Hybrid Charge Mode Question

Until my solar installed, I won't be plugging in my Prius. I bet charge mode is cheaper than wall charging at $.40/kwh. My solar guy says that PG&E will be going to a two tier system based on a baseline amount. Tier 2 will be $.40/kwh. If you exceed your Tier 2 amount, there will be an additional $.40/kwh surcharge. Hard to believe. Single digit raised to PG&E!

 

Worry based on what?

Every generation had something...

Gen-1 had pulse & glide.

Gen-2 had stealth mode.

Gen-3 had electric mode.

Each one worked out just fine.

Now, the gen-4 with plug has charge mode.

 

how do pulse and glide, and stealth hurt fuel economy?

we have corrected many eople here, who think trying to keep it in ev helps mpg's.

charge mode will be the same problem. people will see it and assume it's a good thing.

 

All had MPG penalties if done incorrectly. Same assumption.

 

the first two aren't features of the vehicle, and not in the o/m.

 

So not great evidence since I don't drive this same route often, but the other day I was driving on the highway with only 1 mile left on the battery and a in town drive coming at the end of my drive. I turned on charge mode, continued to get over 60MPG during the highway portion of my drive, then switched to EV mode when I reached town and drove on the EV power I had built up. I did not notice a real drop in performance or efficiency for the highway drive. It wasn't as dramatic as the other person saw. Not sure I would do it often, but then I also would normally have planned my trip better knowing I was going to take the long drive before I did, I would have not used EV on the highway for the first leg of the trip.

 

@Captmiddy , interesting. Do you remember how many miles did you build up and how long time it took?
You do realize that no drop in mpg is not realistic?

 

Oh definitely there was a drop, it just wasn't a significant drop in performance or efficiency at highway speed from my limited use. Again, take the same route 10 times and compare them and I may find that I dropped 10% or 20%, I just don't have the number of trips on that route to rate against, not to mention weather variables and the like.

I was able to build up 7 miles on the meter before I got off, it was about 10 miles on the highway that I did this, not a really long portion and it was a fairly level section of the highway. I just knew the driving on the other end would be far less efficient than what I could pull off with EV given it was fairly hilly and more rural. So keeping to 60MPG approximately on the highway was better than what I would have guessed would be more in the mid 40s driving the city. I ended up with city driving at 999 since it was all EV and averaged 74 MPG for the entire drive and 73 MPG for the entire day (according to the Eco Dashboard in the Prime Apps). Assuming, just for the heck of it, that I managed to keep 65 instead of say 60 on the highway but had to drive by ICE in the town portion, I would have probably averaged 60 overall most likely.

Still not sure I would do this again unless I made the same mistake twice. We just had gone to see a movie then decided, hey lets go to the outlet stores to buy some plates (long crazy story). It wasn't originally planned so the drive to the movie I had done all on EV up the highway and had burned 50% of the EV range before we even started our trek north.

 

So, what we have up to now?
@Captmiddy charged 6-7 miles in 10 minutes (10 miles @60 mph) which is zero to 80% @ about 30 minutes. This coincides with @bisco reporting 2 miles charge in ~3 minutes of highway constant speed test drive and confirms claim of one reporter hearing it (30 minutes to 80%) from Toyota chief engineer for the Prime.
This is a charge rate of about 9 kW.

@bowang on the other hand reported zero to 30% full in 32 minutes (and drastic drop in mpg) which calculates to zero - 80% in 85 minutes.

We need more data.

 

someone buy @bwilson4web a drink.

 

Good summary. My data was collected when car is stationary. Its parked on drive way. A good data point will be driving at 60mph CHG mode for 10 minutes (10 miles) maybe AC off should SoCal weather permits this weekend.

 

Result: Highway driving 12 miles around 65mph for 11 minutes. In CHG mode shows 37.2MPG while battery charged from 0 to 25% (6.5 mile ev range).

8.9kw charging rate consistent with bisco and Captmiddy.

 

That's a 57.35mpg average if you later consume exactly 6.5 miles of Ev range.

 

that's what i expected. a horrible hit to efficiency.

 

I don't see how 57.35MPG average is a horrible hit to efficiency, given this:

Prius Prime Plus in my hands | Page 4 | PriusChat

 

you have to compare it to a wall charge.

 

That's horrible? You must not have taken a vacation that involves short jaunts where you'd like to be able to avoid engine warm-up. Those are MPG killers.

 

i don't need to avoid engine warm up, when i've already been running it on the highway.

 

Our timeshare is 3 miles from the coffee shop. First thing in the morning, the engine is stone cold. The fresh coffee & scones are warm though. Yum.

 

Okay, on what basis? Cost of electricity? That 6.5 miles equates to 1.64kWh which, at $0.13/kWh would cost 21 cents. 6.5 miles at 57mpg would consume 0.11 gallons of gasoline which, at $2.50 a gallon would cost 28 cents. Yes, wall would be a little bit cheaper in this instance - if you have one available. If you don't, doing that 6.5 miles on a cold engine would likely net you 40mph at a cost of 41 cents. So, if this saves you a warmup cycle, you come out ahead 28 cents to 40 cents.