Hello, I'm picking up a 2012 Prius C Two on Wednesday. Took it our for a long test drive and was sold. Any recommendations? Also, is there a thread on the EV button? Bart
Don't use EV unless you'll be crawling around a parking lot or something at 10mph or less. It'll eat up your battery pretty quickly.
I only treat the EV in my wife's v as a 'temporary warmup overide' button. I use it for shuffling cars in the driveway or in carparks if I know there will be a ICE requirement soon. I believe it is a bit of a gimmick.
EV mode really changes the way the vehicle accelerates, as well as automating the climate control settings. This all adds up to fuel savings, but you'll notice the gradual, smoothed out acceleration when getting on highways if you keep EV mode on. I turn it on when in stop and go traffic or city driving. Otherwise, you can leave it off.
Just to clarify, what you're describing here is the Eco mode. EV is electric only, and has many limitations on when it's available to engage.
Thanks for the feedback, it's my first non-manual car so was looking for something to do besides shift.
As said the EV mode button is primarily useful only for skipping a warm up cycle to move the car short distances. You still get ample EV usage, and arguably better fuel economy by simply not using the EV button. When the EV button can be used: Cold engine - EV mode not available Cool engine - Cold EV - Available, kicks out at 10 MPH Warm engine - Hot EV - Available, kicks off at 25 MPH When manually switched to EV mode you have more available power from the electric engine than normal (you can go past the center eco line a touch), but suffer from severe speed limitations as noted above. Stealth EV, the mode entered when the car automatically switches itself over to EV, can handle speeds up to 43 MPH (a physical limitation on the electric engine's RPMs), but has a more limited power output, stopping very strictly at the center eco line...good luck maintaining 43 unless you're going downhill. There are some other threads on the EV mode button as well as the warm up cycle, the planetary gear system, ECO mode (do), shifting to B (don't), and driving techniques. If you have any specific questions, just ask.
You're gonna love the Prius. I don't think I've ever put the car in the EV mode - I let the car decide when EV is approriate. IIRC - reverse is always EV. Drove the first couple thousand miles in regular (non-Eco) mode. Switched to Eco and found it didn't feel much different for me cause I've always been kinda a "leadfoot" anyway. The Prius is slowly, very slowly, reforming my driving habits.
The EV button is pretty worthless. You will explore it for a while, then pretty much stop using it. If you use it very long it will deplete your battery and the engine will run to charge it back up. It's cute, but not real useful, that EV button.
Reverse always uses electric power, but the ICE can still be on. If you start on a cold engine, the ICE will come on after about 10 seconds regardless of what you do, including if you're in reverse.
The ICE can certainally come on (or stay on) when you shift into R, but one thing I've noticed is that it appears that the ICE is unable to stop until you shift out of R, or at least it has more extreme parameters I haven't been able to test the limits of yet.
