The first 1000km in our Toyota Prius PHV
<div id="94688569" class="landscapephoto"><img class="photoborder" title="" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/k/d/i/6/1/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1kcvss.png/1499921746887.jpg" alt="Prius PHV at a racetrack. That's "at" a racetrack, not "on" a racetrack. Let's not be silly." /> <div class="photocredit"><span class="photocredittext">DAVID LINKLATER</span></div> <div class="photocaption"> <p>Prius PHV at a racetrack. That's "at" a racetrack, not "on" a racetrack. Let's not be silly.</p> </div> <div class="hdivider"> </div> </div> <p><strong>TOYOTA PRIUS G PHV</strong><br /> <strong>Base price:</strong> $35,000 (ish, depending on mileage and age)<br /> <strong>Mileage so far: </strong>1000km (36 per cent in EV mode)<br /> <strong>Powertrain and performance:</strong> 1.8-litre four with lithium-ion battery pack and plug-in capability, continuously variable transmission, FWD. Average fuel economy on test: 3.41 litres per 100km.<br /> <strong>What have we done lately?</strong> Couple of longer (100km-plus) motorway trips, experimented with how to maximise electric range by using the EV/HV mode-selector.<br /> <strong>Problems so far: </strong>Faulty charging cable replaced by Toyota, reversing camera went blank: quick-fix at dealership.</p> <p>I'm learning that you can't be a purist when you drive a plug-in hybrid.</p> <p>Electric Vehicle (EV) "evangelists" (that's the most polite term I can think of) have been telling me that for ages, of course. For many, any plug-in that's not fully electric is either cheating or regarded as a planet-killer like every other combustion-engine car on the road.</p> <div id="94688567" class="landscapephoto"><img class="photoborder" title="" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/k/d/i/5/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1kcvss.png/1499921746887.jpg" alt="This is what a Prius PHV looks like from inside a Tesla. Zero-100kmh in under three seconds not helping now, is it?" /> <div class="photocredit"><span class="photocredittext">DAVID LINKLATER</span></div> <div class="photocaption"> <p>This is what a Prius PHV looks like from inside a Tesla. Zero-100kmh in under three seconds not helping now, is it?</p> </div> <div class="hdivider"> </div> </div> <p>I've just covered 1000km in our long-term Toyota Signature Class 2014-vintage Prius PHV and I'm still nowhere near visiting a petrol station for the first time. So I'm good, thanks.</p> <p>But maximising our pure-electric motoring is indeed the point of having the Prius PHV and that's the bit I've had to come to terms with. Trickle-charging it at home overnight gets just over 20km range into the battery, which is not quite enough to get me to work and back (it's 26km all-up).</p> <div id="94688566" class="landscapephoto"><img class="photoborder" title="" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/k/d/i/5/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1kcvss.png/1499921746887.jpg" alt="Ultimate GoPro accessory? Long-term Prius PHV has served as handy camera mount on a number of occasions." /> <div class="photocredit"><span class="photocredittext">DAVID LINKLATER</span></div> <div class="photocaption"> <p>Ultimate GoPro accessory? Long-term Prius PHV has served as handy camera mount on a number of occasions.</p> </div> <div class="hdivider"> </div> </div> <p>To begin with it was tempting to just run the PHV in EV-mode until it went flat, which got me to work and a bit of the way back again before it it turned into a standard Prius. But given that I'm a bit EV-OCD, that proved a recipe for frustration; because the PHV seems to be quite temperature-sensitive in winter.</p> <p>The car lives in a carport, so it's covered but still out in the cold. You can have a full charge and be running in EV-mode, but the car still often insists on running the petrol engine generator-style for 2-3km on startup. Batteries do operate best with a little heat in them, so I'm assuming Toyota has calculated this is an efficient way to achieve that.</p> <p>It certainly doesn't happen when the car is garaged overnight, which it has been on a number of occasions. When it starts out warm and snuggly, it sticks to EV mode no matter what.</p> <div id="94688568" class="landscapephoto"><img class="photoborder" title="" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/k/d/i/6/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1kcvss.png/1499921746887.jpg" alt="Prius relaxing at home. Spot the "real" EV in the picture if you can." /> <div class="photocredit"><span class="photocredittext">DAVID LINKLATER</span></div> <div class="photocaption"> <p>Prius relaxing at home. Spot the "real" EV in the picture if you can.</p> </div> <div class="hdivider"> </div> </div> <p>However, it is frustrating to have your plug-in in full-EV mode and still be hearing the hum of an Atkinson Cycle petrol engine in the cabin. If I'm eating up my precious battery power, I expect total silence.</p> <div class="display-ad story_body_advert"> </div> <p>So I've taken to being a bit more proactive with the EV/HV button, which allows you to switch between electric and hybrid operation. In the latter, the current state of battery charge is saved until you go back to EV configuration.</p> <p>For my morning commute I'm generally now keeping it in HV until the car is warmed up. I also opt for HV in motorway running and on big hills, but stick to EV in urban driving whenever possible.</p> <div id="94688565" class="landscapephoto"><img class="photoborder" title="" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/k/d/i/5/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1kcvss.png/1499921746887.jpg" alt="Here's where we're at after 1000km: we've saved 19 litres of petrol by using electricity. You're welcome." /> <div class="photocredit"><span class="photocredittext">DAVID LINKLATER</span></div> <div class="photocaption"> <p>Here's where we're at after 1000km: we've saved 19 litres of petrol by using electricity. You're welcome.</p> </div> <div class="hdivider"> </div> </div> <p>And of course the ultimate in nerdy fun is to try and run out of battery in EV-mode just as I arrive home at night to recharge. Perhaps I've said too much.</p> <p>Who said driving a plug-in isn't engaging? Getting the most out of my electricity is keeping me very busy behind the wheel. Enjoying the challenge, actually.</p> <p>Anyway, after 1000km the trip computer tells me we've driven 36 per cent of that in EV mode. Of course, the car has been on electric power a lot more than that, because it often runs just on battery even when it's in the HV setting (like a regular Prius, in other words).</p> <p>We've averaged 3.41 litres overall, which is actually a remarkable figure. Achieved with lots of help from electricity, of course.</p> <p>Another part of this project is keep close tabs on how far individual journeys are for a real car driven by a real person for real purposes (so not your regular road-test thing, then). I've logged every single trip in the PHV, whether that's down to the corner dairy or a trip out of town to the Hampton Downs circuit for a work event (sorry, no hot laps for the leccy car).</p> <p>Average journey length so far has been 32km. Be nice if the PHV could go that far on battery, but it can't. However, it does prove that plug-in power is playing a big part in the car's day-to-day running.</p> <p>Problems? Last report we had a faulty charging cable. More recently the reversing camera quit, but it turned out to simply be a loose connection. It was a quick fix at the dealership.</p>
