Low level EV ratio

[Mrs Scoobington]

Hi all,

has anyone experienced very low ratio EV driving? (I'm talking 10-15% over a 4 mile, predominantly downhill drive at no more than 30mph, outside temp around 6 degrees, no heavy acceleration or braking).  My engine wasn't especially cold, but it certainly bucked the recent trend of 45-65% EV running I've been getting of late on the same run.  I'm assuming it's just the engine optimising its running mode based on ambient environment???

Also, a quick question on the 'hold' button.  The manual doesn't qualify whether this should be used only for hill starts, or if it can be activated to be on for an entire journey.  I'm assuming its in lieu of placing the car in neutral and applying the parking brake at lights etc., because of the impact that would have on the hybrid recharge system, and is meant to be 'on' during driving, but would appreciate any feedback/thoughts/experience any of you may have.  

Many thanks

[RickyC]

Really a very low ratio.  I've never seen a so low ratio in my journeys.  Probably ICE was always running to warm up the car ( or to try to clean up GPF )

The "hold" button has the same behaviour as keep the brake pedal pushed and can be used also on normal journeys.  It can be useful to relax right foot in case of continuos short stops or when during a stop on traffic light you need to setup something in your car and could release your right foot fro brake pedal. 

The "hold" function is automatically disabled when you unlock your belt, stop the car, open driver door....

The car has automatic downhill function so it it's no needed to push "hold" to start in an uphill situation.

I seldom use the "hold" function, I prefer to keep brake pedal pressed during normal stops.  If you need to stop for a longer time ( e.g. train crossings ) move to "P".

Never use "N" position in normal drive because in this postion ICE can't start to recharge hybrid Battery.   "N" must be used only to manually move the car in case of a problem but never in normal drive.  As a rule of thumb call "N" as "Never use" instead of "Neutral"     

 

[Primus1]

The advantage of the hold button would be to use it instead of keeping your foot on the brake, thus avoiding dazzling drivers behind  when driving at night,

[forkingabout]

29 minutes ago, Primus1 said:

The advantage of the hold button would be to use it instead of keeping your foot on the brake, thus avoiding dazzling drivers behind  when driving at night,

The hold function still illuminates the brake lights. 

[RobertR]

Your EV ratio is low because, at the beginning of the trip, the car decides to heat up the petrol engine no matter what, even if you going downhill, the car will be running the engine to heat up and at the same recuperating energy into the Battery during descending, 4 miles is too short in this cold weather to drive puro on EV because if you need heavy acceleration your ICE need to be ready and also heating up the cabin.

 

30 minutes ago, Primus1 said:

The advantage of the hold button would be to use it instead of keeping your foot on the brake, thus avoiding dazzling drivers behind  when driving at night,

When HOLD is active your braking lights are still ON, so you will be dazzling drivers behind you anyway.

[Roy124]

The "hold" function is automatically disabled when you unlock your belt, stop the car, open driver door

No, the Hold button works when you stop the car.  When you put the  car in Park, having stopped, it will disable.  The EPB will also take over if you are in brake Hold after a time.  I haven't noted just how long.  When you start to driving the EPB will release and you would need to reset the Hold. 

 

[RickyC]

I've to check but, if I remember correctly, when you move to P "hold" is not cleared but only temporarily disabled.  If you move gear shift to D again without stopping the car hold status is resumed. If you stop the car pressing start button "hold" is cleared. 

[forkingabout]

48 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

The EPB will also take over if you are in brake Hold after a time.  I haven't noted just how long. 

Normally after about 3 minutes duration the EPB will take over.

[Roy124]

7 hours ago, Roy124 said:

When you put the  car in Park, having stopped, it will disable.  

 

My error, Ricky is right, going to Park and then Drive does not affect the Hold function

[Cyker]

Just to confirm - The Brake Hold does keep the brake lights on; It's essentially a virtual robot foot that takes over holding the brake pedal for you and is no different than doing it yourself with all the same effects.

As others have said, it will tell you to engage the EPB if it's on for a few minutes continuously, but you can just press the brake pedal again to keep it holding.

As far as I know, the Hold only cancels completely while the car's on if you remove your seatbelt; If you e.g. put it in P, the EPB will temporarily override it, but it will re-activate if you then go back to D and stop with the foot brake.

The high engine usage is almost certainly due to the car trying to generate heat; It's started to get warm enough again down here that I've started turning the HVAC off until the car gets to 4 bars of heat again, which has made my mpg shoot back up by 20mpg back to the 70's

When I look at my mpg graph it's really obvious where the sub-zero temperature tanks are, as the line takes a sharp dive!

[Primus1]

Just to confirm - The Brake Hold does keep the brake lights on; It's essentially a virtual robot foot that takes over holding the brake pedal for you and is no different than doing it yourself with all the same effects.
 

 

of course I knew that,, just seeing who would spot that first..🫣

[AlJ]

I'd just keep a check on the ratio but as others have said, it's probably down to the cold engine. I think you'd see it improve on a longer run and certainly as the weather improves. 

As for the 'hold' function, I'm old school (heck, I'm old!) but April 2021 was the first time I'd even driven an automatic, so discovering there was a hold function was a pretty big deal to the then 66 year-old me. 😄

I use hold on pretty much every journey as I prefer it to keeping my foot on the brake. If the delay is going to be longer than your usual traffic lights, I'll go to park position and e-brake. Yes, don't use the neutral setting. N also stands for "nasty".

 

[Mrs Scoobington]

On 2/1/2023 at 5:03 PM, Cyker said:

The high engine usage is almost certainly due to the car trying to generate heat; It's started to get warm enough again down here that I've started turning the HVAC off until the car gets to 4 bars of heat again, which has made my mpg shoot back up by 20mpg back to the 70's

When I look at my mpg graph it's really obvious where the sub-zero temperature tanks are, as the line takes a sharp dive!

I've noticed today I've been running on EV much more as the weather has been unseasonably mild (though not yet mild enough to dispense with the thermals)!  

Many thanks to everyone for their help and advice.....such a lovely bunch of people 😄

[AlJ]

15 minutes ago, Mrs Scoobington said:

I've noticed today I've been running on EV much more as the weather has been unseasonably mild (though not yet mild enough to dispense with the thermals)!  

Many thanks to everyone for their help and advice.....such a lovely bunch of people 😄

Yes, I noticed the very same today! 😊👍

[Bernard Foy]

32 minutes ago, Mrs Scoobington said:

I've noticed today I've been running on EV much more as the weather has been unseasonably mild (though not yet mild enough to dispense with the thermals)!  

Many thanks to everyone for their help and advice.....such a lovely bunch of people 😄

Aw, Sue don’t praise us too much, we will get “swelled heads” and then our car doors won’t be wide enough for us to get into 🤣😂.

[Cyker]

May I just say Scoobington is a great name!  

[Bernard Foy]

49 minutes ago, Cyker said:

May I just say Scoobington is a great name!  

I agree, it’s much more easier to pronounce than”MyNamesNotActuallyMoo”🤣😂

[Mrs Scoobington]

Just for update purposes.....I have now filed up (the car....not got emotional, despite the cost of fuel!!) three times since I picked it up.  Using the manual method of calculating mpg of miles/litres input x 4.546, I'm getting 52.5 mpg on average.

I'll be honest, I hoped for better but.......with the very low temperatures we are having in this neck of the woods I'll take that and hope that as the weather becomes more temperate, my mpg increases.

I live in a very hilly part of the world, so that may be a factor, but that said, for all the uphill I do on the way home, I do an equal amount of downhill on the way out, but that is when the engine is cold.  Maybe I should move house to lower down the valley....or just stop obsessing about EV ratios and mpg !!  🤣🤣

Edited February 7, 2023 by Mrs Scoobington
spelling

[Cyker]

50's is generally the low-end of the mpgs you're likely to see with the Mk4 Yaris hybrids; It'll only go up from there I'm sure!

 

 

 

[Bernard Foy]

4 hours ago, Mrs Scoobington said:

Just for update purposes.....I have now filed up (the car....not got emotional, despite the cost of fuel!!) three times since I picked it up.  Using the manual method of calculating mpg of miles/litres input x 4.546, I'm getting 52.5 mpg on average.

I'll be honest, I hoped for better but.......with the very low temperatures we are having in this neck of the woods I'll take that and hope that as the weather becomes more temperate, my mpg increases.

I live in a very hilly part of the world, so that may be a factor, but that said, for all the uphill I do on the way home, I do an equal amount of downhill on the way out, but that is when the engine is cold.  Maybe I should move house to lower down the valley....or just stop obsessing about EV ratios and mpg !!  🤣🤣

I wouldn’t be disappointed with that MPG, on my last fill I was down to 40.3MPG, during freezing temperatures and by using all de-frosting systems on the car to thaw it out and warm it up before starting my usual 3 - 4 mile daily journeys. As for mountains I’m surrounded by them 😮, in fact when I look out the window and can see the mountains I know it’s gonna rain and if I can’t see them I know it’s raining 🤣😂🤪