EV mode on 2015 Prius Two

yes?

 

Yup! But not entirely.

It's mainly meant for moving the car in or out of the garage or putting it on the lawn to wash it without needing to start the engine and either shut it off cold or wait for it to warm up.

It will go into and out of EV on its own as you drive depending on conditions.

If you want real EV, you need a PiP or a Prime.

 

Shhhh, it's for sneaking out late at night.

 

Mine works only for sneaking back. On the way out, the cold ICE demands a warmup cycle.

 

For a non-plugin car, that is excellent. My non-hybrids will go only a few feet on their electric starter motors.

If you want some real EV distance, get a real EV or plug-in hybrid.

 

It is pretty useless. If it would only work semi-predictably, I would be over the moon. But in our clime, cold car, without fail it is unavailable. The only time it seems to work, say for a garage to driveway shuffle, is if the car is still semi-warm from a previous drive. Which is the one time I DON'T really need it. Anyway (deep breath):

My trick, for shunting the car out to the driveway, is to start it up, push into reverse as fast as humanly possible, and start backing out, while counting in my head. When I hit ten I stop and shut down. Repeat as needed. Doing this, I'm able to get the car into the driveway in one go. Or, out and parked on the street, in three.

And yeah @Prius Team: this sucks.

 

that's how i backed into the car one of my kids parked behind me, hurrying.

 

I don't know how the book gets 1.5-2.0 miles on EV. My battery is healthy and I cannot get close to that.

But, like jerrymildred said, I use it for backing out and into my garage when I don't want to start the engine.

 

EV is great for maneuvering out of plaza parking lots. Just be easy on the accelerator and under 25 mph.

 

When you start the car, press the EV button immediately. That will not work when the HV charge is too low or the ICE coolant temperature is too low (not sure exactly, around 0 celcius). Then, you can drive to your heart's content, maximum 25 mph and until the HV battery charge is too low.

I would call that predictable.

As for the OP: That's exactly how it is designed. It is a hybrid car, not an electric car. If you find it not enough, get a PIP or a Bolt.

 

I was just going to suggest that. I had installed an EV button on my '05 just for that purpose. I think you have 7 seconds, at least on a Gen 2. Gen 3 may be different.

 

I've found the maximum speed to be 10 mph when the engine is cold (less than 103 F), 25 once it has warmed up.

 

I have found, perhaps due to our climate, the year of the car, or whatever: if the car is cold, pushing the EV button gets the response that EV is not available. For the first year or so I kept trying, then decided it was pointless. Instead, I just rely on the 15 seconds or so grace period before the engine starts up. If Toyota had increased that 15 seconds, say to 60 seconds, it would be immensely more useful.

Behind this compulsion to avoid the engine starting up and running for just a few seconds:

1. It's rough on any engine I suppose, results in greater fuel dump on the cylinder walls, poor lubrication and so on.

2. There seems to be a correlation between a brief start up and shut down, and engine knock at the next start up.

 

I know Gen 4 is 20 when the engine is cold.

 

On gen 4, how many seconds of EV do you get? Depends on ambient temp? It better not be minutes...

 

It depends on how fas you druve, I guess. The manual states from a few hundred meters to approximately 0.6 mile (1 km).
Yes, the manual mixed their units in the same sentence.

 

But if you start the car, cold, and say just tool around the cul-de-sac at a walking space, you can do this till the cows come home? As long as you have decent charge? Reliably?

Bear in mind: 3rd gen, the ONLY thing you can count on is 15 seconds, then the engine starts. That's except for those rare occasions when the EV fairy takes pity, typically that when the car's warmed anyways.

 

For my 3rd gen, I can do what you asked in your first paragraph. However, I'm in a warm climate.

 

I have not timed it but in the summer I regularly ca neave my parking space with the AC on, wait to exit, and travel at least 0.1 mile to the traffic light in EV if I do not go over 20 mph. Unfortunately, I go through the light to a highway on ramp.