EV mode?

Read the thread about Prius warm-up stages below:
Gen3 warming up stages | PriusChat

In short. EV mode after power on can be engaged within 10 seconds (before ICE starts and other requirements are met).
When car is in cold state EV is limited to 10 mph.
You can switch to EV only if battery temp is between 0 and 40 deg C (20 deg C in US AFAIR) and charge level is at least 4 bars.

But usability of EV mode is not to drive using it. It allows you to avoid starting ICE if you need to push the car few meters or outside the garage. In other circumstances it is not the most economical way to drive (search through forums - a lot of talk about it).
Recharging battery by ICE is less effective than driving using ICE itself.

 

OP, in case you're wondering what ICE is, it's Internal Combustion Engine.

 

The salesman at the dealership referred to EV mode as golf cart mode. He said it's useful once you pull into a parking lot, switch to that and you're running purely on battery while you hunt for a spot to park your precious gem.

 

Yes, that will work once you have already been driving it for a while and the engine is warm (and battery 4 bars or more). But when you try and put it into EV mode when just starting up and it is a bit cold, it won't allow EV mode.

Mike

 

I was out Christmas shopping yesterday. I had been driving around all morning and ended up at a mall with a fairly large parking lot. I parked near one store and went in. I was in there for maybe 15 or 20 minutes. I decided to test out EV mode and drive across the parking lot to the other store I was interested in. I got in the car, switched to EV and was happily driving at 8 mph, then 9, then 10. When I got to 11 mph the ICE switched on, and that was that. I was surprised, since the car should not have been "cold" after sitting for only 20 min. I was expecting it to go to 25 mph.

 

Mine does that as well. It's rare I can drive over 20 in EV mode and when I do it's not for very long. I'm trying to utilize it more now because I want to increase my MPG. After 1 day of driving yesterday, carefully, I was able to get 53.8 mpg. Which considering I have 17" wheels and am projected to lose MPG for that I'd say that wasn't too shabby. Now I just need to make sure I keep my lady friend out from behind the wheel.

 

Used at times of opportunity, that will indeed be the outcome.

Always be aware when recharging occurse. Without a plug, the battery replenish is only available from the engine. Preventing it from running can actually result in a net decrease in MPG.

 

The battery is recharged when going down hill especially if a small amount of braking is appropriate. The battery is charged when slowing down for a stop. The battery is recharged by the ICE at relatively high efficiency when accelerating, traveling at the higher speeds or going up hill but not so much when traveling at 20 - 40 mph on the flat. Use of this "free" and relatively efficient charging energy seems like a good idea.

I find the turning the EV Mode switch on isn't of much use. However, accessing EV with proper use of the accelerator works nicely at all speeds up to about 42 mph when the road is flat or slightly down hill. Its like the famous pulse and glide instead its pulse and EV. Once the ICE is warm, pulse up to speed then back off on the accelerator until the EV indicator comes on, now use the accelerator to keep in the EV section of the display. That works very nicely for distances from 1/2 to 1 miles at speeds from 20 to 40 mph especially when your route has modest variations in elevation at modest speeds. Highway driving is a somewhat different story.