View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 06-03-2006, 02:13 PM
stevenvillatoro's Avatar
stevenvillatoro stevenvillatoro is offline
www.stevenvillatoro.com
 
Real Name: Steve Villatoro
Location: La Jolla CA
Hybrids: Former '02 Insight and '07 TCH owner.
Posts: 523
Arrow Question about EV mode

Even after my TCHs gas motor (ICE) is fully warmed up, there are times that I would expect EV mode, but cannot achieve it. Here's an example:

Last night I drove 20 minutes to a shopping mall. As I looked for parking, I was in EV mode (no gas motor used). I parked, went into the store, and returned to the car in less than 10 minutes. I started the car, and headed out of the parking lot. The problem? Once under way, although still in the parking lot, I could not get the car to use EV mode. Even at 5 or 10 miles per hour, until I came to a COMPLETE stop, the ICE would not shut off.

This same scenario happens occasionally, even with well-charged batteries. It bugs me when I have to drive at crawling speeds with the ICE unnecessarily running, and I can see I'm just getting 20 MPG. Once I come to a complete stop, and only THEN move forward again, can I get EV to function as I would expect, at the same low speeds. Sometimes, such as on the freeway, it's inconvenient to come to a full stop, but it doesn't seem that it should be necessary, and most of the time it works fine, but not always.

Any ideas from experienced owners?

.

Steve Villatoro
www.stevenvillatoro.com
“An enlightened guide to small business mastery.”
Reply With Quote