I don't know why I am just now noticing it, but when I pull out of my driveway in the morning, I have noticed that even though the ICE is running (since it is still cold), my car sounds like it is in EV mode until I reach 5-10 mph, and then I can hear the ICE "rev".

I still love this car! I am still learning about it every day.

 

When I leave in the morning, I have a brief uphill, then a downhill of about the same distance (total distance of 1/3 mile) then a stopsign. After the stopsign it is a 'straight' shot for the next 2 miles, though there is a 40 mph curve and some slight up and downhills. The last quarter to half mile are at lower speeds, going into the school zone (where I work) and pretty steep downhill grade. What I have discovered is to quickly put it on cruise at 40 before I get to the stopsign, then get it up to the minimum for CC to set (20 or 25) and then hit resume. I let the CC control the gas, and it settles it into EV quicker than I would. Mileage is consistantly at 38-41 mpg for this 2.5 miles.

Oh, is there a minimum distance you have to go to get the ECO mode to show anything? (well, above 20...) I have noticed on short trips that even though the real-time readout is quite good, nothing shows up on the ECO stairstep...

As has been said before, cruise is your best friend...even on non-hybrid cars.

Oh, got my standard issue license plate today...last three letters are VJZ...for Very Jazzy Automobile! :-)

 

Mine does the same thing. It's as if the MG2 is doing most of the work until the ICE gets warmed up.

My Prius did the same thing.

 

The ICE won't turn on for about 10 seconds after start-up. I think the car goes through a self-diagnostic. Could this be what you're experiencing? Try starting the car and don't go anywhere. Just sit there with your foot on the brake. See if the ICE turns on at around the same amount of time after starting the car.

 

I think it's retrieving the hot coolant it stored in it's thermos bottle.

 

OK, I'm easy. I can believe that.

 

I was told that this thermos compartment was heated by high voltage from the large battery pac therefore heats real fast like a large water heater. But to beleive anything anyone says about these cars is just plain hearsay.

 

No. What I meant is that I start the car, back out of the garage (by which time the ICE will start), turn around in my driveway, and pull out the the end of the drive. The ICE is definitely running already (very quietly), as the Instant MPG is at zero as I wait for traffic to clear.

When I then pull out onto the road, it sounds like the ICE is just idling until I hit 5-10 mph, then I can hear it rev up to speed. I live on a 55mph road, so I have to get up to speed fairly quickly when traffic is present.

This isn't a complaint by any means - just an interesting (to me, at least) observation, since the ICE doesn't seem to be contributing to the intitial "launch" out of my driveway...

 

Hello,

First post here but I've been reading for a while. Excellent forum.

I just got my Mag Grey TCH last week and I'm loving it. One thing I'm noticing is that I am hardly ever in EV mode. No matter how light I am on the accelerator. This is especially true when starting from a stop. The EV is only good till around 2-3 MPH then the ICE kicks in HARD...

I remember on my test drive that the ICE didn't kick in until about 10 MPH's or so.

Is this part of the "break in"?


Thanks,
Alex

 

There are Soooooo many factors affecting EV mode.
Do you run the A/C? Is it in ECO mode?
What is the state of charge (SOC) of the traction battery?
Are you on a hill (the TCH has an inclinometer).
Headlights on?

Sometimes mine jumps out of EV mode quickly off the line sometimes it doesn't.

J