TCH has a physical ECO button near the fuel door release button.

I didn't realize the NAH had 158hp ICE...that might account for the difference. Wow, you guys must be over 200 hp with the EV assist.

Also of note...I keep my tires religiously inflated to 40psi...small FE difference I'm told, but they handle well, aren't wearing strangely and I sleep better at night. Other than what I've mentioned though, I'm not doing any magic. When I first got the car, I was always trying to 'beat' my previous score. Now, I don't focus on it nearly as much.

 

See my post #45

Total TCH 147 + 40 = 187hp
Total NAH 158 + 40 = 198Hp

 

Well Gripper, it seems to me your big mistake is trying to run in EV mode as much as possible, thus depleting your battery quickly unless you have predictable downhill braking runs to regenerate. Without this, of course, the ICE has to recharge the traction battey at an efficiency of probably around 20% (ICE efficiency of about 30% times mechanical generator efficiency of about 70%).

Accelerating modestly with the ICE to just over target speed and then gliding in EV mode is much more efficient, with brief computer-determined motor boosts - using both in their most efficient modes. Anytime you try to accelerate in EV mode is just a killer - particularly with your extreme climate and constant AC need, and the very short trips you take.

As you know, the only free lunch is in braking regen mode, which is what a hybrid is all about, allowing all accessories to keep running with ICE off. Don't squander this gift on trying to do what the ICE does much better, and ultimately more efficiently.

Things WILL change to what you wish you had now in a few years when battery capacity grows by quantum leaps and every car is a plug-in with a much smaller ICE.

Pete

 

Well I will focus on your suggestion, Modest to low ICE acceleration and maintenance (glide) of my required speed to flow with traffic. I kind of thought that was what i was doing but I'll try yo eliminate any accelerating with the EV at all. I probably never thought of how the battery was so wasted with accelerating even very slowly.

I have been trying the suggestion of not setting the AC so high but using a more reasonable 73F as it was thought that maybe my batteries were too warm. That has not helped out. My garage being Air conditioned the car is pretty much saturated to 75F when I leave it so the batteries ans the interior are cool to begin with. SO I think I'll go back to setting to still higher temp and directing the air on me. I keep the air on recirculate to eliminate drawing hot outside air in. I have studied the control dynamics of the electric driven AC compressor and it does slow compressor speed at higher temp setting befor it attempts to mix warm air from the heater core with conditioned air for maintnce of target temp so I should not be wasteing compressor cooling I believe.

Even though the NAH has a larger engine (still very close to the Camry ) I do not use much of the available power, being gentle on the use of the ICE. I will say that I did give it a go once and it is a very fast accelerating vehicle if you so desired. I floored it once from a stop and it will really chirp the drive wheels.

Hymotion is developing a plug for the Camry and it's systems is identical (on the electric portion, battery, drive motor and control) so I may be able to get that plug part soon and by using the ICE sparingly it doesn't matter too much that it has a larger than minimal capacity, The NAH having an ultra low friction engine and a variable back-pressure exhaust system.

I'll post results. Thanks for the input.

 

Just a thought.

Is there someone else who can go and take the car for a drive. Maybe one of the techniques you are using to try and get better gas mileage is not working to your advantage.

It kills me to says this, but my wife was actually able to get better gas mileage in my last hybrid (a civic hybrid) than I could get. I did everything to try and beat her mileage, but she drives slower and smoother than I could.


Rick

 

I'll do that, just as soon as i try a few more things and see if I can pinpoint my problem. Hell I have degrees as a ME, EE and degree in Physics I should be able to do it. I may be 72 but I am not senile yet!!

I know some of the problems;

1. Ultra short trips 5 to 20 miles max.
2. It was 111F yesterday hard on the AC load.
3. I was doing the wrong thing starting off in the EV mode and accelerating.
4. Having the car in the Air Conditioned garage is good for the initial AC load but bad for getting the ICE warmed up. (Don't know the trade off and Don't care not going to get in a hot car)

I have to make sure the ICE is not overfilled with oil and recheck the tire pressures.

Sure wish I had a plug and Li based batteries, with my short commutes I could EV my way to great mileage having that larger battery capacity initially charged almost for free..

 

Could you explain this please?

Thanks in advance.

-Gren

 

As explained in my previous post #53, the ICE is very inefficient in battery charging, whereas braking regen is very efficient - about 20% vs 70% of input energy. So depleting your battery with forced acceleration is the worst thing you can do unless you are about to do significant regen braking.

In my HiHy, with depleted traction battery, I see an instantaneous FE drop from 35 mpg to less than 20 in steady state, flat running at 45 or so, indicating the onset of ICE traction battery charging. I don't know what the max output of ICE charging is, but it must be more than 10kw to do much good - five times or more than that of a 175 amp 12V conventional alternator.

Battery temp is also critical, as most have found, with 70-85 deg. F the range I've found that the battery accepts the most regen charge. With a hot car interior, like yesterday when I forgot to fit the sunshade here in usually chilly Monterey, my downhill run from my home which usually tops out the battery did little - just like it does on a 55 deg. morning.

A block heater AND a controlled battery heater ought to make a difference even in the mild conditions here.

Pete

 

Ah, thanks.

-Gren

 

Just got finished reading the Honda civic Hybrid thread, Boy our Altima is a jewel in the heat compared to their problems, They have not only poor gas milage when it very hot but their AC will not run in auto and the air is not cold and in some cases the battery is not charging properly..

Guess I'll be quite and just smile.