And the rest of the year, you have everything else. Me? I have a/c loads most of the year so no real big ups and down but my Energi would fire up the ICE anytime I used the windshield defogger during cooler weather. But those exceptions don't make the norm as that plug-in eliminated thousands upon thousands of unnecessary and inefficient ICE starts the rest of the time on my watch and achieving an 84mpg (indicated) lifetime.
Hmm..that's not what I read. Time to call in the gurus. @Raytheeagle So...if you turn on a Prius Prime and use the heater under 14F...does the engine turn on?
We don't have 14 F temps out here . But that's the thresh hold. @john1701a can confirm and has seen it first hand .
Yes but only if you use the engine immediately after unplugging the block heater. Otherwise, it’ll cool down and negate the advantages of plugging in the EBH in the first place. The Prime does have active grille shutters to aid in warming up but note it doesn’t completely close in sub-freezing temps to reduce the risk of ice buildup on the shutters and the potential of them breaking when the grille shutters are moved.
Don't forget that "plug-ins" include vehicles with no block in which to put a block heater. Tesla makes zillions of them. As for the plug-in vehicles that do have an engine block, those really cold temperatures are somewhat of a corner case to this issue. Most of the time, that temperature threshold is not crossed.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. IF.....it is "turned on", it is NOT just setting there doing nothing.
Well..then I read too much into your response...and your initial response was even dumber that I thought...unless you were "joking". Sheesh..I see why you don't have the best reputation around here...
C'mon folks...we all know we are discussing plugin hybrids here ( NOT TESLA!! )..hence the engine block heater discussion.. Trust me...for places like MN, this isn't just a corner issue. If I purchase a Prius Prime and I'm expecting the engine to stay off when in 'EV mode', and it doesn't under 14 degrees F...I want to know why.
Yes.,..but "using the engine" means "using the heater" in temp below 14 degrees F. That is the only point I'm trying to make...I swear!
No, "we all" don't know that. I saw it as a more broad comment that included pure electrics, which best achieve that particular goal:
You got that answer a long time ago. It is because it is designed to do that......to prevent the engine from trying to propel the car when it is STONE COLD. Come on......yourself.
"Just because you don't understand what I am saying does NOT make it "dumb"." Mostly sir, it's the WAY you say it that renders it "dumb".
Actually, according to the Toyota engineers we spoke to in New York, they reason that it's more efficient to burn fuel to generate heat below -10°C/14°F than to try and use the battery to generate heat. I mean with a small battery, that makes sense - the range is going to be "unacceptable" to the general consumer if it was used to generate heat at those temps (and we're assuming the general consumer isn't making efforts to be efficient and just heating up as if they were in their previous car)
I've read, and it seems likely from what I've observed, when you start a regular 3rd gen, cold, the engine starts and fast idles, but is typically NOT propelling the car for those first few minutes; it's just the hybrid battery providing the energy. You can see evidence that bears that out: as you accelerate the sound of the engine doesn't change. I'd suspect if the hybrid battery was low state of charge, then the engine might get called on for propulsion. Could be the engine is also charging the hybrid battery too, in those first few minutes? I haven't really paid attention.
