What Have You Done To Your PHEV Today?

[user 258]

Today I had a charge point fitted at home. I had previously been told that I couldn't have one as a cable needed running to the consumer unit and the garage is detached and I wasn't prepared for the upheavel of a cable being run. I got an electrician to fit a consumer unit in the garage and then the charge point connected to this. Although the cable from the house is a standard 2.5mm I had the Rolec 32A + 5M tethered unit fitted. If I ever get a car that can charge at 32A (and if the tethered cable will fit it) then I will have to have the cable to the garage upgraded.

The unit also showed 8.4KWh for a full charge compared to the 12.2KWh that a plug meter with the standard charger used to show.

I also had the chance to park in Sheffield city centre and use their newly installed chargers. Or at least I would have had if there wasn't already a Leaf and i3 using there

Kind regards,
Mark

You mean you've survived this long just charging off the brick at 10A? :?:

Sure, quite easily

Kind regards,
Mark

 

[user 258]

Today I bought:

a Samsung Galaxy Young 2 sim free for £69
a Three payg sim for £10 (2p per text and doesn't expire)
the PHEV remote SMS app for £21

And can now start the heater from anywhere simply by sending a text. Looking to returning from holiday in the early hours to a warm car.

Also end up with an emergency phone in the car, always charged and on a different network to my main phone, just in case.

Kind regards,
Mark

 

[jdsx]

Be interested to get feedback about the SMS app.... Quite tempted, but £100 seems quite steep. If it worked flawlessly I'd give it a go.... btw, my (basic) remote control app quite often just crashes. Nothing major - starts working for a few seconds then just stops. Usually works fine on second or third attempt. Seems to be more common since the 1.3.7 update. Anyone else have the same? I ask here because it makes me think the SMS app might not work if the basic app crashing...

 

[user 258]

Be interested to get feedback about the SMS app.... Quite tempted, but £100 seems quite steep. If it worked flawlessly I'd give it a go.... btw, my (basic) remote control app quite often just crashes. Nothing major - starts working for a few seconds then just stops. Usually works fine on second or third attempt. Seems to be more common since the 1.3.7 update. Anyone else have the same? I ask here because it makes me think the SMS app might not work if the basic app crashing...

Hi,
From the app's forum it seems reasonably reliable. The several tiimes I've used it, it seems to do what it says on the tin. Out of the £100 to get setup, £70 of that is on a brand new (half decent) phone, which could probably be sold for £50 or so.
I would agree that you should get the Mitsubishi app to work reliably first.
Kind regards,
Mark

 

[Titan]

my (basic) remote control app quite often just crashes. Nothing major - starts working for a few seconds then just stops. Usually works fine on second or third attempt. Seems to be more common since the 1.3.7 update. Anyone else have the same? I ask here because it makes me think the SMS app might not work if the basic app crashing...

Nope, no problems with the app. Seems rock solid, and I dive in and out of it, including connecting & disconnecting from the ssid, quite a lot.

Might've been tempted by the app, as I've an old 'droid phone kicking around somewhere, but not at that price.

 

[sege]

I just picked it up this morning and is now charging it at home for the first time. Black with white leather, perfect with two kids! Clean inside and outside seven times a week at least!

 

[t3lmo]

Just charging around Lisbon...

http://instagram.com/p/zMxQ-tJQlR/

 

[greendwarf]

As mentioned elsewhere I drove from UK to Alps at the weekend.

Two interesting points arise:-

Am I the only GX3 owner to be slightly disconcerted by the dashboard clock updating itself to French time? - i.e. the car seems to know which time zone it is in :?

Secondly I seem to recall a suggestion that I need to turn off the AWC when using 4WD lock - but how do I tell? The button does not light up/go out and there seems to be no dashboard symbol either

 

[Hypermiler]

Secondly I seem to recall a suggestion that I need to turn off the AWC when using 4WD lock - but how do I tell? The button does not light up/go out and there seems to be no dashboard symbol either

Yes - I've noticed that it doesn't seem to do anything. I have pressed that button so many times when trying to cycle through the display - perhaps it only works in certain circumstances.. no idea whether it is now on or off!
H

 

[user 258]

Secondly I seem to recall a suggestion that I need to turn off the AWC when using 4WD lock - but how do I tell? The button does not light up/go out and there seems to be no dashboard symbol either

Yes - I've noticed that it doesn't seem to do anything. I have pressed that button so many times when trying to cycle through the display - perhaps it only works in certain circumstances.. no idea whether it is now on or off!
H

I think you have to hold in in for a few seconds and you get an indicator on the dash. There is no need to turn it off when you engage 4W lock. It should probably be turned off when you are unable to make progress such as being stuck in snow/mud. Turning it off enables the wheels to spin (whereas AWC will limit wheel spin) which is often the best way in deep snow/mud.

Kind regards,
Mark

 

[Regulo]

Just got in before me, Mark! Yes, the manual states to hold the AWC button in for 3 seconds to turn it off, but a momentary push will turn it back on.

 

[aitchjaybee]

so with it being half-term in the south east, roads are much quieter and I was intrigued to notice my EV range (achieved) getting worse not better despite significantly less traffic on the road. Day 3 of my mini experiement today: my hypothesis is the empty roads mean my average speed is much higher (able to do 60mph/96kph on straight open roads whereas traffic normally limits that to 40mph/64kph). This takes out much more from the battery than slower journeys, even if they take more time. So my 18 mile commute normally takes 50 minutes and on pure EV I do the trip with 2 to 4 miles range indicated left. This week, its been taking 35 minutes but I have arrived with 1 remining (or --- but still just on EV) so the heater/wipers/lights have less impact than I originally thought - going over c40mph with our as aerodynamic as a shed phev is more significant.
Anyone disagree?
Oh, and whilst I'm doing a double check, am I isolated in being in favour of 100% mandatory home schooling for all kids? I love these quieter roads. (only kidding folks!)

 

[MHS]

so with it being half-term in the south east, roads are much quieter and I was intrigued to notice my EV range (achieved) getting worse not better despite significantly less traffic on the road. Day 3 of my mini experiement today: my hypothesis is the empty roads mean my average speed is much higher (able to do 60mph/96kph on straight open roads whereas traffic normally limits that to 40mph/64kph). This takes out much more from the battery than slower journeys, even if they take more time. So my 18 mile commute normally takes 50 minutes and on pure EV I do the trip with 2 to 4 miles range indicated left. This week, its been taking 35 minutes but I have arrived with 1 remining (or --- but still just on EV) so the heater/wipers/lights have less impact than I originally thought - going over c40mph with our as aerodynamic as a shed phev is more significant.
Anyone disagree?
Oh, and whilst I'm doing a double check, am I isolated in being in favour of 100% mandatory home schooling for all kids? I love these quieter roads. (only kidding folks!)

Don't shout it from the roof tops or the men & women at the ministry will enforce a blanket 40 mph speed limit!!

You're quite right though, all vehicles use more fuel to beat increased air resistance at geater speeds.

 

[Titan]

Went for a jolly jaunt down to Birmingham NEC, thus driving well beyond EV range, to see what actual mpg I would get. Averaged 41 there and back, using "Save" until I got within EV range of home, although I got back with 5 miles to spare, as the EV range lied to me!

 

[user 816]

Did a nice little 240 mile round trip today, 50% motorway, 50% A-roads and B-roads (my Sat Nav. got a bit carried away with short cuts!)

Firstly what a relaxing day, car was so comfy, never short of oomph for overtakes, quiet. Its just so easy to drive and with soothing Tangerine Dream on the sound system a very chilled day at work.

Only managed 33mpg at the end but this is a worse case day and I was rarely doing less than 60 all day so that is fine.

Also the PHEV is tall enough and with the tinted rear glass its ideal to find a quiet field entrance to park across and have a quick discreet wee behind!

 

[greendwarf]

Just got in before me, Mark! Yes, the manual states to hold the AWC button in for 3 seconds to turn it off, but a momentary push will turn it back on.

Thanks to you both I'd missed that and will try it and yes it was for the heavy snow here last week - although now rapidly melting in the uninterrupted sunshine this week

 

[Kim]

Soo many things:
Picked it up this morning,
drove it home,
gave the tyres a good shine (weather here was beautiful today!),
drove to Germany with it,
charged it at a public charger in a car park.
Drove back home,
and later it'll get its first timed charge from my home charger.

 

[Kim]

Day 2:
- disabled the seatbelt warning for the drivers side
- swaped the numberplate lights for LEDs
- swaped the side lights for LEDs
- ordered LEDs for interiour lighting

 

[Kim]

Annoyingly the warning triangle was free floatin' in the boot compartment next to the jack.

So I wrapped a thin sheat of foam aaround it and strapped it on the jack.

That's how they should have shipped it out the factory in the freekin' first place, right!?

 

[greendwarf]

Just returned to UK from a week's skiing in the French Alps - missed last weekend's snow there (and the Eurotunnel chaos due to UK Border Force testing their "exit control" :lol: ) so no chance to try the winter tyres etc. then but lots of sun all week for the slopes .

Phev performed flawlessly with hour after hour (no more than 2 between filling stops :lol: ) of 130kph autoroute cruising but really came into its own on the return leg when 2 inches of snow turned the A48 into a skating rink. It took us 6 hours to creep from Grenoble to Lyon (toasty warm in the car) and when we finally made to the front of the queue of stranded FRENCH drivers (no chains or winter tyres ) we just zigzagged our way through them and away. No sign road had been gritted and no assistance from the authorities :roll: - apparently caught out when forecast of rain (in winter in Alps) turned to snow

Same problems for those going the other way to the slopes with huge queues back out of Lyon due to closure of A43 as well.

I recon winter tyres paid for themselves yesterday because I could see many of the others stuck there well into the night