Sonata hybrid driving in mountains

crash7

crash7

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Crash7
We took a trip out East in my 2016 Sonata hybrid (not a plug in). Driving thru Appellation mountains (granted, big hills) I encountered something that worries me for trip home.

Going up hills, both the engine and the HEV battery power the wheels. Fine. What’s not fine is when the hill is so long that the HEV battery meter gets down to 1 bar before the top of the hill.

What happens when the hill is just a bit longer? Electric drive simply stops and engine milks it up the hill until we coast down the other side and regen? Car says, HEV can’t drive anymore, pull over(on a 6% grade), you’re done? Car explodes?

I altered my driving a bit to get the HEV battery as full as possible, but it was -real- close on a couple long climbs.


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Sounds like a Rolls Canardly power plant...

I can't help ya any except to pick a flatter route.
 
The owner's manual probably addresses that situation. But I'd bet it trucks on just fine once the battery is (effectively) exhausted. Just with a little less power.
 
I have a Ford hybrid, and what it does when the hybrid battery gets low, it opens the throttle more. I suspect the same will happen to your Hyundai.

You car has 140 - 150 hp and that should be plenty to go up a hill at 70 mph.
 
Dana said:
"Appellation mountains"? ;)
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Yeah yeah… I know. Coming from IL/IN, it’s a lot of hills.
The cause for worry for me was really just the half dozen long steep grades. That’s what was bottoming out the little HEV battery.

I was worried about if the battery got so low the car would enter something called “limp mode” which I’ve read is more severe.


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crash7 said:
Yeah yeah… I know. Coming from IL/IN, it’s a lot of hills.
The cause for worry for me was really just the half dozen long steep grades. That’s what was bottoming out the little HEV battery.

I was worried about if the battery got so low the car would enter something called “limp mode” which I’ve read is more severe.


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Click to expand...

Limp mode in a hybrid is when you run out of gas, not battery. The whole purpose of a hybrid is that you don't have to worry about battery power!

And, "Appalachian".
 
RussR said:
Limp mode in a hybrid is when you run out of gas, not battery. The whole purpose of a hybrid is that you don't have to worry about battery power!

And, "Appalachian".
Click to expand...

Heh, just noticed that. <insert sheepish grin here>


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We rented one in Pagosa Springs, CO. and drove it over a few passes with no problems. We did notice less power when the battery was low, but we were at 10,000+ elevation and figured the engine was having a hard time with the altitude. Since it was a rental, we gave it no mercy.:)
 
asicer said:
Yeah, as in "if this heap don't make it up this hill, I'm going to peddle it off to some sucker. Caveat emptor".
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Pedal.

What I had to do with my previous ford with California crap altho I bought it in Colorado, and live in Colorado. As I explained when I traded it in, the bicyclists passed me going west on I70 from Denver .
 
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