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EV hybrid


Richblade1981
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Hi does the ev not work during cold weather? I know the ev mode does when you press it

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What makes you ask the question? What is or isn’t happening that you expecting to happen.

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2 minutes ago, Catlover said:

What makes you ask the question? What is or isn’t happening that you expecting to happen.

Hi, thanks for coming back to me. I wasnt expecting it to happen. It's a new car I bought about 3 weeks ago. I love it though. Is it something that generally happens??

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Your Auris has a computer, what car doesn’t these days, but a very sophisticated one in the case of Toyota hybrids. You, the driver, has little control over what the computer does, it’s programmed. So, the computer is programmed to run EV only when certain criteria is met, mostly it protects the engine. 
So when the engine is cold the computer fires it up to get it to a decent temperature. You may be able to press EV Mode, if enough HV Battery bars showing, and run with engine cold BUT only up to a predetermined speed limit, which is relatively low, then the engine will kick in.  This is so you cannot be going ,say, 50mph on a stone cold engine then it kicks in.    In the cold weather, like we been getting just recently, it means the computer will be ensuring the engine is running more, thus keeping the system at a determined temperature. So EV will be running less. Even when the engine is warm an computer allowing EV to run more, the engine will be cooling off, and when it cools to a predetermined temp the computer will kick the petrol engine in again to produce heat.    
Things you the driver does that can effect the amount of time that engine is running include use of heater to warm the cabin up etc.      
You the driver can in certain circumstances force the vehicle to run EV. The HB Battery needs to have a few bars. If you cruising at say 50 mph on a fairly flat road and the engine is running, if you take your foot off the throttle for a brief moment, then reapply gently you may find you are running EV. Acceleration, if any, will be slow, more then likely over a period of time you will gradually loose speed, so you accelerate using engine, then repeat above. It’s called Pulse and Glide. Try You Tube for some tips on Hybrid driving.
 

 

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the same happened to me today so i pressed the EV button to get into EV mode and then it was quite happy in EV

 

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Now the colder weather is here, Hybrids later than the 2nd Generation Prius reduced the maximum speed at which EV mode can be selected via the switch.

Gen 1 didn't have the switch, Gen 2 could use it (subject to sufficient charge) up to 30 mph.  Gen 3 & 4 Prius and cars with the same Hybrid version would only allow selection up to 25 mph if the Battery was too cold (or later, too hot), and maybe up to about 30 if condition were right.

My RAV4 Hybrid will only allow use of EV mode up to 20 mph when cold, but over 30 if warm enough.

Other things can prevent use of EV mode, such as use of the front screen demist button, heavy acceleration and low HV Battery charge.

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The engine can sometimes run purely to give heat to the cabin and if the engine is past it's initial warmup but not far into the journey, the engine can be running at say traffic lights purely to warm the cabin.  If you turn off the heater under these conditions the engine can be made to stop.  You will of course freeze! I am doing this till the car is moving again to at least stop sitting stationary with a running engine. When I'm moving then the engine is providing motion and I allow myself some heat.  This probably saves about £1 of fuel every year or two!

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The engine can sometimes run purely to give heat to the cabin and if the engine is past it's initial warmup but not far into the journey, the engine can be running at say traffic lights purely to warm the cabin.  If you turn off the heater under these conditions the engine can be made to stop.  You will of course freeze! I am doing this till the car is moving again to at least stop sitting stationary with a running engine. When I'm moving then the engine is providing motion and I allow myself some heat.  This probably saves about £1 of fuel every year or two!
That's exactly what I think it's happening and switching the heater off for me puts it in EV mode if the normal criteria are met (I.e. during warm weather).
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This appears to be normal behaviour anyway and nothing to worry about 

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and some of the time you may notice that although the engine is running, according to the displays, no charge is being sent to the HV Battery.  This will likely be to protect the Battery from getting too hot, or to limit the amount of charge it gets over a given time.  Very careful Battery management is key to their long life.

As well as heating the cabin, the engine may run to keep it's own temperature optimal, or even other reasons that aren't known about.

After all my years of driving Hybrids, I'm still fascinated by the way during the warm-up period, even though the engine is running, the car is being driven almost entirely by the electric side, while the engine is run in a mode with it's timing heavily altered to produce lots of heat but little motive power.  The only things that seem to interrupt this, is turning the car off or demanding rapid acceleration.  (I can never remember if the timing is advanced or retarded, not that it matters).

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