Hybrid tourer over revving

[Rotherhamram]

Hi there I just picked up my tourer 2.0 full hybrid Friday.

i have noticed when accelerating to get to speed for motorway from 43mph to 63pmh the revs stop at 4000-5200 and the engine pitch is high before it drops back down to 2000 revs.

on talking to Toyota as it doesn’t have a gearbox as such for a hybrid this is normal.

surely an engine running that high of a rev count isn’t normal and isn’t energy efficient either.

Does anyone else know if this is indeed correct for a hybrid Corolla estate 

[Hybrid21]

Sounds normal for the eCVT Granville.

When joining a motorway I usually put my RAV4 in sport mode to get up to speed 👍

[Rotherhamram]

Ok thanks first time having a hybrid was not sure thanks 😊 

[TonyHSD]

30 minutes ago, Rotherhamram said:

Ok thanks first time having a hybrid was not sure thanks 😊 

Hi, 

well there are two things here to note: 

1. First time hybrid owner

2. Toyota hybrid owner , this alone makes the whole new story.
Toyota hybrids use specific type transmission that has no similarities with any other brand or type transmissions and as such these cars are very different to drive from all others.
At slow speeds they are similar to full ev but at higher speeds and under heavy load they act differently and slightly similar to classic cvt with high revs but that can be managed with “accelerator precision control” with the time been and you learn and get used to the car. 
Nothing to worry about. 
Here some interesting videos how the system works. 

 

[Chuffmonkey]

Its normal as mentioned above. I picked up my new Corolla back in June and was initially concerned about the high revs. After I realized it was normal I learnt to control the acceleration better.

One thing that I have noticed though as a new owner, the engine works harder in the cold. Come the warmer months you will hardly notice the engine running. 

[Cyker]

Yeah, that's exactly it; The hybrids aren't like normal ICE cars where you floor the accelerator and have to wait for the engine to pick up.

If you demand power, it gives you it right away, as much as you asked for (So if you floor it it WILL redline!)

But on the flip side, if you're cruising at 70mph the engine revs will drop to 2000rpm or even less because you're no longer demanding all the power, just enough to overcome air resistance and drag.

I must admit I still find it weird trying to equate engine revs with power demand, rather than speed, as it would be in most normal ICE cars!

And they've tuned it a bit to be less like that in the newer ones too - It was even more pronounced in the earlier gen ones!

 

[TonyHSD]

One tip here: 

when fast acceleration is required going uphill or overtaking full throttle for shorter time is better than mid or between middle and full.
The car acceleration is electronically controlled and when full power is demanding the car ecu adjust the ratio between engine and mg1 to favour faster possible acceleration, the revs are kind of more natural and the car acceleration matches better the engine and transmission noise.
Fuel consumption remains the same because you do push more but for shorter time then release the accelerator and continue maintaining speed with less energy (fuel use ). 

Another tip : best to drive in Normal mode instead of eco or sport. It is the sweet spot between efficiency and throttle response., feels easy on your foot, not too sensitive and not too hard. 👍

[bigblock]

This is why Toyota are improving the feel of the accelerator to engine pickup on the new MY23 Corolla. It will be interesting to see what Toyota have done.

[Rotherhamram]

Thanks everyone mind put to rest that’s brilliant thanks. Now I know will not be worried now.

[APS]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:25 PM, Rotherhamram said:

I know will not be worried now.

Nothing to worry about and your question is good. What you have in your new car is a small technical marvel and the way it works throws some people. Let me explain...

Warning ⚠️ this topic is known to trigger the engineering nerd in me. I will try my best to keep it really short:

With the hybrid drivetrain Toyota has done what engineers have only dreamt of in the past; to be able to programmatically and without any steps alter the gear ratio between the combustion engine and the driving wheels.

The problem with a normal manual or automatic gearbox is that they have a limited number of fixed gears. The gears can be far apart (ratio wise) and mean that you often drive with the engine at suboptimal speed. Toyota's computer controlled CVT (continuously variable transmission) allows you to keep the combustion engine at optimal speed for whatever the situation. In practical terms, this means that when you, for instance, accelerate, the engine speed is kept where it delivers higher torque, say around 4000 rpm. The car accelerates, but the engine speed is held steady at the best rpm while the gear ratio is seamlessly decreasing. This (the steady "droning" engine) is what all journalists have been complaining about when reviewing hybrids. They blame the "noisy CVT" and completely fail to appreciate and point out the significance of what is actually happening. The CVT is not noisy at all and they are mostly noticing the change is engine sound level because the car is otherwise so quiet when cruising, and the engine revs drop to near idle. It is really rather ingenious.

If you are curious, indeed, watch the videos with John Kelly from Weber state university that Tony shared above. John does a very good job explaining and is very detailed (probably too much so for some).

Edited December 9, 2022 by APS
Minor grammar correction and clarification of the point of the journalist comments

[DC_Ms]

18 hours ago, Rotherhamram said:

Hi there I just picked up my tourer 2.0 full hybrid Friday.

When did you order the car if you don’t mind please ?

[Rotherhamram]

The car was ordered in March