Save vs charge

[Ray]

Hi
I have just collected my 2019 phev. Can anyone explain to me the difference between the Save mode and the Charge mode please ? Many thanks.

Ray

 

[ChrisMiller]

Save mode retains (roughly) the current level of charge by topping it up using the engine when it has dropped. Charge will recharge the battery back up to~80% 'full'.

Very generally speaking, charging using petrol isn't very cost-effective, so the main use of Charge is if you're towing and know there's a long, steep uphill section ahead of you (like towing a caravan over the Alps), to reduce the risk of running out of battery power and dropping into tortoise/turtle mode.

 

[kpetrov]

It is exactly the same but one (Charge) is continuous until you turn it off or when the charge reach 80% like ChrisMiller said and the other (Save) is intermittent charging, few percent up and few percent down.
Basically both modes use the same engine, same generator and transmission so Charge isn't worst in consumption compared to Save if used properly. Charge should be stopped once you have enough charge to arrive empty.
I would say even the opposite, Charge is more cost-effective than Save since Charge keeps the vehicle in parallel mode more reliably than Save.
I use only charge cause it is easier to control how much charge I need, moreover the engine runs few times on my trip instead of turning on and off every few minutes.
Both should be used only on continuous speeds of over 65km/h though (on highway) otherwise (in town) leave it in Normal if no charge left.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

There's a lot of misunderstanding about CHRG. Yes it will use more fuel while it is pressed, but then it uses none when it later runs on electric power only: overall the effect isn't really noticeable. Don't forget that the car runs in what is effectively Charge mode most of the time on a long journey, going through the loop of charging the battery while driving for long periods before running in EV for a short while. It goes through that Charge-EV loop loads of times on a long journey. So pressing CHRG merely changes when the car charges, not how much (as long as you arrive at your destination with an empty battery). So it makes little difference overall; think of pressing CHRG as timeshifting the charging that the car would need to do anyway.

 

[kpetrov]

A lot of that misunderstanding about CHRG is cumming from the word used for the alternative mode - SAVE.
People just by the meaning of the word used for that mode believe they are saving on gas.

BTW Anawilliam, you are painting save and charge in different colours but it' not like that.
Charge is not used only if want to make sure that the battery is fully charged when you arrive at your destination.

All you have said about Save is valid for charge as well, particularly regarding that Save is useful if you want to conserve battery charge for later use, such as when you're driving in an electric-only zone or in heavy traffic.
That is even more true for Charge. Driving on a long journey on a highway arriving in big megalopolis. One has to definitely press CHRG in order to accumulate battery charge for the heavy traffic ahead not only to save some via Save mode.