They heat up just like most other cars, by running the gas motor and extracting heat from the coolant.
I think the problem is that most people with normal cars wait until their car warms up before they turn on the heater, or at least the fan. There is no reason to blow cold air on your feet. However, if you try this with a hybrid, the gas motor might not come on. I think this means that you have to turn on the heater and blow cold air in a hybrid in order to make it warm up at all.
I was under the impression that hybrids still idled the engine, even when running on batteries. I’ve never really put too much thought into it – Our Prius warms up just as quickly as any other small car on a cold day.
As the owner of three hybrids, my suggestion would be to let the computer do its thing and let the car determine when to shift in and out of battery power. As for the heat, your winter temperatures are fairly moderate in relation to the northern Ohio winter temps, and I have never felt the need to warm up a car before getting in. I punch the ON button and drive away immediately. The water will come up to a heating temperatuure within three blocks. I used to feel a little smug that my three hybrids were saving enough fossil fuels that my neighbors could have more gasoline to operate their gas-guzzling cars. Then I noticed that one of my neighbors, with two new Nissans, goes out at 6:00am and start the two cars, leaves them idling in the driveway (with the headlights on!) and then goes back inside for breakfast for a half hour. Then one of them returns home for lunch at 11:30 and leaves her Nissan running for her lunch hour. So all the gas I’m saving is going into her insatiable need for cabin heat! Wish I had money to burn.
Dear Ken Green,
you have now posted five comments re: this topic and not a single one was at anyway helpful. Why don’t you do us a favor and post on some other topic.