More power when battery is at higher level in eco mode?

it's unlikely that the computers would allow different amounts of power with the same pedal travel, but there might be more power available overall with a full battery.

 

I haven't experienced that. Maybe the tires are just more warmed and you notice it then.

 

I experience this also, highroller. This can be tested by driving up a small hill, which magnifies the effect.

 

The Synergy firmware will use the battery more when it has a higher charge. The car is probably using more amps from the battery and needs fewer HP from the engine. You can check it with an OBD device that will watch the battery amps.

 

If you switch the display over to one that shows you both the battery use and the ICE use, you likely will SEE why you have that feeling.

It uses the battery to "help out" until it gets low and then quits doing that for a while.

2 bars is about the bottom so it probably starts happening around 3.

 

The battery will also have a higher voltage with at higher charge levels which will make the MG's a bit peppier.

 

The car will feel peppier when there are 7/8 bars showing for battery. By the time the 7th bar appears, the battery usage is a fair bit above the target level of 60%. When in this territory, the Prius has a greater tendency to draw power from the battery and rely on the ICE less, and that's both regarding if it turns the ICE on at all as well as what happens even if the ICE is on.

If the battery charge level is well below 60% (and 3 bars is a long way below that), the reverse is true. The car is more likely to use more opportunities to charge the battery while accelerating, resulting in a more sluggish feel.

If you have a ScanGaugeII and bring up displays for SoC (State of Charge of the HV battery) and for current flow in and out of the HV battery, it's very easy to see this happening.

 

I assume you mean while running EV, it's a lot harder to feel with the ICE running. There is a noticeable drop off in power output from the MGs as the charge on the battery drops. I assume it's because that's what batteries do: