Installed EV Mode switch today

[hammy]

Just installed the EV Mode Switch from Coastal Technology today in about 15 minutes. I have taken apart the vents and glovebox before when installing my Sirius Radio (Toy-SSC1) so that is half the time. Costal seemed fine to me. Packaging was great with lots of information and pictures on how to do it, phone numbers to call and how to return it if a problem. hey, even sent me a small bag of Jelly Beans. What else could one ask for.

This is the coolest mod I have installed thus far! I do lots of driving under 34 MPH and my ICE is now off all the time! I was able to get to work and home (6 miles each way) without ICE! (Drove in just for the heck of it)! My coasting and breaking is keeping the Battery charged. I cannot believe some people say this does not save on gas! Winter will be a diffrent story when I want some heat but what a great Gas saver and Stealth toy! Only in America would this not be a standard item as it is in Canada, Europe and Down Under!

[ranchogirl]

My husband's warranty just ran out (he now has 80k on his 2005) and so we are thinking of installing one in his car too. I'd love to hear how much money it saves you.

[pvdo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it means you are driving 12 miles per day withouth recharging battery? how many bars it has left after you come back home?

[TonyPSchaefer]

Whoa whoa whoa there.

The EV button serves one purpose: to drain the hybrid battery faster than it would on its own.

Oh sure, in the three years that I've had mine, I've used it in several situations: forcing the ICE off as I roll to a red light; forcing it off as I sit at a red light; moving the car around in my driveway; stealthing through a parking lot; etc. But in the end, what I'm doing is taking electricity I generated through the burning of gasoline and removing it from my battery pack. As soon as the forced-stealth is over (either by canceling the EV or total pack depletion) that pack is going to replace that lost electricity by burning more gasoline. Whether I like it or not. (I don't)

The EV button does not extend the range of the battery pack. The EV button does not save you money. There are a precious few people who have reported improved mileage linked exclusively to the EV button.

I am not attempting to steer anyone away from the EV button. As I've said, I have one. But in the same vein that gun advocates will tell you that a loaded weapon can cause harm, you need to understand that you can abuse the EV button. Granted, we're not talking about blowing your head off; you'll just lower your mileage and waste some gasoline.

[hammy]

Reply: If I drive 6 mile to work on fairly level ground on a roadway where the speed limit is 30 mph and there is braking and coasting I arrived at work with 5 bars. The bars did drop to 4 but again I am not on the pedel for the entire 6 miles. Driving home starting at 5 bars I made it 2 miles today then the Ice turned on. I still did alot of pulse and glide and got home with 4 bars and MPG of 76 MPG. Before the EV switch I got 54 MPG average on a good day. I know I am 24 hours new with the EV switch but even when the ICE is on it is moving the car with gas and the battery. Again I am not on the gas the entire trip. I believe it is saving me money but I got it for the fun of it as it was only $45.00. I'll keep you posted. Other than for work I do not see much use for it besides showing off, parking lots or driveways.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

The EV button serves one purpose: to drain the hybrid battery faster than it would on its own.

I've wondered if there's a niche use for EV.

Our home is a couple hundred feet lower than the last hill on our road. So by the time we hit the final red light the engine's usually shut down, and by the time we get home the battery's within one or two bars of a full charge.

Our new young driver will be using her ride to get to school & work, all within a 1.5-mile circle of the house, both uphill from us, and all in a 25 mph zone.

While I appreciate that battery power is less efficient than driving the wheels directly from the engine, the car also wastes a lot of heat at startup to warm up the catalytic converter to the EPA's satisfaction. Perhaps an EV switch would avoid using a few drops of fuel for regulatory reasons... especially when the battery has enough charge to make the short trips.

And when we get to affordable long-term plug-in solutions, an EV switch will help ensure that the engine doesn't turn on in the neighborhood.

[Jon1976]

When I got my car a few months ago the first mod was the EV switch. The first time I used it was to go to the corner store which is about a mile and a half. I got within a block before the ICE kicked in when it got down to 2 bars. That was the last time I used it for any distance more then a few hundred yards. Now I used it when I have repeated stops that are very near each other, moving the car across the street from one store to another. ( less then 500 yards). Also to impress a few friends.

[Ichabod]

In the long run, you won't save any gas by exclusively using EV mode. There's a simple reason really: you can never recapture as much energy through regen as you use during EV driving. Not even close, but if you could recapture 99% of what you used, you'd still be losing energy.

When you brake, you're recapturing a small amount of the energy that was put into accelerating. When you regen downhill, you're getting back a small amount of what it took to get you up the hill in the first place.

You're also cycling your battery charges more than normal. I'm not going to speculate about if or how much that might affect battery life, but it's something to think about.

EV Mode is great for limited use, but I'd listen to people's warnings against trying to use it for "regular" driving.

[seftonde]

I've been thinking about getting one since I got my prius (2007, had it 14 months, 33,000 miles).

I drive 42 miles one way to work. Middle is highway and each end is stop and go or back country roads. I have read the expert's opinions, such as Mr. Schaefer in this thread, and I respect their opinions - as well I have a good understanding of thermodynamics, energy conversion etc such that I know the battery is an inefficient power source since most all of it's charge comes from gasoline via an in-efficient conversion path.

However, in my case I think I could raise my MPG a bit by using the EV on my final stretch of two miles. I am thinking I could force the Battery down to low charge (2 red bars for example) during my final stretch. Then, when I start the car the next morning or in the evening to go home, the ICE must run to get the coolant temp up to 185 or whatever anyway. It will also charge the battery. Granted, it will be charging the battery inefficienlty (any transfer of energy has losses due to heat). However, ICE's in general put out much more energy than you use/need, so maybe I would reap a bit of efficiency, and hence greater MPG.

Thoughts/opinions?

Still have not decided, but I'll let folks here know my results if I do get and install the EV.

Thanks!
Daniel

[k2technical]

Glad you were able to do the EV mod with success I have been told by the Toyota Prius certified mechanic that the software in my 2007 Prius will not accept the EV switch as in the European 2007 Prius. The suggestion from him was NOT to do it or it could harm the high voltage battery. WHY? he said because the software would NOT know when the charge is to low and might discharge the cells too much before the engine came on..... Plus my warantee will be void....I then asked him HOW would he find that out if I removed the EV switch before I brought it in with a bad high voltage battery.... and he replied, We have ways, even if you clear the error codes by disconnecting the 12 volt battery WOW , that was scary!

P.S. Then I read that the engine lubricates the gears that all the motors connect to (Synergy assembly)...and with out the engine (ICE) coming on and off, the lubrication to that will be reduced, and possibly damaged
Could that be true.....and if it is.........

Norm