Please help me understand EV

Without looking into the manual again, there is a MPH when gone over, the ICE stays on.

I think it is 41-43mph
Anything at that or faster and EV will not come on until you go under.
Also, when going under, all the warm up stages have to be complete.
Also, your heater and/or AC if on, will play a role.
Also, if your batt level is low, the ICE will stay on a bit to charge it.

There may be a few more i cant think off the top of my head right now

edit: oops, stats I typed are for the Prius C.
numbers may be a bit off for the G3, as I am still reading the manual

 

Are you referring to the green EV indicator on the dash above the speedometer, or the pale EV letters in a circle on the HSI screen?

The former, a feature since MY2010, is turned on only by the EV button. The later is new for MY2012, and I haven't watched it enough to comment much about it.

 

Don't expect the car to not use gas when 'slowly accelerating after taking foot off gas'. At 40 MPH, it pretty much can't accelerate without gas. Sometimes it will maintain speed at 40 or maybe 43 MPH, but only smooth road, and not for very long.

It won't do without gas at any speed to maintain speed. It depends on the load. Keep in mind the electric only drive capability is nothing at all like the plug-in Prius. The electric only drive capability of regular Prius is not very powerful.

Don't know where the video is, but a gentleman explains that when able you want to accelerate up to speed reasonably, even if the bar goes somewhat into the power zone.

From there, if power demand is moderate, keep the bar a little bit above the centerline of HSI.

It will maintain electric only much more when in the 20's MPH range, like in a home tract and it's warmed up with no heavy accesory usage. But, you don't want to milk the EV capability too much. If you get EV, great, otherwise let the gas engine do what it needs to do.

On freeway doing 65 MPH, may need to be 1/2 way up into upper eco zone.

 

I can maintain 45 at 0 RPM's per my Scanguage till the battery hits two bars, not that that is the most efficient way of driving the Prius of course!

 

There is a setting you have to enable for the EV light in the HSI to show up. Check your manual.

 

By the way he/she explained it, it sounds like the EV zone, not EV mode.

I dont see any talk about buttons.

Hope this helps.

 

It's the same thing. He clearly does not want to fire the ICE until 15+mph. That means you are in EV mode regardless of any buttons pushed. The EV mode button just makes this easier.

 

In my C they are different, as you can stay in EV mode, and go into eCo zone
IF you press the button. But if you dont press the button, and go over the eCo line...then you are taken off EV mode.

I have not driven my Prius long enough to know if it is the same.....but I will check.

I just made it that kind of point, as the OP was asking for that actual mode/zone questions.