A plug in hybrid is a good solution for someone who wants both but can only have one vehicle.
But to take advantage of the plug in hybrid, when you fully charge the battery, you need to run battery only until the battery is down to about 50% charge. If you drive in HV mode with a full charged battery, the regenerative braking can’t work. The battery has to be able to take on a charge while braking and it can’t do that if it is fully charged.
If you only drive for 6 miles in EV mode, the regen braking still does not work as well as it would with the battery at 50%. The system should not attempt to recharge the battery during normal driving in HV mode until the battery is depleted to 50% as that is where the HV mode is the most efficient.
I already did this calculation in another thread a while ago. An EV becomes cost effective when gasoline goes over $1.80 per gallon . That conservative example uses the Nissan Leaf which is about the cheapest EV to operate. Considering the cost of the lithium ion battery and its limited cycle life which millions of people are in denial about, it is cheaper to drive a hybrid like a Prius compared to just about any EV.
An EV with lithium iron that has many thousands of cycles may be a different story. But lithium iron may still have limited longevity due to age, especially in a hot climate, so the EV would have to be driven much more than the average car to make use of it. It would be a good choice for commercial vehicles.
If you look at used EVs, most of them have well below the average miles given the age of the vehicle. There’s a reason for that. It is impractical to use one for long trips or to keep it on the road all day doing deliveries.
I haven’t noticed any difference when I drive as I normally do in Eco" mode, and–in fact–if I change from “Eco” to “Sport” mode, the regenerative braking is extremely strong, no matter what level of charge the battery meter is showing.
After a 150 mile trip I sometimes recharge at a grocery store where I can get needed supplies and use the needed restroom. I often have trouble finishing the small grocery shopping before the car is charged to 80% or 85%.
A fully charged battery cannot accept more charge. The only way it can feel like it is working is to dump the current into a dummy load. It feels like regen but it is not regen. It is just using the generator for braking but it isn’t recovering any energy.
Other than money, why are they not using Solar car roof modules like or something like the Fisker Karma’s did, looks like in 10 plus years since the Karma days that technology has advanced some to make them more efficient…
That is correct, and because of that reality, the computer’s embedded algorithms actually stop the charging at ~90%–even though the gauge on the instrument panel reads that it is 100% charged. Similarly, when the gauge reads 0%, there is actually ~20% remaining. In addition to lengthening the life of the batteries, this allows the vehicle to drive “normally” under all conditions.
It doesn’t use the motor/generator at all. The brake system adjusts the pedal output to add more mechanical effort when regen is small and less when the regen is higher. This was a KEY problem needing to be solved before EVs or hybrids were sold to the public.
You can’t let a driver roll through a stop sign first thing in the morning with a full charge. That is not acceptable.
I know you are right for Toyota, but I was responding to @VDCdriver who said
You can use the generator for braking by dumping the current into a dummy load if the battery is full. I don’t know if any Hybrids actually do this, but not all hybrids are using the same designs.
You can, but automakers don’t. They do not want to create waste heat. Every hybrid or EV uses some scheme to even out the braking so that the pedal effort stays the same.
I’ve never talked to anyone unhappy with their ev or hybrid. I’ve ales never talked to anyone that got a bad deal on a new car. Like everything else there are pros and cons and just depends on your own needs. I did read that there appear to be a number of people that go back to ice again and cost comparisons between charging or gas pumps seems to be of little importance, particularly since a person has little control over electric rates, or with the adoption of smart meters allowing manipulation of electrical devices during peak periods.
You really need to educate yourself much more thoroughly in regard to the braking of EVs, HVs, and PHEVs. Most braking is done via the regenerative braking system. Hard, or “sport” braking brings the hydraulic system into use. And, this is true for both Gentiles and non-Gentiles alike.
You need to go back and read your own posts. You said that regen braking was strong in sport mode no matter the charge on the battery and that is NOT true.
Actually, it is true. The regenerative braking effect is adequate for most braking situations, regardless of the state of battery charge. However, the regenerative braking effect is much more pronounced when in Sport mode.
That is NOT true. A battery that is fully charged cannot accept any more charge and cannot provide any regen braking at all. As the charge level goes down from 100% but still near full, it can only accept a trickle charge providing little regen braking due to a high counter EMF.
To provide all around good regen braking for most situations, the battery needs to be down in the mid charge region.
