EV+ And EV please help

[Trout74]

I have read about EV + being where your car remembers where you park and attempts to run in electric near there. EV is just plain electric mode.

 

Question: does your car have to have navigation to have this feature? Or does my fusion hybrid se with my ford touch and sync have it?

 

Thank you

 

Trout

[FernMTL]

No need for navigation to run in EV+. It will start working when you'll park several times at the same place (home, work etc.)

In fact, all the GPS components are installed when you have the MFT screen, you have to pay the Nav option to get logged to the satellites.

Bad part, if you're not factory equipped with nav (like me), you can't get it uploaded afterward.

Edited April 28, 2015 by FernMTL

[murphy]

You can get turn by turn directions through SYNC Services without having navigation. I had that in my 2010 Fusion Hybrid which did not have navigation. It's initially free but then costs about $60 per year after the free period is over.

[hybridbear]

Every Fusion has GPS built in, that's how EV+ works and Sync Services Directions. EV+ is not always advantageous. Check out some of the older threads about it. Depending on your commute and how you drive you can end up with worse MPG by using EV+.

[nv rick]

I disabled EV+ shortly after we bought our '14 MKZ. I like to start with a high SOC when pulling out of the garage, and EV+ does just the opposite. I find that I can build up SOC when getting near home and the next time I go anywhere, I can start out using EV unless it is too cold and needs the heater, which isn't a common thing here.

[Texasota]

I disabled EV+ shortly after we bought our '14 MKZ. I like to start with a high SOC when pulling out of the garage, and EV+ does just the opposite. I find that I can build up SOC when getting near home and the next time I go anywhere, I can start out using EV unless it is too cold and needs the heater, which isn't a common thing here.

I use to think this until Hybridbear reminded us that once your ICE starts it is going to continue running until it reaches a certain engine temperature threshold. HB pointed out that it makes sense to be charging the HVB while the ICE is running during that warmup period. This makes sense to me.

[Hybrider]

In the warmer climate zones, the ICE many times doesn't start running right away as soon as we start driving. But once the ICE does kick on after the SOC gets low enough, the ICE then seems to run "until it reaches a certain engine temperature threshold" even if I am slowing down or even stopping. Since I live in a warm climate and my ICE usually doesn't kick on as soon as I start driving, I prefer the ICE to start its warm-up phase while I am accelerating for a longer stretch of time, after I get to the higher-speed main thoroughfares, not while I am on the neighborhood streets, where I am driving at speeds just a little over the 25 MPH limit. That way I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

[hybridbear]

In the warmer climate zones, the ICE many times doesn't start running right away as soon as we start driving. But once the ICE does kick on after the SOC gets low enough, the ICE then seems to run "until it reaches a certain engine temperature threshold" even if I am slowing down or even stopping. Since I live in a warm climate and my ICE usually doesn't kick on as soon as I start driving, I prefer the ICE to start its warm-up phase while I am accelerating for a longer stretch of time, after I get to the higher-speed main thoroughfares, not while I am on the neighborhood streets, where I am driving at speeds just a little over the 25 MPH limit. That way I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Exactly! This is why I turned off EV+ after I figured it out. With EV+ on the HVB would be very low and we'd end up with the ICE idling away while stopped at a traffic light to leave our neighborhood. With EV+ disabled I could control my SOC when coming home to make sure that I'd have enough to get out of the neighborhood before activating the ICE. Once we turned on to the 40 MPH main road then I'd start the ICE. By using the block heater the ICE would be warm enough that it would turn off by the time I had to slow down and stop for the first red traffic light.

[FernMTL]

Wish I had a block heater, would REALLY be helpful for my MPG during winter. It gets under -35 over here!! Nerver tough of turning the EV+ off, I'll do some testings this week.

[Texasota]

Exactly! This is why I turned off EV+ after I figured it out. With EV+ on the HVB would be very low and we'd end up with the ICE idling away while stopped at a traffic light to leave our neighborhood. With EV+ disabled I could control my SOC when coming home to make sure that I'd have enough to get out of the neighborhood before activating the ICE. Once we turned on to the 40 MPH main road then I'd start the ICE. By using the block heater the ICE would be warm enough that it would turn off by the time I had to slow down and stop for the first red traffic light.

HB, is that a change in your earlier explanation/strategy or did I misunderstand your post from many months ago?

[wiscy67]

I keep EV+ on but I still like to think I control the amount of SOC as I arrive at home. If I think it's getting to low at my destination or any time I can toggle out of EV with a quick tap of the gas pedal. As I leave my home the next day I keep it in EV mode while I drive the short distance to the main intersection. That way I'm in EV as I idle and wait for a clearing in traffic or light to turn green. Once I accelerate onto the parkway ICE activates and warm-up begins.

 

I also like to make sure that SOC isn't too high as I arrive at home. When that happens as I accelerate onto the parkway the next day my SOC can go even higher until completely full. Then when the battery indicator shows completely full I wonder if I'm no longer able to capture regenerative braking energy as I come to a stop or benefit from charging EV during extreme downhills.

[nv rick]

In the warmer climate zones, the ICE many times doesn't start running right away as soon as we start driving. But once the ICE does kick on after the SOC gets low enough, the ICE then seems to run "until it reaches a certain engine temperature threshold" even if I am slowing down or even stopping. Since I live in a warm climate and my ICE usually doesn't kick on as soon as I start driving, I prefer the ICE to start its warm-up phase while I am accelerating for a longer stretch of time, after I get to the higher-speed main thoroughfares, not while I am on the neighborhood streets, where I am driving at speeds just a little over the 25 MPH limit. That way I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

That is the basis for why I turned EV+ off. Even during the winter here, the ICE is seldom needed to warm the car when first started, unless it is late at night. Daytime temps are usually in the mid fifties to low 70's during the day in the winter, and since we are retired, we seldom leave the house before noon. There are relatively few times when the ICE will start with a high SOC right out of the garage.

[hybridbear]

Wish I had a block heater, would REALLY be helpful for my MPG during winter. It gets under -35 over here!! Nerver tough of turning the EV+ off, I'll do some testings this week.

All cars built in Canada should have the block heater standard. Check by the left fog light. That's where the plug would be.

 

HB, is that a change in your earlier explanation/strategy or did I misunderstand your post from many months ago?

Nope, that is what I've always said.

[FernMTL]

All cars built in Canada should have the block heater standard. Check by the left fog light. That's where the plug would be.

 

Nope, that is what I've always said.

Should be standard, but it's a 80$ factory option. I've asked my dealer to install one before winter, and guess the price!!

[hybridbear]

Should be standard, but it's a 80$ factory option. I've asked my dealer to install one before winter, and guess the price!!

That's surprising that it is standard (no charge) in certain US states but is a extra cost option for Canadians who deal with more cold.

[machoman1337]

Contrary to popular belief there is no actual law in Canada mandating block heaters. However it is true that over 99% of new cars sold in Canada have one installed by the dealer, as it's exceedingly popular due to harsh winters. Anyway, if your car is left in the cold for 2+ weeks, even if it's a parking garage, chances are the block heater will be useless as the battery will be dead ;)

 

I leave EV+ on - tried disabling it once and my fuel economy got worse. Yes, I often get the ICE start earlier than normal when I pull out of my garage, but the knowledge that it's charging my battery puts my mind at peace.

Edited May 4, 2015 by machoman1337

[klatoo]

Just recently I got the EV+ to start working at my work. Wifey drives the car 5 days a week to her work, after nearly 2 years finally it started showing up on mine (I drive 3 days a week).

 

On another point...I love EV+. Usually as soon as it hits plus mode, I can stretch out another 0.5 mpg increase driving to the house. Even works on the interstate as I drive by my wife's work on the way to my work...love doing 80 in EV+ mode!!

[Waldo]

Just recently I got the EV+ to start working at my work. Wifey drives the car 5 days a week to her work, after nearly 2 years finally it started showing up on mine (I drive 3 days a week).

 

On another point...I love EV+. Usually as soon as it hits plus mode, I can stretch out another 0.5 mpg increase driving to the house. Even works on the interstate as I drive by my wife's work on the way to my work...love doing 80 in EV+ mode!!

 

It may seem cool, but driving 80mph in EV+ mode only to keep going and have to charge the battery back up again is actually hurting your mpg, not helping.

[hytibill]

I live in NYC, which has crazy temperature extremes. I turn EV+ off during the warmer months. That way, I have a high SOC and on EV when I am getting onto the highway, then I charge the battery when accelerating to speed. During the winter, I turn EV+ on. The battery's going to run to warm up the engine anyway so I might as well drain the battery every evening. That way, it can charge the battery when warming up in the morning.

[JonL]

No, it does not. My FFH does not have NAV but still goes into EV+ mode when I am near my home.

I'll also chime in on some of the other remarks made about this.

Some people state that it hurts your mileage. I did an experiment and found that it does not. My mileage is always up when I use EV+, without question.

Second, some say that it is problematic when first starting the car cold.

Again, I didn't find that to be an issue at all. If people want to run the engine when they first start up, they can disable the Quiet Start mode and the ICE will start every time.

The HV battery level determines when the EV+ mode is used when first starting up. My experiment showed that, when the HV batt was more than 1/3 charged (by the dash indicator), Quiet Start was in effect and EV+ mode engaged.

When the HV batt was below that point OR when there was a moderately heavy demand for power, the ICE would engage.

Either way, there was little to no mileage effect that I could tell.

Edited January 19, 2016 by JonL

[ElectricFan69]

I disabled EV+ shortly after we bought our '14 MKZ. I like to start with a high SOC when pulling out of the garage, and EV+ does just the opposite. I find that I can build up SOC when getting near home and the next time I go anywhere, I can start out using EV unless it is too cold and needs the heater, which isn't a common thing here.

Like everything else in life, it's a trade-off. The advantage (at least for my recent driving cycles) is that starting with a relatively low SOC, the ICE warm-up is quite productive when the temps are relatively cold, and you have several stops/traffic lights near the start of your trip. The ICE will run to get everything up to temp - with a low SOC, the higher load will speed warm-up and reduce overall energy use. A related matter is that the quicker warm-up speeds the effectiveness of the front defroster.

 

Even in more moderate temps, having a load on the ICE speeds warm-up - so that part is all good.

 

One item about this that I consider the 'killer app' for this feature is the fact the ICE doesn't have to start for when we have to re-arrange the cars in the driveway. Small 'Easter Egg' sort of thing - but a delightful contrast with brand 'T'.

[hybridbear]

One item about this that I consider the 'killer app' for this feature is the fact the ICE doesn't have to start for when we have to re-arrange the cars in the driveway. Small 'Easter Egg' sort of thing - but a delightful contrast with brand 'T'.

I've been saying this since 2013. Toyota's hybrid design is inferior in this way. Check out the Warm-up Stages thread for more info.

[MrMikeL]

No need for navigation to run in EV+. It will start working when you'll park several times at the same place (home, work etc.)

In fact, all the GPS components are installed when you have the MFT screen, you have to pay the Nav option to get logged to the satellites.

Bad part, if you're not factory equipped with nav (like me), you can't get it uploaded afterward.

For most 2013-2016 vehicles, you CAN have navigation added to your MFT equipped vehicle. Check out www.fordpimods.com. Jason has found a way to add this functionality to your vehicle if it wasn't originally equipped with nav.

[thrasher086]

For most 2013-2016 vehicles, you CAN have navigation added to your MFT equipped vehicle. Check out www.fordpimods.com. Jason has found a way to add this functionality to your vehicle if it wasn't originally equipped with nav.

I like the Speedometer and Tire pressure on the left screen. Should have been stock. Anyone get this service done from him? I'd be interested but don't think the dealer would go for it.

[Hybrider]

If you look closely, he only sells the Tire Pressure/Speedometer add-on for the 2015 and 2016 models of Fusion.