RX450H+ EV range and ICE consumption

[Pally]

I’m very impressed, it’s great efficiency for a big car. EV efficiency was showing as 2.1kw/h when I got the car and it has steadily increased.

I don’t know about the sat nav coordination, that would be excellent if it could. For any longer trip I plan to use HV when at a steady speed on dual carriageways or motorways and EV when in built up areas and on slower roads. If remaining EV range matches sat nav miles to destination I switch to EV.  

That worked well on my last trip and I still ended up with a few 2-3 miles of EV left. 

For example my last trip was just a few miles in EV to get to the faster roads, a long stretch of HV, then I used the rest of the EV range through Taunton and on to my destination on country roads. 

On the way back I did it in reverse, twisty roads and Taunton in EV, faster roads in HV and then switched back when remaining distance matched EV. It works really well.

Probably just saying what you all know!

Does anyone switch between modes more often as a driving technique or do most people keep it simple?  

[Xez]

Hi Pally, I do as you do… and find that this appears to give the best of the two modes 😀

[Xez]

21 hours ago, MrBee said:

That sounds really impressive. 

I think I read somewhere that Audi (I think?) have a system in their phev that analyses your proposed route and works out the most efficient way to deploy the battery. I don't suppose the RX has this? 

Or maybe it's more clever than that and is effectively doing this continuously? 

Hi MrBee, according to the Lexus magazine the car is equipped with Predictive Efficient Drive technology. I quote a section of the blurb below. If like me you use apple or Google Maps I don’t think the cleverness is applied!

How does it work?

With the help of the Lexus Link app, selected Lexus hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with embedded navigation systems will be able to learn a driver’s regular routes and driving style, while simultaneously looking ahead via live traffic data to anticipate opportunities to save fuel. More economical driving is automatically and seamlessly achieved by optimising the charging and discharging of the Battery on hybrid models, and the use of full-electric or hybrid modes on PHEV vehicles.

[Muff12]

On 2/16/2024 at 6:29 PM, Ken R said:

Anybody willing to share what they are achieving in m/KwH and fuel consumption when using the ICE on their RX450h+ to see how it compares with the equivalent NX?

I'm curently getting 2.5m/Kwh and because I mainly do relatively short journeys, I only tend to use it in EV.  My trip summary since last reset is 176.2 miles of which 172.3 is on EV (98%) which gives an impressive 649.3mpg!!

[MrBee]

1 hour ago, Xez said:

Hi MrBee, according to the Lexus magazine the car is equipped with Predictive Efficient Drive technology. I quote a section of the blurb below. If like me you use Apple or Google Maps I don’t think the cleverness is applied!

How does it work?

With the help of the Lexus Link app, selected Lexus hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with embedded navigation systems will be able to learn a driver’s regular routes and driving style, while simultaneously looking ahead via live traffic data to anticipate opportunities to save fuel. More economical driving is automatically and seamlessly achieved by optimising the charging and discharging of the battery on hybrid models, and the use of full-electric or hybrid modes on PHEV vehicles.

That's impressive. Better than I thought. 

How is the in-built satnav? I use waze on the rav4 as the built-in system is poor. 

[Ken R]

23 minutes ago, MrBee said:

That's impressive. Better than I thought. 

How is the in-built satnav? I use waze on the rav4 as the built-in system is poor. 

I actually use the built in navigation and find that it is OK.

[Xez]

4 hours ago, Ken R said:

actually use the built in navigation and find that it is OK

Hi Ken, have you noticed the car being “more intelligent” in using the Auto switching between HV and EV? I tried using the Auto button but the car depleted the EV range then switched to HV, not saving any Battery power for when I reached urban conditions at the end of my journey. Hence why I manually switch between the modes.

[Ken R]

23 minutes ago, Xez said:

Hi Ken, have you noticed the car being “more intelligent” in using the Auto switching between HV and EV? I tried using the Auto button but the car depleted the EV range then switched to HV, not saving any battery power for when I reached urban conditions at the end of my journey. Hence why I manually switch between the modes.

Hi Kevin 

If I am doing a long journey I tend to manually switch, particularly on entering a motorway section. It's surprising how often the EV cuts in and I reckon its doing this more frequently than on the NX.

[Pally]

Hi Kevin/Ken

I read the same that Auto will prioritise EV and only add engine if you ask for more acceleration so it will quickly deplete the EV Battery on a long trip and not save for later.

I’ve opted for the same as you both and to manually switch between HV and EV 

Ken are you saying that while in HV mode the EV kicks in?  Is that just the standard hybrid functionality so essentially just the car operating as if the EV was depleted? Or are you seeing the EV range drop while in HV mode?

I’m about to set off for a 150 mile trek so will have another chance to test!