expect. Then there was the frustration of using up some of the battery-capacity while setting up... which means less available for the drive itself. There's wasn't much I could do to prevent that though. The weather wasn't exactly cooperating either. Sitting there in the car, I was getting bombed by the tree dropping new spring buds onto the windshield, leaving trails of pollen behind... which I didn't remember to wipe off afterward.

When I finally started the drive, being hot & tired, I forgot that turning on the outside vent would result in a lower EV capacity value being displayed on the Eco-Meter. Ugh! It automatically assumes a loss from climate-control usage, revising the estimate shown to a lower value. So when I got to the halfway point, I turned it off (note the 0.7-mile increase). Fortunately, there was still plenty remaining to not have confused that information sharing. Despite the hills, traffic, and not starting with a "full" battery, the drive still resulted in 13.0 miles straight of EV travel. That was nice to capture on video. What was odd was the traffic incident at the intersection shortly following the engine start. Watch for the yellow sports car, then the reaction by the police car.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. It was a casual Summer drive on a beautiful windy day through the suburb to the coffeeshop and back. With a top speed-limit of 45 mph, it's the slowest by most scenic route. Notice the bike-trail on the side; I ride that with the bicycle from time to time. Watching the Eco-Meter, you'll that most of the there's plenty of EV power available. You'll also see the capacity go up a times from hills and regenerative braking. When the engine finally starts near the end, you'll see MPG plummet. That's a strange sensation watch it drop from 999 MPG. You'd feel disappointed if it wasn't for the absolutely outstanding result for that 15.7-mile drive. 282 MPG is incredible!

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