Gas engine comes on

Are you going up a hill and/or accelerating at that point? If I am using a particular on-ramp to the highway, the same thing happens to me in cooler temps.

 

welcome!
prime is not meant to drive in pure ev at all times. in colder weather, engine starting at a particular point in a commute usually means a change in speed and/or topography

 

And use of defroster will instantly turn on ICE. There are other situation not mentioned in the manual but Toyota engineers thought it would be best for the car to turn on the ICE.

 

My car behaves similarly. Check out this thread: Dips in charge / discharge current limits --> ICE on? | PriusChat

If you can get the hybrid assistant and hybrid reporter apps (for android), it might give you some insight into why the engine is turning on.

 

You have to keep in mind that Lithium Ion batteries aren't primarily designed for cold weather operation. Charging a lithium battery at freezing temperatures will permanently damage it which is exactly why Toyota installed battery heaters in the pack. Additionally, this is why the AWD model uses NiCAD cells for colder weather.

Leaving ethanol-blended fuel inside a gas tank for too long is also bad news, ethanol absorbs moisture and can crystallize. Personally, I don't mind my engine burning some fuel every now and then to keep my fuel fresh.

Lastly, while the heat pump heater can work in colder temperatures, engine coolant is still the best bet for HVAC operation below freezing.

If you live in a cold climate with below freezing temperatures year round, you should have bought the AWD NiCAD model, or at least have a heated garage to maximize efficiency.

 

but doesn't heating your garage so your car will be more efficient waste energy?

(unless you're going to sleep out there)

 

Yeah, the awd model definitely would have been more practical for us, as we live up a dirt road in snowy vermont. But... not practical enough to compete with $10,500 worth of incentives on the prime ;-)

 

Doesn't everyone sleep in their garage! I do so to watch over my "baby", to make sure she's safe and comfortable!
And what's this 14° nonsense; I've never heard of such a thing; isn't it always 60° to 100°?!!

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AChoiredTaste.com

 

Is there such a climate other than Antarctica?

 

i live live in a cold climate with below freezing temperatures year round,
its called marriage
thats why i sleep in the garage. with my sexy new "primesse"
and
thats where the beer fridge is !!!

 

True except there are no models with NiCAD. They are either Li-ion (Lithium-Ion) or NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride).