Help me understand my PHEV's behavior.....

[vikki]

I have 2022 phev in the US. I have had it for about a month now. I have a daily commute of 26 miles total and most days I have been able make it back home all on battery.

I have noticed a peculiar behavior the last couple of weeks that I'm trying to understanding. I think it might be because of the cooling weather , but not sure.

The car is charged overnight in an unheated garage. When i leave in the morning, the temperature in the garage is around 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 deg C) . It is approx 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 deg C) outside. The car drives normally on battery till I get to the office. I leave it parked in the parking lot till it's time to go home. The temperature these days is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 deg C) when I leave office.

When I leave office though, regardless of how many battery miles are showing in the guess-o-meter, the engine comes on. I do not have the heater or AC turned on. The engine comes on and stays on for around 3 miles of my 6 mile commute back home.The engine cuts off and the car returns to battery at exactly the same stop sign (there are 4 stop signs before this specific one). I end up returning home with a mile or two still in the battery.

This did not happen when the weather was warmer. The engine never came on unless the battery was completely depleted. It has happened when there were 5 miles left on the battery and also when there were 21.

Is there any explanation of this behavior?

 

[AndyInOz]

My best guess would be that the engine is running briefly to warm the traction battery.

I understand that the latest model doesn't heat the battery, and this is causing problems for people living in the Northern USA and Canada.

By your description, it would appear that your 2022 does.

With the cabin heating turned off, that's the only thing I can think of that would cause that behaviour.

Hopefully, other members will be able to confirm that's how the battery is heated on the 2022 models.