2010 Prius EV mode Hack

If Toyota set the kick out of EV mode at 25 mph, it would be to limit the current drain on the battery and charge dropping below 20% to keep it from exceeding conditions that would shorten it's life. What temperatures will the batteries be at up hill at 50 mph? I would imagine they have done a lot of research on how to get the most years out of these batteries. Sure they could set that kick out at maybe 50 mph, but will those batteries still be working good in 5 years or 10 years? They warranty the Batteries to 8 years, I''m sure they don't want to see these batteries coming in for warranty replacement at their cost.

 

I don't understand the need for EV mode other than if you're moving the car in the driveway or maybe moving because you're blocking someone else in. If I'm going to be driving for more than 30 seconds, I just keep it in ECO mode all the time. I routinely accelerate up to about 40mph in ECO mode without using the ICE.

 

Oddly, we're getting an increase in EV mode speed limit: 2G was 29mph, 3G is 31mph. I'm not sure if those are indicated speeds; I've seen suggestions that the 2G speedo reads 10% above calculated speed over ground, while 3G is only 5% optimistic.

The software clearly is able to tolerate a certain amount of variation in this parameter, so I guess it's just whatever your jurisdiction is willing to permit. 31mph is a little over the UK's default urban speed limit of 30mph, and closer to the more typical 50km/h speed limit used in European countries.

 

Suggest you allow ICE use during acceleration, then use the gas pedal to induce stealth mode (up to 45 mph) at cruising speed. That way you minimize conversion losses while accelerating normally. No need for EV button for this.

No free lunch on using the chemical energy.

 

I have found that EV mode is very good for accelerating from 0 to 25 mph as it allows you to use far more acceleration than in stealth mode. You can see this by watching the Hybrid System Indicator bar go well beyond the center ECO line and at times all the way into the PWR area while still on electric! (I call this a EV burst)
This only lasts until 26MPH but it gives you a short boost of power without using the ICE if you are accelerating to normal speeds after sitting at a light. This over the course of a long trip and many stop lights can save many MPG as getting up to higher speeds will regenerate the battery anyway. I now use this technique when accelerating from all stops. (battery power permitting of course)

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is absolutely wrong and a sure way to lower your overall MPG. Please read the rest of this thread and others like it to learn about the proper use of EV mode. For any trip longer than a quarter mile, you should use the ICE to accelerate at a moderate rate (exact RPM range to be determined later by G3 Prius enthusiasts).

 

the first month my ev mode worked up to 25 mph, now it kicks out at 10 mph, exact same situation, not too cold, not too fast, no hill, it has just changed, and for those who do not understand why the concern, it was fun driving 3 to 4 blocks on electric only but now it doesn't work, dealer didn't know why

 

EV has two "modes":
1. Until the ICE (engine) is warm (70C), EV mode will only work to 10MPH, then shut down ("excessive speed")
2. Once the car is warm, EV will work to 25MPH

EV will not work first thing - unless you turn your car on, then quickly put it in gear, then press EV.

That said, it also has more than 2 quirks

There's another EV thread that details these facts...

 

I was just thinking about this the other day! My cousin is a ford sales rep and was bragging about how the Fusion goes to 47 mph and the Prius only goes up to 25 mph, and then saying it was because of Ford's superior engineering... it just sounds like bogus to me; after all, didn't Toyota sell their technology to Ford a while back? Is there something I'm missing? Perhaps the Ford Fusion battery won't last as long as the one in the Prius because it's subjected to more abuse?

 

There is no need to put it in gear. I often will wait for my kids in the car, and will simply get the car into 'Ready' mode, and quickly hit the EV mode button. That way, I am able to wait comfortably for them in the car, open the windows, and listen to music, until they come out. The one time I also ran the A/C, it did cycle out of EV mode, which I would have expected, and starting running the engine in order to power the A/C.

I still do not know if running the ICE when in park will charge the batteries, or only run accessories? Does anyone know this for certain? I have asked 4 times on the blog, in other posts, and have never seen an answer to this. We know that in 'N', the electrical disconnects. How about in 'P'??

 

EV mode is limited to 29,82 MPH (48 kmH in Europe)
Have a glance at this mini website (it's in English):
La nouvelle Toyota Prius 2009 or go on Toyota.be(lgium)

 

I'm almost certain the car will charge in park, but not neutral. If the battery is depleted in neutral, you will get a message that tells you to put the car in park, I assume this is so the battery will be charged