EV mode on gen2, does it strain the system?

the prius computers decide when the actors say their lines. there's not much you can do about it.

 

You're driving around a car that was built back when the first iPhones were just starting to come out. If you want to have everything you desire above then you need to buy a brand new plugin Prius prime... Pushing the limits of your 10 year old hybrid battery pack in EV mode will put more strain on it that it can handle.

As for proof... Well, here in the United States some states adopted a law that required a 150K mile / 240K Kilometer Warranty on the hybrid battery.

So you know what Toyota did to minimize the cost of replacing bad hybrids under warranty? They eliminated the EV function from all US models. Here in the US you can buy an after market wiring harness to reactivate the EV mode, but as you've mentioned it refuses to work when the engine has to warm up first, as well as in lots of other conditions, not to mention the amount of battery drain on such old and technologically primitive batteries is too much to be practical.

If you want more proof, go ahead and keep trying to use EV mode too often and watch thousands of pounds vanish from your bank account because you had to repair/replace the hybrid pack.

 

When I bought my Gen 2 5 years ago I had similar feelings as you. The whole Hybrid thing was totally new to me and was thinking pretty much the same as you. Why can’t I choose EV only mode. As it turned out North American market Prius did not Get the EV only option. However, JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) and I believe EU LHD cars did get the option. I bought the JDM factory switch and installed it per the instructions that came with it. It was from a vendor here on PriusChat.

At first it seemed pretty cool being able to control EV only. But the reality is after having it on the car for 4.5 years it’s mostly a novelty that I almost never use. About all its good for is parking lot maneuvering or perhaps repositioning your vehicle In a driveway. You can only use the EV mode from a standing stop and the ICE is not running when pressing the button. The EV only mode is speed limited up to 28 mph. At 29 the ICE will start regardless. You might get 1-1.5 miles under very slow driving before the battery level drops to 3 bars. At 3 bars the ICE will start regardless. The NiMH Battery was never meant to be used as an EV only power source.

Knowing what I know now, I would not bother with it. My Original HV pack has 285k miles and I’m trying to make sure it makes my 300k milestone. I avoid the added stress on the pack.


iPhone X ?

 

You are in one of the newbie phases of hybrid ownership and don't quite understand what's going on.

The ICE always starts to warmup under light loads (the ev motor is actually supplying most of the motive power unless under heavy throttle or very low battery levels) so it will emit less emissions once it needs to run harder (hard acceleration, high speeds, etc). Once you learn the modes it will make more sense.

If you don't want to hear the ICE run, like many of us have grow to dislike, get a PHEV or BEV. Problem solved.

 

It turns on engine initially just to bring the ICE up to operating temp for maximum efficiency on the road.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

How do I purchase this jdm switch? I hyper Mille my Prius as a hobby.