When do you use the EV button?

[Danny Hamilton]

I always find it amusing when people respond to EV button questions by correctly explaining that to get a fuel efficiency improvement from it you have to know when it is beneficial, or by correctly explaining that incorrect use can actually reduce fuel efficiency, and then go on to explain the situations in which they use it which turn out to be situations where they are reducing their overall fuel efficiency.

[treehggr]

Actually if you are refering to me I did not reduce my fuel efficiency. I gain roughly .2-.3 mpg every day using it how I stated in my other post.

[TheForce]

With my use of the EV button I can constantly get my first 5 min bar in the 45-55mpg range or on the Can-View the first mile is 40+mpg and the next 2 miles are 50+mpg. This is because I have a short streach of slow road that I have to travel to get to another road that has a speed limit of 55mph.

When starting out from work its all city driving for about 5 miles. During this time I use the EV button to P&G between 34mph and 25mph.

[Bear68]

One other thought folks,..... the HV ECU still retains the programming for the EV switch, but does the Engine ECU have the proper program to allow for it? And even though the HV ECU has the hardwire connection for the switch, does it's programming allow for it's proper operation? And finally, does the HV Battery ECU have the proper programming to allow for such wide swings in it's SOC?

As a tech, I find it frustrating when I encounter an issue with a car that the repair manuals don't have enough information to help me solve. When the book says "Test with known good component", I cringe. The parts dept doesn't exist the can hold all the "known good components" that might be needed over the course of a months time in a busy shop. If the engineers who designed the cars won't give Toyota techs all the info needed to find and fix problems, how do we know what can happen with a part they didn't intend to be in the cars they send to the US?

[1fixitman]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny Hamilton @ Aug 10 2007, 10:43 AM) [snapback]493516[/snapback]</div>

I always find it amusing when people respond to EV button questions by correctly explaining that to get a fuel efficiency improvement from it you have to know when it is beneficial, or by correctly explaining that incorrect use can actually reduce fuel efficiency, and then go on to explain the situations in which they use it which turn out to be situations where they are reducing their overall fuel efficiency.
[/b]

Well Danny....since you seem to have all the knowledge then share with us. It is peps like you and frank that play stump the chump and never provide actual input. I believe using the EV button for the last 1/2 to 3/4 mile is good especially if you know you will be at speeds on the return trip to recharge the battery(going down hill).....remember at speeds greater than 41 MPH the ICE will run at about 960 RPM wether it charges the battery or not. At above 34 MPH EV mode is usually terminated anyway. Please mr. know it all Danny Hamilton Please Advise us of EVERY SITUATION someone should use EV to maintain higher MPG's. We want every instance that will save us fuel and not "be a situation where they are reducing thier overall fuel efficiency" Please don't take all day about it as you seem to know it all anyway. I really can not be any nicer than this. PLEASE ADVISE. We are waiting patiently.

[fred s]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bear68 @ Aug 9 2007, 09:24 PM) [snapback]493311[/snapback]</div>

I guess my real curiosity is, "Why add an accessory that can potentially damage the car, will void the warranty (US version) and doesn't increase MPG?" I understand the point of keeping emissions down by not running the ICE for a quick movement of the car. That one does make sense. I guess it comes down to personal preferance.
[/b]

It seems you have your answer. Your real curiosity should be to Toyota. "Why void the warranty for something that is factory equipment in all other countries?" Perhaps their claim that you'll get lower mileage is just made up to deter people from installing it. There's no liability for claiming lower performance, only claims of higher perf.

[AussieOwner]

Like those responses from the UK, the EV switch is standard here in Australia. I use mine when visiting my mother. Something that I need do once or twice a week. She lives in a retirement village with 10 kph speed limits, but with just enough rises and falls that almost force you to use the ICE just to keep rolling. Everyone tries to keep the noise down in the village - I can just do it better than the rest .

I also use it when getting home late at night. Just being kind to the neighbours. I certainly have not seen any negative impact on fuel usage - just better mpg. I do let the ICE kick in when starting, and find that any charge used when running in EV is very quickly replaced, but still with minimal impact on the mpg.

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bear68 @ Aug 8 2007, 08:02 PM) [snapback]492743[/snapback]</div>

Why?

When do you use it? Do you feel that it honestly provides benefits? If so, what are they?

[/b]

Mine came factory-installed and I'm glad I've got it but I rarely use it. I'll switch it on for putting the car in the garage if it's parked cold outside on the drive. It can be useful in any situation where you just want to move the car a few yards.

Unless you frequently have to move the car a very short distance I doubt whether it will improve your mpg significantly but this is just a hunch. It's not worth the cost of installing in a car you're using unless you just like the novelty of it.

[gbrehm]

I think it was on TV I saw that the US Highlander was going to have EV factory installed?
I haven't been to PC as often as I was when my car was new but I haven't seen mention of this.

I have not installed the EV in my '06, primary reason was warranty issue.

[Winston]

No one here knows what they are talking about, but I don't want to explain why, because then someone might find a fault with my reasoning. Therefore, I will just say everyone is wrong and sit here smugly.