How to use EV switch

Now that my switch is in and I've used it for a day or two, I'll start with my
experiences. Hopefully others will add theirs, and some will have test
results of loops with and without!

I have to say I am using this switch more than I expected to based on the
other threads, and I think is is adding significantly to my mileage as well
at times. Testing is hard here due to traffic and never the same twice
temperatures!

In general I try to use the switch only when I have a specific reason, or
when I think I know something the car doesn't.

So far my uses include:

1 Just for the silence. If I am tracing down a rattle or squeak noise it helps.
2 At end of runs I figure might as well get to parking space without car
wasting more energy keeping itself warm. Last half mile home same
when traffic permits going that slow. Also here I figure a bit low bat
will mean more charging in AM and therefore faster more efficient warm
up!
3 In traffic jams all stop and go, I try to help car sync to terrain so it
does electric more for down hill or flat sections and then let it start for
uphill ones.
4 Also in traffic jams I find the traffic forces too fast acceleration for
normal electric, but button lets it happen and the final speed is still under
25 to 30 many times.
5 Ideal for short trips of under a mile or longer when down hill so car
never has to start and pollute at all.
6 Moving car to plow driveway, etc. Too bad it has to be over freezing.
Often still works if I had been out driving that day and car is warmer than
air temps.
7 Back roads without traffic just going slow but hills a bit steep for the
normal engine off mode.
8 Getting to traffic light stops I consider the flow, temps, terrain, etc
and help the car decide how to start up.
9 Starting up in am I let car start to get warm up happening, and because I came home with it off! But other times I will delay start for slow low load sections so I can start where I get on the highway and engine can warm faster.

Overall I think it adds as much as 5 mpg to my trip mileage at times on
my short 13 mile commutes. ie 43 to 48 mpg! Less effect for longer
ones and then very traffic and terrain dependent.

But like I say conditions vary a lot so maybe this is just my new button
wishful thinking? Anyone else seeing a mileage boost? And it makes
me really start wondering more how Toyota could have left this button
off our cars here!

 

I'm still seeing a bump up in mileage but can't tell for sure how much. Also it
varies so much with conditions. My normal commute is too fast to use
much EV. So I use it most when there are traffic jams going home. I also
find it can get too cold to use it some days except on trips with long warmups.

I expect the button got left off for the first reason you cite. Regarding the increased
pollution issue, maybe someone from Toyota could enlighten us unofficially? My
impression is this should not be a big problem since as soon as I go EV any longer
than I should for the temperatures, the car cancels the EV and keeps itself warm.
Appears to do it just about like it would if I was in normal electric mode and just
driving really slow so I could stay in it. Car cools and engine starts up for no other
reason I can see than to keep itself warm.

And by ending my trips in EV I am clearly reducing pollution, because the engine never
runs, at all till the next day when engine starts cold either way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SantaCruzDad\";p=\"63575)</div>

I think this is something I was more worried about before,
than now after getting the button, and using it.

1 First of all, I do expect the battery could wear out sooner
from using the button too much, but I think it would be like
14 years vs 15 years on the battery, and not that significant.
And remember you are in control of how much you use it.
You can limit the bars where you switchoff if you want, and not
wait for the computer to do it at it's limits!


2 I do expect battery costs to come down.

3 The EV button cycling could shorten the life but I see lots of cycling
anyway even without the button. The battery is always charging or
discharging virtually continuously.

4 At worst the button should not hurt the battery anymore than someone
who lives in mountains and charges and discharges going up and down
hills daily. From what I have read here, this causes more battery
cycling extremes than anyone would be likely to do with the EV button.

Remember the computer overrules you when it feels like it. It is not just
you get to 2 bars and it turns off. it can turn off at 3 or 4 bars if it
thinks your battery is too cold. And when really cold it virtually disables.

5 Most of my button use doesn't cycle things much more than I do
just driving gently to use stealth mode! The biggest use of the button
for me is in traffic jams where the gentle acceleration is not possible,
I can still get the battery power benefit and keep up with slow traffic,
just a step faster than the car can accelerate without EV. So the overall
battery workout is just like going up a steeper hill or accelerating more
but not really using any more of the battery range.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SantaCruzDad\";p=\"63667)</div>

This has been discussed a lot here already! I'll just say I expect Toyota to honor my warranty, unless I cause damage.

As for the EV button that is a minor mod compared to other stuff I am doing to get the car ready for my usage.

Besides, if I were Toyota I'd be a lot more concerned about the people
that put the car in neutral and forget it doesn't charge, or the ones who
have posted here about running out of gas, driving on electric till battery
is dead. Then waiting for it to recover a bit and trying again and making it to the gas pump.

These involve no mods to the car but will do far more damage!

 

My experiences have been quite different from Ray's.
My very best mileage was well over 70 mpg and was when
I drove for miles on battery and motor with the engine off.
This was before I got the EV button installed, on a
warm day with minimal traffic. So the computer was just
doing its normal operation. With driving where the engine
is always on I have yet to get over 54 mpg! (expect better
once I get to summer fuel, I got my car in December.)

I also find the battery stays green mostly when cold, and keeps on
charging pretty full time anyways. And power comes from the
engine almost entirely till the battery gets warmed up.

I have a feeling that EV helps more in cold weather, by helping
the few engine shutdowns to be sync'd to the best spots, like
at traffic lights that are closely grouped, down slopes, etc. With
the computer insisting on keeping the catalytic converter warm,
might as well get the battery mode where it does the most good.
and there is always excess charge available on the battery.

Then when it gets really cold, alll that stops and everything just runs
off the engine. Too cold it won't let the battery do much at all EV or
no EV.

So EV is most helpful when temps are between say 20 and 40 degrees,
and after at least 5 to 10 minutes of warm up. Above 40 I find the
normal electric mode works a lot on it's own. Below 20 and EV is
very limited after warm up due to the engine cooling so fast.

Now it is around 10 degrees F and nothing works to give me economy!
So I'll have to wait for a warm up to experiment more. But when
condiitons are right, I still beileve I gain about 5 mpg from EV mode
use.

If the premise that EV and battery use is bad due to the losses etc were true, then
our cars would be junk because that is precisely the way they are
designed to operate. If the concept that battery use should be minimal
were true we should be all driving Honda Civics, or some other assist mode hybrid.

I just wish the motor and battery could be used at speeds above 42! If
it could be used I think the EPA city rating of 60 would be the lower
number! I expect Toyota to fix this in the next version!

 

Not disputing the above, but I think the break even point could be at a hiigher speed than
currently. I think one reason it uses engine above 42 mostly is because of the losses of
the engine having to rotate anyways. If the motor alone could turn at say 55 mph, the
hp needs could still be low enough to benefit perhaps. Just speculating here. Would
explain the extra kludges GM plans too. And batteries should get bigger and better too
in the future versions. Ultimately we will have griddable hybrids if not full time electrics.

As for our cars not being electic, that is really true today. at 7 degrees F here, my
EV mode was fully locked off! Even the normal engine stop at lights was not long
enough for the lights, so much gas was wasted. And the engine sounded like a regular
car, racing on the slightest acceleration. Gas mileage to work was 33.

 

My whole tank mileages are terrible, and mean virtually nothing to me. There is just too
wide a mix of driving conditions involved.

So I go by the average on the display. Currently I am resetting each morning to just
measure my commute to work, so I can see the effectes of temerature since that is the
major variable that changes. I have also used it for full trip loops of 50 to 100 miles.

This is not exact, I realize, and neither is filling the tank, at least till warmer weather.
And if my battery state at start and end match it will be more accurate, I but I am
seeing differences that swamp this out.

As for drawing the battery down, at the end of trips. I see lots of charging going on
that is clearly not needed each morning. I see this as wasted energy.
Otherwise I can't explain my mileage improvements. My display could be off
but it should be precise enough to measure this stuff on less than a whole tank.