I've just returned from taking my 1500Kg Swift caravan in for service. Only a 24 mile or so round trip, so not a prolonged test, but enough to get a feel for what's happening under the bonnet, etc. Everything was done under "normal" mode.
OK - compared to a traditionally geared manual or auto, the ICE engine revs are the first difference of significant note. Initially, the car tries to do everything through the electric motors. Starting from home the ICE engine started, to provide cabin heat as usual, but all low speed (up to 30-40mph on lightish throttle) driving was pretty much as normal. Harder acceleration to reach a higher speed plus a couple of moderately steep hills on the outward journey generated significantly high engine revs that, according to the MFD, was to boost battery power to the electric motors. Only on the return trip with battery reserves depleted did I notice engine power being directed to the wheels.
From my very limited knowledge, the nature of CV transmissions is that the engine is allowed to rev to the maximum required for power demanded and those revs can be sustained at a constant level even though road speed is increasing. I could hear this both when engine power was directing energy to the batteries, to supplement what the traction motors were demanding, and when power was going to the driven wheels. This is quite a different experience to the gently rising engine revs as a car accelerates with a traditional gearbox. When I was going up hill and had a mid-throttle position the engine, to me, was revving a lot with no more to give. I continued to push down harder on the accelerator and the car picked up speed more rapidly, but the engine note remained pretty constant.
Hope that helps to illustrate the "revving engine" references made earlier in this thread. I don't have a longer trip planned until Easter when I'm off to Barmouth area (about 170 miles each way), so we'll see how that stacks up then.
