ECO Mode

First thing: :welcome: to PC
Second thing: RTM (read the manual) that came with your car
Third thing: Nope, nothing wrong with running it in ECO all the time.

 

If you can stand the slower acceleration and lower air conditioning output (summer) and possible lower heat output in the winter, leave it in ECO. You will get better fuel economy (FE).
Welcome by the way (BTW).

 

I have been driving my 2010 Prius V since June of 2009, and have passed 45k miles on it. My car has been run almost continuously in the ECO since day one, except for maybe 500 miles combined in Standard or PWR mode. You are fine. While 'Spiderman' mentions the lower A/C and Heat output, all I am aware of is that the top speed of the fan is only a notch lower. Even through two Chicago summers, and one winter, ECO was able to handle all my heating and cooling needs without fail.

 

I'm still not sure why ECO is even an option, it seems quite impotent based on what I've read about it. I never bother with it.

 

Except for a few minor odds and ends (like the climate control stuff already mentioned), eco and power modes are essentially just a matter of perception, not a true functional difference. No matter what mode you're in, the same amount of power demand (either from battery or gas) will produce the same amount of actual motive power. The only thing that changes is how far the accelerator pedal is pressed to get the desired amount of power. In eco mode, you tend to have to depress the pedal more to get the same amount of power that would come from a smaller press when in power mode. (Though once you press far enough, it equals out; flooring it is the same in both modes. Try searching the forum for something like "accelerator pedal mapping" for more detailed explanations.)

For some people, this will result in them simply not asking the vehicle for more power, because they are disinclined to press the pedal that far on a regular basis. More often than not, this results in fuel savings. (But it is definitely possible to be too conservative with driving. With the Prius, this is most notable when a person tries to avoid using gas by driving on battery power as often as possible. Unless you have a plug-in hybrid, this is actually generally counterproductive.)

For others, the difference in modes is hardly noticeable because they simply press the pedal however far is needed to get the amount of power that feels right to them; no matter what mode they're in, they'll press far enough to get that power, and no more.

I fall into the latter category, don't really notice a difference. But I do keep it in eco mode just to get the miscellaneous side benefits. If you don't like the feel of the pedal, though, by all means feel free to put it in normal or power mode without being concerned that you're being more inefficient simply due to mode choice. Just know that your driving behavior, regardless of mode, can significantly affect mileage.

 

I just leave it in NORMAL mode all the time. Works fine for me.
It's a car. Just drive it.

 

Eco in heavy start stop traffic
Power for overtaking or fun

and Normal for the rest of the time

 

I've had my Prius for 18 months and it's been in ECO mode 99% of the time.

 

Same here.

 

I never noticed better mileage in eco vs normal mode.

 

ECO is good for "fine tuning" of acceleration. Fundamental in Winter to avoid having the ICE turning on at traffic lights to keep the interior warm. If you feel cold in winter, crank up the temperature, but *do* leave ECO.
Otherwise, as others mentioned, it depends on preference and driving habits.

Since 14 months I do the following:
ECO in town, start/stop/heavy traffic or long highway trips (esp. for the A/C throttling down).
Normal - suburban.
PWR - when I want some kick, and don't need to "stretch" the foot all the way down to get more kick.

 

Just drive it in PWR mode. You'll enjoy it more.

 

You can drive in any mode you want. I like eco as it saves some gas in the hot summer and makes it easer for me to do smooth starts. But there is nothing wrong with using power or normal mode all the time. Some people say they get better mpg in other modes than eco it just depends on the person.

 

I am new to the forum, as well, and have the same question. I have been told that it is not beneficial for the car to be placed in ECO mode for extended periods of time. Are there known effects that could be detrimental to the car in the long term if driven exclusively in ECO mode? I most recently purchased a 2010 Prius III and LOVE it!!!

 

Any of the three modes are okay for extended use. All three modes (Eco, Normal, Pwr) are essentially the same, with the main difference being accelerator pedal mapping. Pwr mode makes the first part of the accelerator more touchy, giving the illusion of more power. Eco deadens the accelerator, requiring more pressure to get the same amount of power. The same power is available in all three modes, only the feel is different.

There are some minor differences in ICE start/stop cycles and air conditioning use, but primarily the three modes are just a matter of feel.

Tom

 

Hi and welcome. There aren't any negative effects to keeping the car in Eco, well none that I know of.

All Eco mode does is adjust the throttle mapping and reduces the a/c and heating output, so I can't imagine how this could be damaging to the car - boring sometimes but not damaging.

I've purchased my Prius privately and want it to last at least 180k miles of hard taxi use. I expect I should get to this mileage but the one thing I don't like to do is make regular use of EV only mode and certainly not deep cycling from full to low quickly in EV (such as driving up small hills) as I can't imagine this will do the HV battery much good.

Anyone got comments on regular use of EV mode, esp regular deep cycling (is this the correct term?) whilst in EV only mode?

 

Greetings and Welcome Aboard.

As others have stated, there's no harm in driving in ECO mode all of the time---or any other mode for that matter.
As they say in the motorcycle community, YOU have to ride YOUR ride.

I leave my II in ECO all of the time, since once selected (unlike the Power mode) the car will 'default' to ECO mode unless another option is selected, thence it defaults to normal mode....if I have it figured out correctly (I'm still something of a noob myself at 2200 miles.) That tells me that there's no harm in leaving it in ECO all of the time, and I enjoy razzing other drivers about my increasingly good gas mileage as I learn the tricks and traps of being a VERY unlikely Prius geek. We always do this in good humor BTW---lest someone out there confuse me with one of "those" Prius drivers.

My advise would be to drive the car like you WANT to drive it. As others have stated, there are a few small economical advantages to leaving the car in ECO mode---but in the end, it's really not a game changer. FWIW, Here in the deeeeep south, the A/C has no trouble keeping me cool in ECO.

Good Luck!
Happy Motoring!!