Eagleboy99

The specs say the 350H can go .6 miles/1 km purely on electric power. I know when we tested one, it went a ways if you were light on the throttle, up to about 25 mph/40 kph. Anyone test this? I sure can see how this thing will save gas in traffic!

daddiojigg

.6 of a mile!? Are you sure that is all?

daryll40

So far it seems that unless you are really creeping, the gas engine kicks in quickly. I will play with this more today and report back. But this isn't like a plug-in electric that can maybe commute a few miles with no gas consumption.

Eagleboy99

The Volvo Recharge we looked at could go quite a ways on purely electric. 60 kms - but it is a PHEV. And similarly equipped to the RX 350h about 20K more.

daryll40

Yeah but as you said, the Volvo is a PHEV. Not really an apples to apples comparison.

TechNut

Since we are throwing out comparisons that aren't exactly "apples to apples," allow me to throw out one that may be a little closer to the mark. My RX 450h can easily go a mile on electric only, and most of my previous Toyota and Lexus hybrids have been able to go few miles on electric only. I can only get this on flat easy (like 35 mph) roads. And NEVER from a standstill. I have to get up to normal speed for the street I am on (which is usually about 5 mph over the posted limit for me), then back off ever so slightly and let it slowly glide back down to the posted speed limit, then hold it there. I have been able to do this at speeds up to about 38 mph. This is a slight twist of the pulse and glide technique, which by definition expects you to slowly bleed off speed and then repeat the procedure.

If I might add a word of caution that gave early hybrid drivers a very ugly reputation - be careful about using pulse and glide if you have surrounding traffic, especially if you have cars right behind you. It isn't fair to them to have you going up and down in speed. Just remember to be kind and respectful of others around you if you try any of the techniques to maximize your mileage.

Energy-efficient driving - Wikipedia

daryll40

Good tip that the EV mode should be started after the vehicle is already moving from a complete stop. What is "pulse and glide"? I assume some sort of hybrid hypermiling behavior? Might be good to know what it is, but I can't see hypermiling in this vehicle.

daryll40

I played with this more. The gas engine kicks on and off until at full cruise without stops and starts. But then EV kicks OUT above 20MPH. (And, although not directly related to this, but of note, cruise control kicks out BELOW 20 MPH.) It’s pretty hard to go far in EV mode without exceeding 19 MPH or stopping, both EV disablers, in normal traffic.

lexusnyca

Does the 350h have the engine start/stop disable button, or is that function not possible to engage given how the hybrid operates?

daryll40

No button because the hybrid works differently. The non hybrid has to start the engine when it’s time to go, whereas the hybrid can go before the “real” engine kicks in. You’re basically asking if the hybrid system can be turned off. It cannot.

TechNut

The link I provided describes the "pulse and glide" better than I could. I was using this technique in a Prius before I even knew it was a named thing. We had just discovered it while experimenting with the driving dynamics of the car. It definitely works better in a car that was purpose-built to be an economy car like the Prius, but it works to some degree in any hybrid. If I ignore any special driving style and just drive it like a standard internal combustion engine car, my mileage over a tank might only drop a couple of miles per gallon so it isn't a huge gain. This lack of a large MPG gain is another reason I advise people to NOT make a nuisance of themselves trying this with following traffic.