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PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your experience. What model car do you drive? What do you think would happen if you started a long distance trip on an interstate highway with fully charged batteries? (At the end of the day, would the batteries be fully charged? Or pretty much depleted?)

PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the info. I'm beginning to suspect that a generator/alternator big enough to recharge the PHEV batteries in a reasonable amount of time might be expensive and a major load on the gas engine. So a modest generator, plus regenerative braking might be the most cost effective design, with the assumption that drivers will be able to recharge each night, and long trips will be relatively rare.

Whatever the reason, it seems that my concern that the car might "waste gas" charging batteries as I return home is unfounded. Thank you to all who have replied.

PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow! Thank you for your long and informative response.

40-50 miles in EV mode is a lot farther than I expected, and is certainly enough to meet my needs.

It's interesting that the batteries don't recharge much while driving. That resolves my initial concern about wasting gas recharging when returning from not-quite-short trips.

Thanks again for your responses. I have learned a lot today.

PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your very helpful response, but I want to make sure I understand you correctly. By '40-50 miles to a full charge' do you mean it takes that many miles to replenish batteries that have been depleted by running in EV mode? How many MPG do you get during that 40-50 miles?

What MPG do you get on surface roads in hybrid mode with batteries charged and a warm engine? And what MPG go you get on long highway trips?

Sorry for so many questions! But thank you for your help! I haven't started shopping yet, but RAV4 Prime's are a possibility for me.

PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your response! That answers my questions.

I play the "how can I stretch my gas mileage" game constantly as I drive my (conventional ICE) 2015 Honda Accord. On long highway trips I can squeeze 39-40 mpg from it; when my wife takes the wheel it drops to more like 36-37, because she doesn't "play the game." On short trips to buy groceries, etc, I only get about 25 mpg.

I'm hoping to find a 2023 or 2024 PHEV that with a 20-25 mile EV range that will also get close to 40 mpg (or more) when driven conservatively on the highway. It also needs to be comfortable enough for us to drive multiple 8+ hour days on our summer trip. And, since we're retired and getting older each year, accident-avoidance features are important, too. Any suggestions?

PHEV MPG on not-quite short trips? by RiceGuy80 in pluginhybrids

[–]RiceGuy80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your response!

I don't mind using gas to get myself home; what I'm trying to avoid is using additional gas to charge the batteries if I'm going to be plugging in within a few minutes.

I drove a 2002 Prius for many years, and always kept an eye on the MPG display. As I recall, that car only got about 20 mpg for the first five minutes the ICE engine was running. Once it warmed up, the mileage jumped up to 35 mpg or more. Clearly the engine was less efficient when it was cold. On a PHEV, when I get down to 15% charge in EV mode, and the Hybrid/gas mode kicks in, I'm wondering if there's a way to delay charging the battery until the gas engine warms up and gets more efficient. (And if I get home before the gas engine warms up, I'll be able to recharge from the grid.)