Rob Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 I still wonder if EV+ is a programming holdover from the Energi that makes little sense for the hybrid. I can't understand what the benefit of EV+ is to an Energi unless I'm in hybrid mode. I can understand the logic of allowing further battery depletion near known locations as it assumes that the car will be plugged in or will be starting cold requiring the ICE to run longer to warm up for emissions/performance reasons, which in turn will charge the battery back into a normal operating range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 I can't understand what the benefit of EV+ is to an Energi unless I'm in hybrid mode. I can understand the logic of allowing further battery depletion near known locations as it assumes that the car will be plugged in or will be starting cold requiring the ICE to run longer to warm up for emissions/performance reasons, which in turn will charge the battery back into a normal operating range. What I don't understand is why I can't use the entire battery range while travelling? Is it worse to let the battery deplete to 15% and then leave it in the driveway for 8 hours versus having this happen during normal driving in which case I will recharge to normal range in a few minutes? Battery experts please weigh in. The whole point of this thread is basically, why can't we decide for ourselves when to use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecodad Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Max, if you regularly deplete the battery down to 15% you will shorten the lifespan significantly (say 5+ times per drive), even if you then charge it back using the ICE a few minutes later. Without the EV now or EV later buttons on the non-Energi the car has no way of knowing if you are near your destination or not. I really wish my non-Energi had those buttons. Max Power 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) Max, if you regularly deplete the battery down to 15% you will shorten the lifespan significantly (say 5+ times per drive), even if you then charge it back using the ICE a few minutes later. Without the EV now or EV later buttons on the non-Energi the car has no way of knowing if you are near your destination or not. I really wish my non-Energi had those buttons. But it's okay to do this and leave it parked in my driveway overnight? is there further damage from leaving the battery depleted for an extended period or does it not matter? Is EV+ really just a means of limiting this to once per trip? Edited March 28, 2013 by Max Power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowbar Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Hanneshorn, ICE is Internal Combustion Engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecodad Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Max, it is the act of discharging repeatedly to the low state that is harmful to lifespan of the battery. Having it depleted at a low level for a while, such as overnight is not going to harm it unless you leave it for a really extended period of time (like months). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhackwyatt Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Here's what we don't know. If empty on the battery display really means an empty battery. The battery may still have some energy left even if the display shows empty. Max Power 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecodad Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 I'm sure empty on the battery display is not "an empty battery." But various manufacturers have a different notion of what the bottom and top of the battery meter means. One clue that can key you in that this is not an absolute display is if you look at the braking regeneration coach. You can NEVER get 100% regeneration in a real system, though my C-Max often reports that score to me. What it means is that I've captured "all" of the energy that could be expected from the regenerative breaks and didn't need to engage the friction brakes to stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Here's what we don't know. If empty on the battery display really means an empty battery. The battery may still have some energy left even if the display shows empty.The lithium traction battery is probably not taken below 80% discharge. The lithium battery is used to start the internal combustion engine. If this battery is dead you are in big trouble. An Energi could be plugged in to charge, but a Hybrid would have to be towed to create regen charging, if that is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveofDurham Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 (edited) Does the C-Max have a back up starter motor that gets turned by the 12v battery and can start the ICE if the lithium battery is too depleted to get things started? We had this on our 2000 Honda Insight, but it never kicked in over 12+ years and 150,000+ miles. The back-up starter motor was reported to be just big enough to get the ICE going (much smaller than a typical starter motor) and very noisy. Edited March 29, 2013 by DaveofDurham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhackwyatt Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 The lithium traction battery is probably not taken below 80% discharge. The lithium battery is used to start the internal combustion engine. If this battery is dead you are in big trouble. An Energi could be plugged in to charge, but a Hybrid would have to be towed to create regen charging, if that is possible.Right, but, at least in my car I have never been able to completely empty the battery display in the car. So that's why I was saying it is conceivable that an empty battery display really means an empty battery...but I doubt it. Max Power 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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