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There’s nothing quite as stressful during a family trip as realizing that you let your fuel gauge drop perilously close to an empty tank of gas, and the nearest open gas station is uncertain. However, if you own a Hybrid, there is some reassurance that your EV mode will carry you to safety.
But just how far?
What’s the expected buffer in a 2025 RAV4 PHEV once you get an empty tank warning and have about 25 miles of EV mode as backup?
That’s the question addressed in a recent RAV4 World social media interest group, where one intrepid RAV4 owner on a road trip decided to hypermile his hybrid to see just how much buffer his car offers once it runs out of gas.
Here’s his story with the caveat that your mileage may vary:
This happened today on a trip from Montrose, CO to Colorado Springs, CO. I drove straight. No stop. From my hotel and stopped at the end at Costco in Colorado Springs for gas.
I intentionally ran out of gas today to get some stats. My car was set in ECO mode and HV mode. No use of AC at all. This is a trip from Montrose, CO to Colorado Springs.
Note for clarity, if you are not a Hybrid vehicle owner: HV mode in a Toyota RAV4 PHE refers to the Hybrid EV mode, which is designed to maximize fuel efficiency by using electric motors as much as possible. When driving, the vehicle will default to EV mode, utilizing the electric battery for electric-only operation. However, when additional power is needed, such as for acceleration or climbing hills, the gasoline engine (ICE) will engage to provide more power. This mode is particularly useful for maintaining efficiency during low-speed driving and transitioning to the engine when more power is required.
When I left my hotel this morning, I did not have a full tank of gas nor a full electric charge.
My DTE (distance till empty) showed 107 miles left for my gas tank to be empty or turn to zero or say refuel.
My EV miles showed 49 EV miles available.
I did not use AC at all for the whole trip.
I started my trip by driving only in EV mode until my EV miles was at 25 left. Then I switched to HV mode for the rest of the trip.
Along the way I had some sections of going up very steep hills and I had one section of 7 miles of downhill. I think I got my EV miles up to 39 EV miles at that section. Then it would deplete itself sometime along the way back to about 25 EV miles.
My DTE turned to ZERO or “Refuel” @ 134.6 miles on this trip (DTE = 0 with 29 EV miles left).
I ran out of gas 97 miles past zero. The engine stopped and this message popped up. The car went into EV mode, but you can still see HV active, though it stayed in EV mode now throughout because I had ran out of gas. But I was close to my destination at this point.
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I had driven for 97 miles past ZERO or “Refuel” before I ran out of gas. I was on the highway and highest speed limit was 65 mph, but I was doing 50 mph to 55 mph. I was hypermiling.
I got to Costco after driving for 8 miles on EV. I filled up and the tank took 14.3 gallons. I did not overfill. I stopped at first click. I am sure I could have forced 0.2 gallon inside, but I didn’t.
I got back into my car and started the engine. I switched to HV. The car started normally. No sputtering or any warning lights.
I continued on my journey.
Thread Comments Were Impressed and Appreciative of the Hypermiling Test
As one comment pointed out, to make this clear, just because the low fuel warning message is triggered, there remains a significant amount of gas to burn before the ICE part of the hybrid system turns off, and all that remains is the electric hybrid battery portion.
Not unlike a gas-only vehicle, where the fuel gauge needle is on “E” and you can still go an indeterminate number of miles depending on your vehicle and the driving conditions.
The value of this hypermiling test, however, is that now RAV4 PHEV (and likely non-plug-in hybrid RAV4 models as well) can expect a little over 100 miles of buffer when the low fuel warning appears on the dash or display.
Thanks for doing this test. It validates how I like to think about “miles to empty” when looking at the fuel gauge — and ignoring the car’s displayed DTE number. Very comforting to know there’s 100 miles of buffer in that gas tank. I just have to remember to reset the odometer when it hits “E” so I can keep track. ―PetitFereRav4
Totally agree! It’s great to know there’s a solid buffer after hitting “E.” Resetting the trip meter is a smart move simple and way more reliable than the DTE number.―joldencox
However, one comment from Mr_Flux makes a good point:
“I can appreciate that it didn’t throw a DTC (diagnostic trouble code) that had to be cleared before you could take off again. I keep a cheap OBD2 scanner/clearer in my hybrid as a just in case tool but I really like that you could just fill and go. Good test.”
In other words, you may want to read your manual about what to expect when your model runs totally out of gas and when the EV level is nearly depleted as well. Having a scan tool you are familiar with may come in handy if a code issue arises requiring a reset to get off and going again once refueled.
Here’s one inexpensive model that comes highly recommended.
For additional Toyota RAV4-related articles, here are two for your consideration:
- Refueling My Toyota Hybrid Went Very Wrong
- My Family’s 2018 RAV4 Has Always Been Modestly Driven, as My Dad Has Been Under the Impression That High RPM Is Bad for the Engine/Transmission and Increases Stress and Wear ― Is “Italian Tune-Up” Good for a RAV4?
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
Image Source: Deposit Photos
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Source: torquenews.com
