I have a 2024 Prius Prime. Is there any way to prevent the ICE starting up in cold weather? I've noticed when the weather/battery is cold, the engine will start while in electric mode, presumably to warm the battery. This the exact opposite of what I wanted this car for. I would love to know of any way to prevent the engine from running when the battery is cold. My commute is about1500 feet. In cold weather the engine starts about 100 feet from my driveway.
One solution might be to bundle up and walk the 1,500 feet. I’m not an owner of the plug-in but I suspect those systems are automated based on the car’s diagnostics and not something you can override.
At what temperatures are you seeing this? What fraction of mornings is it cold enough to force this mode? I haven't had my related '24 RAV Prime out in much serious cold yet (missed most of last ski season due to injury), so haven't learned all its temperature thresholds. While traveling, only once has it been started in cold enough conditions to immediately bypass EV mode and go straight to HV, probably +4F that morning (?). On several morning in the teens, I needed the front defrost to melt off the windshield before moving, also forcing the ICE on. But garaged at home in a milder coastal climate, haven't yet dealt with unwanted ICE operation, it doesn't get cold enough here every winter. I also haven't yet run into a "100 feet from the driveway" threshold in this RAV. In my previous Gen3 Prii non-plug-in, that threshold (actually, 10-15 seconds from start) was 68F.
There's a bunch of things that will trigger the ICE; most of which is designed to protect the overall system. Overriding it will likely cause damage, over the long run and reduce reliability. Toyota engineers did a fairly decent job of protecting the overall system.
