Next year the highlander is going to be hybrid only according to a sales person. Also if Im not mistaken Toyota has a 100,000 mile warranty on the hybrid part.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
Code Name: JET STREAM
I drove a older loaner hybrid Camry when I got the airbag recall done on my Sienna. It was about a 45 minute drive each way to home. It didn't have much gas and the low fuel light was on before I got back to the dealer. I was wondering if they ran on just the electric if they ran out of gas.
not sure if this is what you guys mean or not (and not to keep going back to the Volvo, it's just the only one I've driven) but the V90 T8 could either be charged from a wall or by the gas engine. Until we got to Oslo I had no way of charging other than to hit the button in the infotainment that allowed the battery to charge while driving (which I think was also using regenerative braking).
But its not completely charging the battery. It only extends the range 170 miles I think. I think the best set up would be a generator that gives indefinite range. Maybe this would be especially suited for a diesel application. The other thing is the I3 uses a heat pump for heating and cooling. I wonder how well this would fare in really cold weather.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
It really is amazing how smooth & quiet a car can be on electric-only. I now find it mildly jarring when my prius' engine starts to charge the battery while sitting at a stop light.
They generally do better in the city than highway, but they also experience a very large decline in cold weather. My prius will get over 60mpg if I'm cruising at 35mph on a 70° day, but less than 50mpg if it is 20° - even on the same blend of gasoline. Running the heater requires the engine to run more often than it otherwise would, and the battery's capacity is less in the cold (especially if the car is parked outside in the elements). Smaller effects include denser air causing more aerodynamic drag and colder air lowering tire pressure.
On a 110° day the A/C lowers mpg to 55 @ 35mph, so excessive heat is not as deleterious as cold. Hypermilers in cold climates often use winter fronts to partially block their grills. Of course, with no OEM temperature gauges you're rolling the dice unless you have a scan gauge or something to make sure you don't start running hot.