Sometimes I can't seem to get the TCH to run on electric only except at only very slow speeds.

The ICE wants to kick in with even a very slight touch of the accelerator.

For example, today it was 52F outside. I had driven on the highway 45-55 mph for a 2-3 miles, and then in my subdivision I couldn't get the car to go faster than 10 mph before the ICE would kick in.

Before I have been able to get it slowly up to 30 mph or so on electric only.

And I had plenty of bars (high blue or green).

Thanks for your help!

 

In cold weather it needs to maintain engine heat for low emissions. It helps to think of a hybrid as primarily an environmentally friendly, low emissions vehicle which uses the battery to fill in for what the ICE can't do efficiently. You'll be frustrated to think of it as an electric car with a ICE battery charger. :-)

 

Also, if you had the heat on, I have found it pretty much keeps the ICE running.

 

Yes, having the heat on can cause the ICE to be on. If you have the temperature set to higher than that of the outside temperature, it can cause the ICE to start to create warmth. At 52 degrees, if you had the heater on, it might be the cause of the ICE starting. I have tried this out when sitting in a drive through. I noticed that as I turned the heat down, the ICE would shut off.

Also, I have found that the ICE will be on after I have driven 15 highway miles and then driving in my subdivision. When it is warm outside, the ICE usually shuts off, but when it is colder, it does not. However, even when the ICE is on when driving in my subdivision, the MPG readout shows 60 MPG.

I think there are several factors at work. One is the climate control system. Another is maintaining the ICE's normal operating temperature. A low SOC can cause the ICE to be on. Like I said above, my TCH's ICE will come on after a good drive and the SOC is green, with only the top bar not filled (by the way, I have only been able to get the top bar to fill after a long downhill coast on a highway. I have had my TCH since April, and this is the only time it has happened). I am sure there are other factors as well. Or a combination of those above. I would try to turn off the climate control and see if anything changes.

Best of luck
Jason

 

If you have heated seats - use them!

With them I can run the car with the climate control set to off. This alleviates the ICE having to run to keep the heater core warm.

Plus I feel warmer much quicker with the heaters.

 

Does the ECO button not warm the engine electrically to help cut down on ICE use???

 

No the eco button only uses electric heat to keep the passengers warm. The engine is heated by running it.

 

Yes, don't forget the ECO button. We found that the engine doesn't shut off until the cabin is up to temperature if ECO is off. It will shut off if ECO is on. This includes the shutoff when stopped, not just driving.


I like the suggestion about just using the seat heaters. Also keeping the temperature at a low value should help. During daylight I also open the sunroof cover to let in as much light as possible. (Those people who tinted their windows to save on airconditioning -- here is where you lose.)

 

Greetings from central New Mexico! I used the air conditioner (briefly) today. 80 degrees Farenheight this afternoon after parking in a sunny spot.

But yeah, soon I will be using the seat heater!

Yesterday I had to make a number of tiny trips, mostly between hardware stores. I noticed that parking with the hood in the sun helped keep the ICE temp up during the runs into the store. So I could cruise to the next stop without much ICE use.

Today was totally different. A warm day, but the ICE on the whole time, even when the energy flow display showed no power flow from the engine. No power flow means it wasn't charging the battery, right? So this is an emissions thing? And how is running the engine resulting in fewer emissions than not running it?

It feels as if, after two days of crawling around town, the car wanted to go for a highway run.

 

It is an emissions thing.

The catalytic converter depends on heat to work. So unless it is VERY HOT, it does not clean up the hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, etc.

So believe it or not, for those emissions it is cleaner to run the engine to keep the catalytic converter hot.

On the other hand it does raise CO2 emissions... But those aren't currently regulated.