I have a 15 mile commute, some uphills and down, about half is flat. Top speed is 45 mph. Was wondering what kind of mileage others are getting with the EV mod? Could you describe your driving conditions please.
The general consensus is that the EV mod won't really increase your mileage, except in a few special cases, mainly pulling out of the driveway and parking lots so the engine isn't running to warm up when you are going slow (it'll burn the same amount of gas if you're sitting there or going 30). Personally, my commute is about 1.5 miles, so i'm not sure how much my results will help you. One direction contains a large downhill, followed by a flat section (very slightly downhill), then another large downhill and a slight downhill to the parking garage. So i'm able to use the EV mod that entire direction to increase my mileage (the downhills help to keep the batteries fully charged). however the return trip i can't use the EV mod at all (since it's all uphill). Hope this helps
Don't forget that, for better or worse, you need the ICE to recharge what's lost during the time you're in EV mode. You need to plan it right. For example I don't use it on my commute (18 miles, residential, freeway and hills) unless I stop at a nearby store on the way home. I then use the EV to go from there to home.
For the first tank I had my EV, I used it sparingly and SWORE that I had a substantial boost in mileage. For my second tank, my mileage dropped BAD because I over-used it. Now, I try to use it very little and only when I know that it's okay. For example, I have a stretch of road that's a couple miles long averaging >45MPH. Then I creep through a couple stoplights. Then another stretch of >45MPH. When I'm creeping, I often use the EV to keep the ICE from kicking in. If I'm not careful, I will overdrain the battery; when I hit that second stretch, I average around 13MPG for quite a while to recharge the battery. So those couple blocks of 99MPG are offset by about a half-mile of 13MPG. Not very productive. I installed it because I figured it would be a neat gadget. If you install it purely for a mileage boost, you might be disappointed.
You can make small increases used very judiciously. It is great to impress people but with the present battery size you need to be very careful on how you use it.
The potential gain = a few tenths here and there The potential loss = substantial if used incorrectly, like just before a big hill or in bumper to bumper traffic where you are mainly running with the ICE off (especially if it is uphill). The reason to do it = FUN! Nothing feels better then cruising through your neighbor hood on pure electric. As mentioned, it also works great on your driveway and in parking garages...oh ya, and to impress you friends and family!
I believe that there are small gains to be had if used correctly under certain circumstances. Example: Short trips in sub-zero weather the engine never shuts off and the SOC remains extremely high. The EV allows short segments of that trip to be done without the engine, to consume some of that extra energy. Used incorrectly, your mileage will drop. Due to the small size of the HV battery, your best-case gains will be small. It's a cool tech toy to add to your car, and a lot of fun. And if you are really frustrated that the car won't go electric when you think it should (very high SOC with low mpg at slow speeds) it will allow you to force the engine off, which is satisfying. But any actual savings in gas will be too small to verify with certainty.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 16 2006, 10:22 AM) [snapback]256226[/snapback]</div> I'm able to use it for substantial gains. My commute involves about 2 miles of 25-30mph before I'm on the highway. Since I'm going to be on the highway anyway, and the ice is going to be charging the HV batteries whether I like it or not, I usually do the EV mode for that 2 mile stretch - and it usually boosts my commute from 50-55 mpg up to 55-62mpg. YMMV Dave
I'd say I picked up about 1-2 mpg using it. I use it 5 times a day. 1. When leaving the house, its about 1.5 miles to the main road, 1/2 of that is down hill, I drop two bars in that time. 2. When going into the parking deck at the gym and leaving it (about a mile total) 3. Last mile heading into work is all 25 mph or slower, I cruise in in electric. 4. Leaving work, same as 3. When I get close to the main road I bump out of EV, let the engine warm up about 15 seconds before I get on the main road (45mph). 5. I come home a different way then I leave and the last bit is about 1.5 miles downhill except for a small hill. I park the car missing 2 or 3 bars depending how fast I go up that small hill
