HV/EV button (taking advantage of it)

Mitch,

I have been able to regen EV miles after it switched to HV only with zero EV miles.


0.1 mile kept showing up when I started going downhill, coasting or braking. I just try to build up on that initial EV mile I got back.

 

I have not seen that, probably because I don't have many long downhill stretches after it switched to HV, I just try to keep some EV miles availble while driving, if possible, and get to the destination with none left. I set the GPS for the destination so I have an idea about the distance remaining...

 

The majority of my driving during the weekdays are short distances, averaging from 2 to 5 miles per trip. My job involves multiple short trips during the work day. Then on weekends, I do longer drives, also midweek I have a longer drive in the evening.

I've been trying to figure out what the best way for me to take advantage of the HV/EV button, because it seems like since I tried doing it that I am getting less mpg. So I wonder if I should just keep driving in EV and only try to do the HV when I go on my longer drives?

Thanks much for any advice to get better mpg

 

I started seeing that only recently after having driven 2,000 miles (don't know if that has anything to do with it) and I can replicate it now.

The first time it happened I was on my way home and I was just trying to use up my EV miles and it dropped faster than I anticipated. It switched to HV automatically and to my surprise the 0.1 mile showed up!

 

If your drive is within the EV range, there would be no reason to use HV mode.
HV is for longer drives.
Playing around with the button is for drives that are marginally beyond EV range, or the choose when EV is most useful on a long drive.

 

Maybe when driving around 55 or 60, to reduce strain on the battery and prolong its life and capacity?

But I wish there were some quantification available of this effect.

 

Thanks for the helpful tips on using the hv/ev to maximize mpg. At this point, for me, it is best to just let the car decide which to do, because when I try to fiddle with the hv/ev, i seem to get less mpg.

Still yet, I am very pleased that for my first 270 miles, I have an overall average of 99 mpg which is twice as much as I used to get with my regular prius that I traded in.

Does anybody know about the ECO button, are you using that when you are taking advantage of the HV/EV button?

Thanks bunches

 

I have mine in eco almost all the time helps with a little bit better mileage!

 

After a little over two weeks, my HV/EV ratio is 4/1. During the work week, I don't think I can improve much on that - I'm finding that weekends are much easier to manage in EV. So maybe as time goes by, I'll improve the ratio.

 

When I drove from CA to CO a few days ago, mine switched to Eco when I started driving too fast for EV. From then on whenever I restarted the car was on Eco all the time except for 18 milies toward the end when it automaically switched to EV.

I have reported the performance earlier: http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-prius-plug-in/108646-long-est-pip-drive-dealer-home.html

Since I have not driven any other way yet other than EV, I can't compare with other modes.

 

Only recently have I started choosing HV mode earlier (warming up the ICE long before I've run out of EV). Part of the reason I think I waited until now to try this was because I liked to have a decent amount of EV miles 'built up' such that it would take the ICE a while to start 'ruining' the great mpg I had going. Now, I realize on trips where I must use the ICE anyway that it is much better (more efficient) to use the ICE to accelerate up to speed even when EV could do it alone. The acceleration EV is better saved for cruising once I've reached my desired speed.

My other concern about using the ICE early was that I worried that my engine might become cold when I ran out of EV and the ICE might need to warm up again for me to use up the small EV available to me in HV mode (stealth mode for one last mile). Now, in the warmer weather of spring/summer, that isn't too big of an issue. When temperatures turn cold again in the fall, I'm sure there will be some new experimenting required to optimize ICE use when it cools off much more rapidly.

I do love the EV/HV button! Good work Toyota!!!

 

Today, I tried something different.

2 miles before getting on highway at a light, I pressed HV/EV, engine started, presseed HV/EV back to EV and engine was running.

I noticed an increase in EV battery by .2

When the light turned green, I accelerated in EV, and the EV was not lit, but showing the EV graph. While driving in this mode, battery increased another .1 or so.

Couple of minutes, engine warmed, EV lit, and was driving to the on ramp ro highway. I switched to HV, which was warm and ready to go.

In the past, I would hit HV/EV while entering the highway, and would immediately lose .5 of EV, and the engine would be cycling, and making a louder noise.

What I did today, was not lose EV,Stacked energy, and arrived at work registering 79 MPG.

Tomorrow, I will go back to the old way, and see how MPG is compared to today.

MIke

 

Today, my commute was 5-6 miles back roads in EV....entered ramp to highway, hit HV/EV engine started accelerated, and lost 1.0 of EV. and drove roughly 10 miles @ 65 in ECO. I did little to no coasting, but the battery regained 1.0 EV right before I hit the off ramp. The last 1-2 miles are in pure EV.

Going 17.3 miles, I averaged 86 MPG.

I know I hit more lights yesterday, but not sure if that could be the difference.(79 mpg)

Hopefully John can make use of this data, and look forward to what may be the optimal approach.

Tomorrow, Ill warm the engine and see if the results are consistent.

Mike

 

The PiP always restores the EV capacity it uses, during HV engine warmup, after the engine is warmed up.

If you wait until EV capcity has expired, and it automatically switches to HV engine warmup, it's doing the same thing, but using HV battery capacity during warmup, then restores it.
It appears to me there is greater HV battery capacity for use than a regular Prius.
(and i'm NOT implying there are seperate batteries, just mode partitions)

I can fully deplete my EV range to 0, and actually use that extended HV portion of battery to Stealth the last mile or so (alot further than a regular Prius), thus extending my usable "EV" travel range. Then let the plug recharge it, instead of the gas engine.
So I think its better to not deplete EV range completely during a trip, but OK to do it at the end of a trip. Once EV range is gone, you can't get it back.
(with routine regen opportunities)

Actually the coolest feature they build into this EV/HV concept is the switch, and allowing the EV capacity to remain, if switched to HV early.

Think about it, If I switch to HV manually, with EV range remaining, and then Stealth or warp Stealth, I'm depleteing battery charge, but not the indicated EV range. Follow? That is a cool feature.

 

Use "B" to recharge twice as much when slowing down for traffic. I've found that I can put my PHV in "B" when approaching a stop sign or light and it seems to me that it generates about twice the power as just applying the brake in "D". Putting the PHV in "B" does not seem to engage the ICE to slow you down as long as you're going less than around 41 mph. Above 41-43 mph it appears to engage the engine to help slow you down in "B". "B" just seems to be a more aggressive generation of power to slow you down.