So, there’s this EV Mode button right in the middle. When my battery’s low, it says it’s too low. When it’s more than half, it just says “EV Mode Unavailable”. Anyone know what’s up?
Honestly, for normal driving, it’s kinda pointless. You gotta baby the gas pedal to stay in the ECO zone and drive super slow (like 20 mph in my RAV4). But! It’s super handy when you’re stopped and don’t want the engine running. EV just kills it and uses the battery. I use it all the time!
@Baylor
Yeah, it’s like “Golf Cart Mode”! Perfect for pulling out of the garage or a quick trip around the block.
@Baylor
Exactly! When you’re parked and idling, it’s easier to hit this than mess with accessory mode. Plus, the 12V battery dies fast. If the hybrid battery’s charged, it’s way better.
Kip said:
@Baylor
Exactly! When you’re parked and idling, it’s easier to hit this than mess with accessory mode. Plus, the 12V battery dies fast. If the hybrid battery’s charged, it’s way better.
12v*
@Baylor
I used to use it in my Honda Hybrid to drive into my poorly ventilated parking garage. Thought it would cut down on fumes (and I always had a good battery reserve from the freeway). Didn’t work for leaving though, the car wanted to warm up the engine.
@Baylor
In winter, I use it when I’m almost home to drain the battery a bit. That way, when it starts up in the morning to warm up, it can actually try to charge the battery. Maybe it helps, maybe not lol
My Prius has this. It’s for driving slow and not accelerating hard. Good for traffic or a quick trip down the street. But hybrid batteries charge and deplete so fast, you can’t use it for long without the engine kicking in. It’s better for plug-in hybrids.
I use it to move my car in the driveway. No need for the engine for that. If it’s cold, or I hit the gas too hard, the engine starts anyway. So, it’s kinda limited, like others said.
It’s pretty useless. The car goes into EV mode automatically when it can. The only time the button works is when you’re driving slow in a parking lot. But the car already does that anyway! I never touch it. Kinda silly…
Isn’t it mostly for traffic? Though it switches automatically anyway, right?
Toyotas have had this for ages. Our 2013 Prius C has it. It’s good for sneaking around the neighborhood. My 2024 Rav4 can hit 35mph before the engine kicks in if you’re gentle. Normal use? Just let the car decide.
Yeah, I messed with it last week… shuts off at like 20 mph, can’t be too cold, and only lasts like half a mile.
Crawling is almost dead-stop traffic.
I’m guessing it’s for pulling into your garage so you don’t get fumes when you get out. But usually, it goes electric at low speeds anyway. That’s the only time I use it.
Say you’re at a park with a 15mph speed limit. I can hit the button to make sure it runs on battery. Or on country roads with a 30mph limit. Mostly, the RAV4 manages modes fine without me hitting the button.
It’s for when you are in a drive thru.
Parking garages, shopping plazas, drive thrus, traffic, college campuses, pedestrian areas… basically, if you’ll be under 20 mph and don’t want the engine, hit EV mode.
I guess if you ran out of gas, EV mode could get you to a gas station at 25 mph.
Day said:
I guess if you ran out of gas, EV mode could get you to a gas station at 25 mph.
Nope, and don’t run out of gas in a Rav4 Hybrid! There’s a YouTube video where they tried it, and you need a scanner to reset things.