EV Range

[DRZ]

Hello, newbie here. I've just taken loan of a 2016 4hs for a few days, with a view to buying, if I like it. Driving it for the first time on a full charge, I notice the predicted EV range is just 17 miles. Ok, very cold yesterday evening, but it's this normal? I've read on this forum is possible to measures the battery status, presumably by taking it into a dealer? The car's only done 22k miles.

Another question ( I have loads of questions, as I don't find the manual very helpful, but will limit this post):

Does the 4wd only operate if I select the AWD lock, or is there some support of rear wheel drive engagement when the car senses it needs it?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Mitch]

The Guessometer is nearly useless.
17 miles go be in winter with heating on.
I have also only 25km at the moment. In summer time, I had up to 65km.

Dealer can read the SOH (State of Health), you can do it with OBD and app (e.g. watchdog, but I don't trust this numbers)

The PHEV is always AWD, even when in parallel and ICE is driving the front.
But this is like most AWD, the car is using only the front and if needed, add rear.
Lock will force always 4WD.

 

[DRZ]

Great, thanks Markus. So if I'm driving in winter and want the security of AWD ,I need to make sure I don't run-down the EV system completely. That must be when I use the 'Charge' button?

Lots to learn. I have the car for the next week, before I decide if I want to buy it, so need to check out what it's like to live with. Today I drove around 40 miles, starting with a full charge, so assume the engine must have been used at some point, but to be honest, I never heard it and don't know how to check if the engine is on. Would be useful if there was a simple indicator inside the Power dial.

 

[greendwarf]

No as Markus stated - PHEV is ALWAYS AWD!

In between the round dials is the battery/fuel state screen. You can toggle this with the first button behind the steering wheel to show other screens - one of which will show energy flows between wheels, battery & engine (when used)

 

[jaapv]

Hello, newbie here. I've just taken loan of a 2016 4hs for a few days, with a view to buying, if I like it. Driving it for the first time on a full charge, I notice the predicted EV range is just 17 miles. Ok, very cold yesterday evening, but it's this normal? I've read on this forum is possible to measures the battery status, presumably by taking it into a dealer? The car's only done 22k miles.

Another question ( I have loads of questions, as I don't find the manual very helpful, but will limit this post):

Does the 4wd only operate if I select the AWD lock, or is there some support of rear wheel drive engagement when the car senses it needs it?

Thanks in anticipation.

The car has two electric motors, one at the front, one at the back, and a computer to determine the power distribution between them, depending on driving conditions, so it is a permanent 4WD. The 4WD Lock button will send equal power to both motors. You'll rarely need it, only when ploughing through thick snow etc.
The predicted EV range has very little to do with the actual EV range. We call it the guessometer. 17 miles in cold weather with an inexperienced (in operating this car) driver sounds about right. The EV range is very sensitive to driving style and road conditions.

 

[Craigy]

However on the screen it shows only the fronts actually driven when the ICE is connected to the wheels which suggests it’s not a “permanent 4wd” system (this description is usually for 4WD systems with a transfer box and central differential).
I’m guessing though that any loss in traction to the front wheels would result in power being distributed to the rear electronically. I’ve never seen this in practice however as any loss in traction at speed would mean I’m not looking at the screen!

 

[Nibbo]

I notice the predicted EV range is just 17 miles.

This prediction will be based on how the previous owner drove the vehicle.
The more you drive it the more accurately it will be able to estimate the range based on your driving habits etc...

 

[Artleknock]

I've only had my 14 month old with 13500 on the clock MY19 4H for three weeks, but I have found the 'guessometer' to be pretty good. I charge from midnight to full ( to get night rate leccy) every night. In the morning it shows an EV range of 27 miles which drops to 22 when the heater is switched on. With no heater I can do a 13.5 mile each way journey and if the engine fires up it's within half a mile of home.

 

[AndyInOz]

However on the screen it shows only the fronts actually driven when the ICE is connected to the wheels which suggests it’s not a “permanent 4wd” system (this description is usually for 4WD systems with a transfer box and central differential).
I’m guessing though that any loss in traction to the front wheels would result in power being distributed to the rear electronically. I’ve never seen this in practice however as any loss in traction at speed would mean I’m not looking at the screen!

I've just noticed that no-one commented on the first part of this...

The Engine can only directly connect to the front wheels, but the electric motor continues to drive the rear wheels as required in that 'mode'.

If the rear electric motors were providing no power to the rear wheels, then the rear wheels would be acting as regenerative brakes, slowing down the car.

So, yes, it is still in four wheel drive when the engine is directly driving the front wheels.

As someone else has explained. The only thing the lock button does is force a 50:50 split of the requested electric power between the front and rear electric motors (one of each).

 

[jaapv]

However on the screen it shows only the fronts actually driven when the ICE is connected to the wheels which suggests it’s not a “permanent 4wd” system (this description is usually for 4WD systems with a transfer box and central differential).
I’m guessing though that any loss in traction to the front wheels would result in power being distributed to the rear electronically. I’ve never seen this in practice however as any loss in traction at speed would mean I’m not looking at the screen!

The rear motor must remain active because of the anti-yaw system

 

[Craigy]

However on the screen it shows only the fronts actually driven when the ICE is connected to the wheels which suggests it’s not a “permanent 4wd” system (this description is usually for 4WD systems with a transfer box and central differential).
I’m guessing though that any loss in traction to the front wheels would result in power being distributed to the rear electronically. I’ve never seen this in practice however as any loss in traction at speed would mean I’m not looking at the screen!

I've just noticed that no-one commented on the first part of this...

The Engine can only directly connect to the front wheels, but the electric motor continues to drive the rear wheels as required in that 'mode'.

If the rear electric motors were providing no power to the rear wheels, then the rear wheels would be acting as regenerative brakes, slowing down the car.

So, yes, it is still in four wheel drive when the engine is directly driving the front wheels.

As someone else has explained. The only thing the lock button does is force a 50:50 split of the requested electric power between the front and rear electric motors (one of each).

I’m aware that a very small amount of power is directed to the rear motor for efficiency reasons this is a far cry from being a permanent 4wd. In fact this simply makes it equivalent to a 2WD vehicle with a passive rear axle, albeit one wasting power to achieve that passive rear axle. I’m also pretty sure that spinning the motor without driving it wouldn’t instantly store energy to the battery, it’s not a DC motor.