Hybrid Drive Experience - ICE/EV Transition Annoying?

[Minimoto7]

I am new to the hybrid world, but like the idea of the good MPG. I went ahead and test drove a 2016 Rav4 hybrid and the transition from battery to engine power was very noticeable. The engine turned off and on and I could hear/feel when this happened. Overall, I found this to be pretty annoying. Is this just part of the experience of driving a hybrid, or is there a way that the transition between the two power modes can be made more seamless, for example by the engine always being on?

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[clavicus]

I am new to the hybrid world, but like the idea of the good MPG. I went ahead and test drove a 2012 Rav4 hybrid and the transition from battery to engine power was very noticeable. The engine turned off and on and I could hear/feel when this happened. Overall, I found this to be pretty annoying. Is this just part of the experience of driving a hybrid, or is there a way that the transition between the two power modes can be made more seamless, for example by the engine always being on?

2012 Rav4 hybrid?

Anyway, just watch the video reviews of the hybrid maverick. I recall most of them say it’s seamless unless you’re flooring it, then you notice the noise of the engine more but not a jerk or anything.

Try and find a 2021 Ford Escape hybrid to test drive. Should be similar.

Having the engine on at all times defeats a major component of the hybrid efficiency. Wasteful engine idling is eliminated by design. The planetary geared eCVT uses a powerful electric motor to start the engine rather than a starter, and then that motor acts as a generator, if needed, while the engine is running.

 

[Minimoto7]

2012 Rav4 hybrid?

Anyway, just watch the video reviews of the hybrid maverick. I recall most of them say it’s seamless unless you’re flooring it, then you notice the noise of the engine more but not a jerk or anything.

Try and find a 2021 Ford Escape hybrid to test drive. Should be similar.

Sorry, fat fingered the year. But great advice, I'll definitely look into that!

 

[clavicus]

Sorry, fat fingered the year. But great advice, I'll definitely look into that!

Ah I also wonder if they’ve made great strides honing in the design and engineering since 2016. They seem to keep making great improvements in hybrid efficiency (mpg) at least, for the compact SUV class of vehicles, so hopefully they have been able to improve the user experience too.

 

[brnpttmn]

2012 Rav4 hybrid?

Anyway, just watch the video reviews of the hybrid maverick. I recall most of them say it’s seamless unless you’re flooring it, then you notice the noise of the engine more but not a jerk or anything.

Try and find a 2021 Ford Escape hybrid to test drive. Should be similar.

Having the engine on at all times defeats a major component of the hybrid efficiency. Wasteful engine idling is eliminated by design. The planetary geared eCVT uses a powerful electric motor to start the engine rather than a starter, and then that motor acts as a generator, if needed, while the engine is running.

That kinda sucks that you noticed it in the Rav. They are similar kin in hybrid design (very similar) but maybe the extra hp/torque of the Rav makes it more noticeable?

I recall one of the hybrid reviews stating that the Maverick was much smoother than the escape, so there may have been improvements in just the last year.

 

[Bushpilot]

Often I cannot tell (without looking at the display) when the ICE starts or shuts off on my Volt. It is pretty seamless.

I am expecting the Maverick will be similar.

 

[bgillen35]

I recall one of the hybrid reviews stating that the Maverick was much smoother than the escape, so there may have been improvements in just the last year.

I believe the Maverick has a brand new transmission, similar to the Escape, just new and improved.

 

[dceggert]

Think of it this way...ANYTIME the engine is on you are burning fuel. Having the engine cycle off is saving you money!

 

[brnpttmn]

I believe the Maverick has a brand new transmission, similar to the Escape, just new and improved.

Yeah. I believe motors (which one of which acts as the transmission) have a slightly improved design (I think it's more smaller magnets that are molded in place).

 

[Fotomoto]

Think of it this way...ANYTIME the engine is on you are burning fuel. Having the engine cycle off is saving you money!

Actually this is NOT true but it takes a “getting down into the weeds” type explanation that I won’t get into here. But basically if you let the HV battery fully deplete when trying to keep the ICE off as much as possible, the ICE then has to work harder to fill it and power the vehicle at the same time. It’s better if it runs gently in its most efficient RPM range (which is true of almost all vehicle powerplants).

 

[fbov]

I also wonder if they’ve made great strides honing in the design and engineering since 2016.

I think it's more of a Ford vs. Toyota thing. Driving the 2013 C-Max is very much like the 2020 Escape Hybrid.

Actually this is NOT true but it takes a “getting down into the weeds” type explanation that I won’t get into here. ...

Actually, it IS true. Here's a timeline, and correlation plot. We can talk why if you'd like.

It's true that ICE "effort" varies inversely with HVB charge, and there are times when you want to keep ICE running with HVB full ("negative split" mode). It's rare, because you also need very flat terrain, but it looks like this (MPG bar is pegged at 60):

It's just really hard to beat ICE pulse uphill, EV glide downhill.

 

[BILLNOROVILLE]

It might be better if you bought the ecoboost motor. Hybrids are very different. I have owned a 2016 Volt and presently a 2016 Prius. Both had electric and gas motors.

I have 60k miles on a Prius (closer to Maverick drive train than a VOLT). There are times when I know the ICE kicks in. There are times I hear it shut off. The computers in the Prius determine what is best given the load I am asking the car to handle. I don't have to second guess what it is doing. If I am driving down the freeway at 70mph the gas engine never shuts off. Around town yes it does.

Just like most vehicles, they will sound different under various loads than the vehicles you presently own. It will drive different (not worse or better, just different) This will annoy you unless you can just let it do it's own thing.

Choose wisely.

 

[Darnon]

"Very different" is quite an exaggeration. It's not like you need to treat a hybrid like it's some fundamentally different experience if you can't be bothered to care about trying to maximize its systems efficiency. Okay, it's got a CVT (yes, yes, electronic CVT) and some people find the no shifting and engine sound not being linear to speed weird. And, being a hybrid, sometimes it's extra quiet. As long as you aren't madly fluttering the throttle, which is bad economy for any drivetrain, then the switch from EV to ICE isn't normally that intrusive.

 

[Atisko]

I am new to the hybrid world, but like the idea of the good MPG. I went ahead and test drove a 2016 Rav4 hybrid and the transition from battery to engine power was very noticeable. The engine turned off and on and I could hear/feel when this happened. Overall, I found this to be pretty annoying. Is this just part of the experience of driving a hybrid, or is there a way that the transition between the two power modes can be made more seamless, for example by the engine always being on?

my experience is it’s a non-issue with the latest hybrids, such a subtle difference

 

[Gmood1]

I can easily tell when the engine and electric motor are transitioning on my old hybrid.

I couldn't detect it in a newer Honda Insight.
It was unobtrusive. I suspect the MAV will be similar to the Insight, with more power.

It's just a different driving experience than a ICE powered only vehicle.

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