Coastal Tech now has EV switch!

daniel,

I read that once the Coastal EV Mode Mod is added, the cruise control does not work at slower speeds? Have you noticed that?

Thanks,

Gary

 

This is not true. Costal's first try at an EV switch on the cruise-control stalk had that shortcoming. They installed that beta-test version on someone's car, and he posted the results, including that the cruise control didn't work below 35 mph.

So Costal did something differently, and now the cruise control works just as it is supposed to. However, the trade-off is that to engage or disengage the EV mode, you must hold the cruise-control stalk in the toward-you position for 2 seconds (though it seems to me more like 3). This is an acceptable compromise for me, because the light-switch mod flashes your bright lights when you engage or disengage it, and the factory-style mod is harder to install and requires putting in a button, something I lack the skills to do without making a mess of it.

Cruise control does not work while you are in EV mode, but I think this is the same as with the factory-style installation using a dedicated button.

 

Glad to hear it now works as stated. Now, if they can just fix my Prius so nothing keeps triggering that Check engine light, I will give a shot at installing the EV Mode mod. It's all downhill to the hwy from where I live, so the EV mod would be a great thing for me.

 

I am of the opinion that there are only four types of situations when you want to use EV mode:

1. Driving a very short distance, when you do not need the ICE at all, and you don't want it to go through it's gas-wasting warm-up cycle.

2. When the SOC is high and it won't go into golf-cart mode, and you want to create head room in the battery so excess energy can be stored.

3. Very slow, or slow-and-go driving for short periods, if the car seems reluctant to use golf-cart mode.

4. For showing off.

I believe it is a bad idea to use EV mode to delay ICE start-up until you have reached a highway or freeway, since the ICE needs to warm up before it is happy putting out full power. If you are going to have to use the ICE, it's better to let it warm up before you hit those high-speed roads.

 

You missed

5. When nearing the top of a (big) hill, and you want to ensure enough headroom for the battery charge you'll get going down the other side.

Sadly, I usually find I'm doing >30mph by the time I reach the point where I need to drain the battery.

 

You are right about the hill, but I think that falls within my #2.

And I think I erred on the behavior of the light-switch mod (which I don't have). With that version of the EV switch, you cannot flash your lights if your headlights are off, and your bright lights flash if you engage or disengage EV while your headlights are on. For me, these two shortcomings are serious issues, whereas the shortcomings of the CC version are minor (that you must hold it for 2 seconds, and that the stalk rotates with the steering wheel).

 

So,

Would adding the mod have any effect when I try to engage cruise control normally while going down a mountain? I come down more than 2000 feet in elevation, so the car is in electric mode anyways. Just wondering if adding the mod would prevent the use of the cruise control under these circumstances?

 

You are confusing two different modes, for which we don't have widely-accepted terms.

In normal operation, the car will sometimes propel itself on electric power alone. You can sometimes coax it to do this by "feathering" the pedal, and it will sometimes do it entirely on its own. I call this "electric mode."

Having the EV switch installed in your car will not change this at all.

But when you engage the switch, you turn on a whole different mode, which folks are calling "EV mode." Several things happen in EV mode. CC will not work, and you can apply significantly more pressure to the accelerator pedal without the ICE starting. If you engage EV mode before the ICE has started, then it will not start while you remain in EV mode.

Several conditions will cause the car to leave EV mode and go back to normal operation:

1. Disengaging it via the switch.
2. Asking for too much power by pressing too hard on the pedal.
3. Going 34 mph.
4. The SOC going down to 2 bars.

However, simply having the switch installed in your car will not change anything about how the car operates when it is not in EV mode. So the answer to your question is, yes, cruise control will work when you are in electric mode. The only time it won't work is when you are in EV mode. And it will only go into EV mode when you press the switch. And then only if conditions permit. (It won't go into EV mode if you are moving too fast or accelerating, or your SOC is at 3 bars or less or even near the bottom of the 4th bar, or if the ICE has already started but not yet warmed up enough.) So if you need power in an emergency, just floor the pedal and the ICE will start and you'll have full power as quickly as if you had been in normal operation all along.

 

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the very thorough reply. The reason I wanted to know if this would effect my ability to run on CC as it does now, is that when I come down the mountain, I can put it on CC at 55, and will run for about 15 miles or more on electric, either charging, or using a tad electric here and there. My battery is full by the time I hit the flats, so the car still runs on electric at 55 for a while. I usually get about 55 mpg going over the mountain and back.

 

Cool car!