[wpc]

Hello All,
I'm going on a trip this weekend from Southern California to Northern California that's roughly 600+ miles. First time I'm doing this in a Clarity Plugin-Hybrid. Do any of you take your Clarity on long trips like this? If so what mode do you run in? Is it the same as everyone seems to always say, HV mode on highway and EV only during local even when there will be almost no local driving besides the 1 or 2 refueling/potty break stops?

Johnny

 

[RickSE]

When I go on long drives I switch to HV mode as soon as I get on the highway. Personally I prefer to save as much battery as possible. Also, I use sport mode on long trips because cruise control works much better to regain the original speed if the car slows down due to traffic - or when someone cuts me off.

 

[semenzato]

My long trips are about 200 miles, but I don't think it makes much difference.

My strategy is to start in hybrid mode and pretty much stick to it. There is one exception though. On long uphill stretches, the "hybrid margin" is used up, and the ICE revs up to recharge the battery and push the car at the same time. When that happens, I go briefly to EV mode (1-2 seconds) and then back to hybrid. This resets the margin to a lower point and avoids long stretches of high RPM.

Using this technique, a full charge allows me to climb from sea level to 7000ft (the total climb is probably quite a bit more because of the ups and downs). This saves wear on the ICE and gives me more power on the climb. If your total climb is more than that, you can use recharge mode in the flat stretches. Don't attempt to use recharge mode in the hills because it is dumb: it lets the ICE go idle in the downhill sections---precisely when it would be a great time to recharge at a moderate power.

 

[JimWoo]

Hello All,
I'm going on a trip this weekend from Southern California to Northern California that's roughly 600+ miles. First time I'm doing this in a Clarity Plugin-Hybrid. Do any of you take your Clarity on long trips like this? If so what mode do you run in? Is it the same as everyone seems to always say, HV mode on highway and EV only during local even when there will be almost no local driving besides the 1 or 2 refueling/potty break stops?

Johnny

Hey Johnny! I have made several long trips in my Clarity Touring PHEV and like many who I’m sure will respond, I always make these trips starting out with a full battery and stay in HV mode with the Touring mode on thereafter for the duration of the trip. I consider that initial full battery charge my safety reserve should I run perilously low on fuel between fueling points, etc. If you have it, Touring mode will make your cruise control experience a more consistent and smooth experience at highway speeds. Depending on the nature of my trip I may also take along a full size spare (and tire change kit) and I will usually also carry a spare can of gas as well. I have found that adverse weather (heavy rain, heavy winds, etc.) can dramatically impact fuel economy in a vehicle with only a 7 gallon tank. The Clarity PHEV is a great road car, one just has to prepare properly to anticipate some of the Clarity’s unique engineering limitations that need extra attention and support.

 

[wpc]

When I go on long drives I switch to HV mode as soon as I get on the highway. Personally I prefer to save as much battery as possible. Also, I use sport mode on long trips because cruise control works much better to regain the original speed if the car slows down due to traffic - or when someone cuts me off.

So, basically turn off Eco mode which I generally drive around in 99% of the time and change to Sport mode + HV?

My long trips are about 200 miles, but I don't think it makes much difference.

My strategy is to start in hybrid mode and pretty much stick to it. There is one exception though. On long uphill stretches, the "hybrid margin" is used up, and the ICE revs up to recharge the battery and push the car at the same time. When that happens, I go briefly to EV mode (1-2 seconds) and then back to hybrid. This resets the margin to a lower point and avoids long stretches of high RPM.

Using this technique, a full charge allows me to climb from sea level to 7000ft (the total climb is probably quite a bit more because of the ups and downs). This saves wear on the ICE and gives me more power on the climb. If your total climb is more than that, you can use recharge mode in the flat stretches. Don't attempt to use recharge mode in the hills because it is dumb: it lets the ICE go idle in the downhill sections---precisely when it would be a great time to recharge at a moderate power.

By hybrid mode you mean HV mode? Long uphills use up the electricity? I'm not entirely sure on the elevation level from southern california to northern california but I want to say it's similar.

Hey Johnny! I have made several long trips in my Clarity Touring PHEV and like many who I’m sure will respond, I always make these trips starting out with a full battery and stay in HV mode with the Touring mode on thereafter for the duration of the trip. I consider that initial full battery charge my safety reserve should I run perilously low on fuel between fueling points, etc. If you have it, Touring mode will make your cruise control experience a more consistent and smooth experience at highway speeds. Depending on the nature of my trip I may also take along a full size spare (and tire change kit) and I will usually also carry a spare can of gas as well. I have found that adverse weather (heavy rain, heavy winds, etc.) can dramatically impact fuel economy in a vehicle with only a 7 gallon tank. The Clarity PHEV is a great road car, one just has to prepare properly to anticipate some of the Clarity’s unique engineering limitations that need extra attention and support.

By Touring mode do you mean Sport mode? I have a 2020 Clarity Touring PHEV but I don't recall seeing a touring mode. Also, the trunk is so small, I don't think I can even fit a gas can in there with all of our luggage.

 

[don7778]

Hello All,
I'm going on a trip this weekend from Southern California to Northern California that's roughly 600+ miles. First time I'm doing this in a Clarity Plugin-Hybrid. Do any of you take your Clarity on long trips like this? If so what mode do you run in? Is it the same as everyone seems to always say, HV mode on highway and EV only during local even when there will be almost no local driving besides the 1 or 2 refueling/potty break stops?

Johnny

I drive my 2018 touring on long trips often. I used to play around with the different modes but now just leave it in HV and go and I don't give it any thought. Forget about the plug-in part. Just drive it like any other car but you will need to look for gas every 275 miles or so. I get between 45-55 MPG driving 65mph. Of course it can be fun to play with the different modes and see if you can eek out more.

 

[wpc]

I drive my 2018 touring on long trips often. I used to play around with the different modes but now just leave it in HV and go and I don't give it any thought. Forget about the plug-in part. Just drive it like any other car but you will need to look for gas every 275 miles or so. I get between 45-55 MPG driving 65mph. Of course it can be fun to play with the different modes and see if you can eek out more.

This is likely what I was going to plan to do. But the 5 freeway, everyone is going 75-85 so let's see how bad the MPG is at that speed.

 

[2002]

This is likely what I was going to plan to do. But the 5 freeway, everyone is going 75-85 so let's see how bad the MPG is at that speed.

Of course just because everyone else is going 75-85 mph doesn't mean you have to. Although if driving slower than the other traffic you should stay in the right hand lanes.

 

[Bill B]

I have made several long trips in 2020 Clarity and have mostly used electric down to about 5 miles of battery charge. I then switch to HV charge. The charge continues to draw down while the ICE warms up then charges the battery to the HV limit. Then go back to electric. Repeat. Look ahead for when you might take a short run off highway and have some charge for it and for construction areas, hopefully. I feel that having the ICE work on two tasks at once will be a little more efficient.

 

[[email protected]]

Hello All,
I'm going on a trip this weekend from Southern California to Northern California that's roughly 600+ miles. First time I'm doing this in a Clarity Plugin-Hybrid. Do any of you take your Clarity on long trips like this? If so what mode do you run in? Is it the same as everyone seems to always say, HV mode on highway and EV only during local even when there will be almost no local driving besides the 1 or 2 refueling/potty break stops?

Johnny

Like everyone above I agree with driving in the HV mode if you don't have a lot of start and stop driving. I have no clue what "Touring" mode is - I do often drive in Sports mode when the battery is getting low to prevent a lot of the "revving" of the ICE.

 

[wpc]

Of course just because everyone else is going 75-85 mph doesn't mean you have to. Although if driving slower than the other traffic you should stay in the right hand lanes.

This is hard to do in California. It's hard to not go the speed of traffic. From S. Ca to N. Ca there are only 2 lanes and going 65 would mean I'm going slower than the truckers.

I have made several long trips in 2020 Clarity and have mostly used electric down to about 5 miles of battery charge. I then switch to HV charge. The charge continues to draw down while the ICE warms up then charges the battery to the HV limit. Then go back to electric. Repeat. Look ahead for when you might take a short run off highway and have some charge for it and for construction areas, hopefully. I feel that having the ICE work on two tasks at once will be a little more efficient.

This is the first I'm hearing of anyone doing this. At least with our current gas prices in California, it costs more to use gas to charge the battery than the outlet. Your area might vary?

Like everyone above I agree with driving in the HV mode if you don't have a lot of start and stop driving. I have no clue what "Touring" mode is - I do often drive in Sports mode when the battery is getting low to prevent a lot of the "revving" of the ICE.

So sports mode prevents revving but does the revving do something bad? I've never touched the sports mode button once in the car so I have no clue what it's like.

 

[2002]

This is hard to do in California. It's hard to not go the speed of traffic. From S. Ca to N. Ca there are only 2 lanes and going 65 would mean I'm going slower than the truckers.

If you really feel that it would be unsafe then I understand, however I have rarely been in a situation where going five miles over the speed limit in the right hand lane is unsafe or creates any type of major disruption of traffic flow. Sure even in the right hand lane I sometimes have someone get on my tail because they want me to speed up. Usually it's because they have an exit coming up in a mile or so and they don't want to go around me. But in some of these situations I will pass the next exit but they continue to stay on my tail, so it's just a case of someone who is just habitually aggressive and expects people to get out of their way, which in most cases probably works for them, just not with me, especially if I am on cruise control I just leave it and keep going the same speed, they eventually go around. Trucks I am more lenient with as they cannot change lanes as easily, but if there are no other cars around preventing them from changing lanes then they can go around me also.

Now if there are only two lanes in each direction and there is so much traffic that it is difficult for people to go around me, and I would be literally causing a slowdown, then sure I will accommodate, but that is extremely rare, and it's hard to imagine that it is like that the entire stretch of I-5 from southern to northern California.

Don't get me wrong if you want to go 75-85 I have absolutely no problem with it. And I am not going to try and pretend that I never speed. I am just generally skeptical about claims that it is impossible to go the speed limit or "I'll get run over". I know that's not what you are saying, you are saying it's hard. I guess sometimes it is, and it's been many years since I have driven on that section of I-5 so I am not going to question your experience with it.

Funny thing is, one thing I have to live with driving in the right hand lane is dealing with a common habit that many people have which is to start slowing down well before their exit, oftentimes slowing below the speed limit when they still have half a mile or more to go. It's just some unconscious habit that many people have. Many times there will someone going well over the speed limit in the next lane, they pass me and then pull in front of me, and then start slowing down so then I have to cancel my cruise control so that I can stay safely behind them (no I don't tailgate them). Although now with radar cruise my cars slows down automatically so at least that helps.

 

[Bill B]

This is the first I'm hearing of anyone doing this. At least with our current gas prices in California, it costs more to use gas to charge the battery than the outlet. Your area might vary?

The operation of the Clarity is virtually always on the electric motor and battery. The battery is always charging during HV operation. So, my theory is that using the HV charge mode you get power to the wheels and additional charge to the battery. If charging the battery with the ICE is too expensive then you never use HV mode? If you use straight HV mode with a full battery, does the ICE have to work harder to charger a nearly full battery? By the way, my trips were in Illinois and from Illinois to Arizona. Gas prices were much lower than California and speed limits were 70 to 75. I think my mpg was in the low 40's. Mileage is hard to determine because of differences in the remaining battery charge at each refuelling.

 

[2002]

This is the first I'm hearing of anyone doing this. At least with our current gas prices in California, it costs more to use gas to charge the battery than the outlet. Your area might vary?

I'm pretty sure he was referring to being on a road trip where charging is not available or at least not convenient. In that situation HV Charge is a great way to keep from running out of EV miles.

There actually are places in the U.S. where electricity prices are so high due to coal taxes that it's actually cheaper to run Clarity on gas. And there are people who own a Clarity who don't currently have a place to charge, so they use HV Charge so that even without plugging in they can still drive EV some of the time.

The operation of the Clarity is virtually always on the electric motor and battery. The battery is always charging during HV operation. So, my theory is that using the HV charge mode you get power to the wheels and additional charge to the battery. If charging the battery with the ICE is too expensive then you never use HV mode? If you use straight HV mode with a full battery, does the ICE have to work harder to charger a nearly full battery? By the way, my trips were in Illinois and from Illinois to Arizona. Gas prices were much lower than California and speed limits were 70 to 75. I think my mpg was in the low 40's. Mileage is hard to determine because of differences in the remaining battery charge at each refuelling.

I agree that for the most part HV Charge works the same as regular HV, both of them use gas to charge the battery to a set level. The main difference is what that level is. Regular HV tries to maintain the EV miles that you had when you pressed the HV button. HV Charge tries to maintain the battery at just over half full. There are some other differences though, HV Charge is more aggressive in charging the battery, for example it will charge while you are stopped at a light, whereas in regular HV the engine will shut off and won't resume charging again until you start driving again. Also I have noticed that it never goes into "gear mode" in HV Charge. This is where the engine connects directly to the drive wheels (basically speaking) in a fixed overdrive gear ratio, this occurs at steady speeds above 45 mph or so. You can see when it is doing this by the tiny gear icon that appears on the energy display screen. I would think that by HV Charge not using gear mode during highway cruising a bit of efficiency is lost. Then again I suspect that in some cases HV Charge increases efficiency by causing the engine to operate at a higher load which in many cases can be more efficient. However until someone puts their Clarity on a dynamometer and runs a bunch of tests all we can do is speculate.

 

[EV Nerd]

Of course just because everyone else is going 75-85 mph doesn't mean you have to. Although if driving slower than the other traffic you should stay in the right hand lanes.

I try to tuck in behind a semi. Swift-branded trucks seem to have a governor on them (or they store and forward data to the company), and rarely top 60 mi/hr. ACC works really well, and then chill with some tunes.

 

[JimWoo]

So, basically turn off Eco mode which I generally drive around in 99% of the time and change to Sport mode + HV?



By hybrid mode you mean HV mode? Long uphills use up the electricity? I'm not entirely sure on the elevation level from southern california to northern california but I want to say it's similar.



By Touring mode do you mean Sport mode? I have a 2020 Clarity Touring PHEV but I don't recall seeing a touring mode. Also, the trunk is so small, I don't think I can even fit a gas can in there with all of our luggage.

Yes, sorry, got my terms mixed up. It is of course the middle option between Hybrid and Econ.