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What exactly is the logic used in Auto EV/HV mode?

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nickc72

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Fingers crossed the new car turns up this week but in the meantime I wondered about the above. Now here is what I imagined but I don't know if it is true as there seems to be some confusion in related threads...

1. It defaults to EV unless you stomp your foot down on the gas when it switches to HV.

2. Above a certain speed (65mph?) It switches to HV.

That would make sense?

Anyone regularly using auto mode and if so are the switch overs logical and noticeable? And in 1. what kind of delay is there between stomping said foot down and power delivery?

Or is everyone just using the manual switchover to HV when you think it best or most appropriate? For instance, because you actually want to use the battery on the highway for 40 miles or however far you can get on a full charge at 70mph?

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#2 ·
From my experience it is #1.

In EV mode, power is capped off in the middle of the PWR section.

In Auto EV/HV mode, as soon as you gun it and the needle swings past the middle PWR section, the engine fires up.

Of course, if you exceed 84 mph, mode or no mode, engine fires up.

Personally I think Auto Mode is not good for the engine. You are asking it to provide surge power when cold. I think that’s is why Toyota made it not sticky.


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Discussion starter · #3 ·
jazhanel said:
From my experience it is #1.

In EV mode, power is capped off in the middle of the PWR section.

In Auto EV/HV mode, as soon as you gun it and the needle swings past the middle PWR section, the engine fires up.

Of course, if you exceed 84 mph, mode or no mode, engine fires up.

Personally I think Auto Mode is not good for the engine. You are asking it to provide surge power when cold. I think that’s is why Toyota made it not sticky.


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Click to expand...
Cheers Jaz. I think that's probably good enough reason for me to just avoid it. I'll stick to manual selection. Most of the time I'll be in EV mode but for long highway trips I'll switch over to HV and just use the EV mode for the beginning and end of journey's through the towns when under 40mph.

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#4 ·
nickc72 said:
Cheers Jaz. I think that's probably good enough reason for me to just avoid it. I'll stick to manual selection. Most of the time I'll be in EV mode but for long highway trips I'll switch over to HV and just use the EV mode for the beginning and end of journey's through the towns when under 40mph.

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Click to expand...
That is how I use mine. Never had a situation I didn’t have enough power to get out of the way in EV mode yet. And I live it Texas with 85 mph speed limit on highways.


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#6 ·
nickc72 said:
Cheers Jaz. I think that's probably good enough reason for me to just avoid it. I'll stick to manual selection. Most of the time I'll be in EV mode but for long highway trips I'll switch over to HV and just use the EV mode for the beginning and end of journey's through the towns when under 40mph.

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Click to expand...
I have 35 mile one way commute all highway and primarily flat. I use EV one way in the morning. If I can charge near work , I do and then let it auto flip to HV on the way home.

When going up prolonged hills, I select Charge (Hold) w/ Sport mode to ensure I have the engine one and available for responsiveness. If it really needs the engine, it drops out of Charge (Hold).

I recently switched the HUD to show the tachometer as the Charge/Eco/Pwr is on the dash.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
FranklinStout said:
I have 35 mile one way commute all highway and primarily flat. I use EV one way in the morning. If I can charge near work , I do and then let it auto flip to HV on the way home.

When going up prolonged hills, I select Charge (Hold) w/ Sport mode to ensure I have the engine one and available for responsiveness. If it really needs the engine, it drops out of Charge (Hold).

I recently switched the HUD to show the tachometer as the Charge/Eco/Pwr is on the dash.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Charge hold is where the ICE charges the battery right?

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#8 ·
I think it's just "Charge" mode. "Hold" is the instruction to the operator to hold down the button for a sec or two to get into that mode.
Franklin: I am not sure why you'd use charge mode uphill. You are just wasting gas and putting the.engine probably under 100% load, making the uphill effectively much steeper for the engine. Even in HV mode, going uphill, the ICE will be doing the work, but not putting additional strain on the engine from the generator.
 
#9 ·
nickc72 said:
Thanks. Charge hold is where the ICE charges the battery right?

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Click to expand...
It depends on how you push the button. If you just tap the button, you flip back and forth between EV and HV mode. If you hold it down for like 5 seconds, it goes into charge mode. (lights will show up on the dashboard)
 
#10 ·
Denofel said:
I think it's just "Charge" mode. "Hold" is the instruction to the operator to hold down the button for a sec or two to get into that mode.
Franklin: I am not sure why you'd use charge mode uphill. You are just wasting gas and putting the.engine probably under 100% load, making the uphill effectively much steeper for the engine. Even in HV mode, going uphill, the ICE will be doing the work, but not putting additional strain on the engine from the generator.
Click to expand...
I want to make sure I have the engine going. I am talking about 6-7% rolling hills of Southern Oregon. Once I crested the hill, I switched back to EV and used the paddle shifters to regen. It will flip out of Charge if the engine demand is too much.
 
#11 ·
FranklinStout said:
I want to make sure I have the engine going. I am talking about 6-7% rolling hills of Southern Oregon. Once I crested the hill, I switched back to EV and used the paddle shifters to regen. It will flip out of Charge if the engine demand is too much.
Click to expand...
Why not drive uphill in HV mode so you can take advantage of the full 302 HP? Charge mode restricts your power output and puts more strain on the ICE.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Awaiting to pick up my PHEV next week I am unexperienced still.
But I think that Auto EV/HV mode tries to make the ICE happy by running at optimal rpm or cooling down when using EV.
I just doubt that this regimen would be regarded as optimal during the break-in period. I plan to combust the 1st tank filling over the first 500 m or as far as I'll get using Charge mode.
 
#13 ·
Denofel said:
I think it's just "Charge" mode. "Hold" is the instruction to the operator to hold down the button for a sec or two to get into that mode.
Franklin: I am not sure why you'd use charge mode uphill. You are just wasting gas and putting the.engine probably under 100% load, making the uphill effectively much steeper for the engine. Even in HV mode, going uphill, the ICE will be doing the work, but not putting additional strain on the engine from the generator.
Click to expand...
I agree...the charge mode will take some of the power from the ICE to charge the battery at all times...so, you won't ever achieve max power. Better to set it to HV (engine will kick on).
 
#14 ·
nickc72 said:
Cheers Jaz. I think that's probably good enough reason for me to just avoid it. I'll stick to manual selection. Most of the time I'll be in EV mode but for long highway trips I'll switch over to HV and just use the EV mode for the beginning and end of journey's through the towns when under 40mph.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
After two long trips with mine.....I do pretty much exactly what you are thinking....HV for the long run, then switch to EV for the last 30 to 40 miles. Even in EV if you fully "stomp it" the ICE will kick in ..... in "Auto" it simply kicks in a bit earlier.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Thanks each. Really helpful. Car was due for delivery tomorrow but some kind of f... up by my company car folk now means later this week or early next.

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#17 ·
blitt said:
Even in EV if you fully "stomp it" the ICE will kick in ..... in "Auto" it simply kicks in a bit earlier.
Click to expand...
Really? All the reviews I’ve seen say that even if you floor it, the engine won’t start if you’re in EV mode. Isn’t that why the 0-60 time in EV mode is so much slower?
 
#18 ·
generaltso said:
Really? All the reviews I’ve seen say that even if you floor it, the engine won’t start if you’re in EV mode. Isn’t that why the 0-60 time in EV mode is so much slower?
Click to expand...
Never seen it. In EV power meter pegs out at the middle of PWR section and stays there when I floor it. ICE never comes on.


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#19 ·
blitt said:
After two long trips with mine.....I do pretty much exactly what you are thinking....HV for the long run, then switch to EV for the last 30 to 40 miles. Even in EV if you fully "stomp it" the ICE will kick in ..... in "Auto" it simply kicks in a bit earlier.
Click to expand...
I have not experienced the same. I'm in EV most of the time and have never had the ICE come on except when the EV range was completely depleted. I've shown a few passengers what the acceleration feels like in EV/Sport mode from 0 to Highway speeds and have not had the ICE come on. If yours does, I think something else is going on. Perhaps your floorboard under the pedal is dented and you have an extra inch or 2 of pedal range that we don't have 😜

dp
 
#20 ·
dpostman said:
I have not experienced the same. I'm in EV most of the time and have never had the ICE come on except when the EV range was completely depleted. I've shown a few passengers what the acceleration feels like in EV/Sport mode from 0 to Highway speeds and have not had the ICE come on. If yours does, I think something else is going on. Perhaps your floorboard under the pedal is dented and you have an extra inch or 2 of pedal range that we don't have 😜

dp
Click to expand...
Before the service my engine did start if I floored it in ev mode with full battery, after the service the car does not do this anymore, maybe they did some update :S
 
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