[855]

Hi, The Ampera will fast charge its batteries when they have depleted when the car is idling in Mountain mode. Does anyone know how much fuel vs how much battery charge this equates to and is it more efficient than driving in normal mode?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

It is never worth charging in mountain mode. You will use more petrol than just using the petrol to drive the car. I don't know the figures but it is generally accepted that charging a PHEV when stationary is not the best use of the petrol.

Of course, if you need the battery to be charged because you have a mountain to climb or if you want to enter a EV only zone then you can do it but if you don't need to do it then it will always be better not to.

BTW Mountain mode will only hold the battery at about 40% so you couldn't charge up higher than that anyway

 

[Richard Gledhill]

I must admit I've found mountain mode very useful for the hilly A-roads in the UK - it puts less stress on the petrol engine as there's more electricity available to help it up the slopes, making for much more relaxed progress. I suspect it is fractionally less economical but it reduces wear and tear on the engine.

 

[Brooktop]

Can't imagine that engine wear & tear for most users is even a consideration. Drove the mother in law's Auris hybrid at the weekend and if you put the pedal to the metal, boy does that engine make some noise!

 

[Edd Beesley]

Can't imagine that engine wear & tear for most users is even a consideration. Drove the mother in law's Auris hybrid at the weekend and if you put the pedal to the metal, boy does that engine make some noise!

4,500rpm of torqueless bliss....!

 

[Edd Beesley]

Hi, The Ampera will fast charge its batteries when they have depleted when the car is idling in Mountain mode. Does anyone know how much fuel vs how much battery charge this equates to and is it more efficient than driving in normal mode?

As a maths exercise, the difference between charging while static versus using that energy at time of generation is the loss of charging the battery, and then discharging it, plus the loss of usable heat from the ICE for the cabin if that would have been used.

In practical terms, charging using mountain mode will get you 5-10% less miles than using the petrol while moving.

 

[855]

As a maths exercise, the difference between charging while static versus using that energy at time of generation is the loss of charging the battery, and then discharging it, plus the loss of usable heat from the ICE for the cabin if that would have been used.

In practical terms, charging using mountain mode will get you 5-10% less miles than using the petrol while moving.

wow that seems to answer my question. i tried it the other day and it put 12 miles of charge on my batteries in only 10 minutes. I wondered if it had used much fuel but i was with the GF and didn't get time to check. It was nice to see the battery fast charge though. Shame we can't do that at a proper charge point.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I have done it but mainly just to see what happened. Once I realised it wasn't the best way to use the petrol I didn't do it again.

 

[MickH]

Here's a video of it being done

 

[Gerald.Tomson]

I have done it just try it but there seems to be a lot of heat and rubbery smell generated from the engine so I don't do it only when I drive in Mountain mode.