Sometimes, we feel that we are doing the right thing, but in a real sense, it’s the exact opposite. Although hybrid vehicles employ some modern technology, the workings of hybrid cars are straightforward. Hybrid vehicles make use of dual engines – battery and internal combustion/gas engine. When we park them out in the cold for long hours, we may feel the need to warm them up just like petrol-powered vehicles, but do they need warming up?
Yes, they need warming up to operate at full-electric mode, but we aren’t meant to wait for long minutes for the engine to warm up. That’s because the moment you start the vehicle, the engine is already warming up. All you have to do is drive slowly for a few minutes until the engine reaches its optimal operating temperature. It is how the engine warms up in a hybrid vehicle.
How Do Hybrid Engines Warm Up?
Car drivers who owned petrol-powered vehicles before jumping into the train of hybrid cars were used to leaving their car engines idle for long after starting it. Starting the engine cold and driving it immediately was no option because if the carburetor doesn’t deliver the ideal blend of air and fuel to the engine, the car would sputter.
With hybrid vehicles, you don’t need all of that. You don’t need to stay idle for more than thirty seconds and wait for the hybrid engine to warm up after starting it like conventional gas engine vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are built to do things automatically. In essence, once you start the car and go easy, the engine will begin warming itself up. However, you shouldn’t go full speed yet because the vehicle may not be ready to operate in full electric mode.
Sometimes, you don’t need to move the vehicle to warm it up. Putting the radio on can get the engine heated. The oil will circulate, and in a few seconds, you should be ready to drive your vehicle. Until the engine reaches its optimal operating temperature, I advise you to drive slowly.
Most hybrid vehicles start at EV mode, especially if the battery is charged. Once you begin to accelerate it, the sensors will detect the change in demand and shift the power source to the gas engine. As you slow down to a halt, the stored battery power takes over, allowing the gas engine to cool. The heat generated can also heat the battery.
Factually, it’s best to get your vehicle moving as soon as possible to conserve fuel. Like earlier explained, starting and moving the vehicle immediately won’t affect the engine nor its performance. However, prolonged warm-up when idle will decrease the engine’s lifespan and consume more fuel.
How Do Hybrid Cars Perform In Cold Weather?
If you observe the fuel consumption closely, you will realize that your car consumes more gas in cold weather than in summer. The reason behind this is that cold weather causes the gasoline to thicken. As a result, combining with air in the right mixture is impossible.
With this making the mixture harder, the vehicle will be less powerful. Not just the gas engine but the electric motor as well. The cold weather elongates the time it will take a hybrid car to reach its optimal fuel-efficiency temperature, reducing the overall performance.
Are Hybrid Cars Good In Snow?
Hybrid vehicles are more common now than they were three years ago – the reason being that they are more fuel-efficient due to the dual engines and have exceptional performance. In addition, they minimize wind resistance, thanks to their aerodynamic shape, and use special tires to reduce rolling.
However, one thing most buyers opting to switch from all gas-powered vehicles to green rides haven’t been able to phantom is if they perform at their optimal efficiency in the snow. Everyone knows how wrecking the snow can be to gas-powered cars, especially during starting, but does it have the same effect on hybrid vehicles?
Typically, many consumers buy SUVs in snow periods because those cars can handle snow nicely. But in the case of hybrid vehicles, not all of them are good in snow. Their advantages in summer periods become their disadvantages in snow times. For example, hybrid cars use low-rolling-resistance tires to improve fuel efficiency but are terrible at offering better grip on snowy roads, resulting in frequent sliding.
If you have a hybrid sedan or SUV that’s rear-wheel drive, you will be disadvantaged in snow. The heaviest part – the engine in rear-wheel drive vehicles is at the back, and this will give drivers a difficult time when wading through thick snows.
In an all-wheel or front-wheel drive, the engine is in front, basically on top of the wheels. This forces the car to move past the snow. Summarily, front-wheel and all-wheel drives offer better grip and traction.
The fact is hybrid vehicles work excellently well in summer periods and snowy conditions. However, you will have to make some alterations when using them in snow. That is, you need to winterize them for better performance. We will deal with how to winterize a hybrid vehicle in the next subheading.
How Do You Winterize a Hybrid Car?
Keeping your hybrid car in top shape during winter is necessary. As you know, winter periods are freezing, so you will need to ensure that the weather doesn’t prevent you from catching those deadlines at work or taking your children to school on time.
So how do you winterize your hybrid vehicle? Here are some ways to do that successfully.
- Check the condition of your vehicle all the time
This includes checking the freezing level of the coolant and the oil level. Use a tester to check the freezing level and change the oil regularly. During winter, the oil could thicken. That’s why you need to stay on top of things regarding the oil.
You should also check the tire pressure and the engine. Your tires may become under-inflated as a result of the contraction of the air molecules caused by cold. With under-inflated tires, rolling resistance increases, and you will find it harder to control your car.
So, you need to check the pressure frequently, even before the indicator lights start showing. Regarding the engine, ensure the spark plugs are cleaned or replaced correctly. You should also do the same to the ignition wires.
If the area is cold all the time, consider getting an engine block warmer to keep the engine less cold.
- Block the Grill
Although this isn’t recommended during summer, blocking the grill can economize fuel in a winter period. To do this, you can cut some foam pipes into pieces and fit them into the grill. This will save you some money from buying new pipe insulation.
- Lighten Your Vehicle
Front-wheel drives are excellent for winter driving. But, if you are used to carrying so much weight in your vehicle’s trunk, it will be difficult moving the car in the snow because the weight would bring you closer to the ground. Rather than carrying so much weight, lighten some items and build a shelf to store them.
- Get Snow Tires
You may be wondering why you should get snow tires. In a snowy or cold condition, regular tires aren’t enough. Regular tires would offer you less control and handling. Snow tires, on the other hand, will drive you through the winter, but remember to take them off once winter is over.
- Give Your Car Good Wash
Snows are not good for your hybrid vehicles. If you allow them to build up on your car, they will not only affect the appearance, but they affect the engine performance and fuel economy. Wash your vehicle routinely to get rid of the snow.
- Keep Your Windows Defrosted
Run the defroster to brush off those ice or frosts from the windshield. But, if you want to preserve more power, you can start by activating the windshield wipers first before defrosting.
- Precondition the Interior
You could use a little bit of warming up, especially on those extremely cold winter days. Although this would consume battery power a little, preconditioning will keep the vehicle’s interior warm automatically. All you need is to program the day, temperature, and time and leave the rest to the car.
You can heat your vehicle manually without waiting for preconditioning to take place. The best way to go about this is to start from the car’s seats instead of the cabin. With the car seat heated, you would feel less cold, so in the end, you may not need the cabin’s preconditioning.
If the car begins to blow cold air instead of warming the vehicle, it may be time to get it serviced.
- Do Some Driving to Boost Fuel Economy
As we pointed out, ice is a massive threat to the fuel economy. If the engine isn’t warmed up before you take off, your fuel economy could worsen. Drive slowly and keep an eye on the thermometer and speedometer until it gets to the optimal operating temperature.
- Keep Your Vehicle Plugged-In All the Time
Your best bet is to keep your car plugged in at all times, whether the charge is full or near zero. With that, you can be ready to take off at any moment and drive until you see the nearest gas station.
- Keep Some Tools At the Back of the Trunk
At some point, you may find yourself in a position where the ice will be too massive for your tires to wade through. They will get stuck in between. Therefore, you need to take along a shovel and a small bag of sand. You can use the shovel to pack those ice, as you litter the sand along with the tires.
These might add extra weight, but it’s worth taking them along. They can be incredibly helpful when you are stranded.
Do Hybrids Get Worse Gas Mileage In Cold Weather?
Definitely! The cold weather reduces your vehicle’s gas mileage, especially if the weather is freezing. According to FuelEconomy.gov, hybrid cars can lose up to 34% of their gas mileage in cold weather.
There are several reasons why this happens. In cold weather conditions, the engine doesn’t reach its optimal fuel-efficient temperature on time. As a result, they perform far less with more gas.
Another reason is the tire pressure. Cold weather condition causes the air molecules in the tires to contract, reducing the vehicle’s tire pressure. This worsens gas mileage.
Furthermore, the cold air adds to the aerodynamic shape, slowing down the vehicle’s mileage, especially on highways.
You can’t completely mitigate the effects of the cold weather, but there are things you can do to maintain gas mileage. For example, parking in a warm space, leaving your car idle for thirty seconds maximum before driving it, and reducing the use of defrosters could help.
Best Hybrids for Winter Driving and Why? (Table)
If you are looking for a hybrid vehicle for winter driving that’s efficient, provides traction, great interior, and has an incredible fuel economy, you will find tons of them from popular brands like Toyota, Acids, BMW, etc. This is what makes choosing the ideal one difficult.
To keep things short, we selected the best ones available from the growing list of popular ones, and why you should get them. Check out the table below.
| Best Hybrid Vehicles | Why You Should Choose |
| 2020 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid AWD | It offers three electric motors plus a V6 engine. Possess 377 horsepower engine with 28 mpg Powerful AWD |
| 2021 Toyota Prius LE AWD | Compact hatchback with excellent fuel economy Large-spaced interior A 1.8-liter engine with 51 mpg |
| 2018 Toyota Highlander | Great price Nice leather interior SUV design |
| 2020 Audi Q5 TSFI e | 362 HP engine and 369 torque 2.0-liter turbo engine with four plugs Eco-mode 20 miles full elected range |
| 2020 Tesla Model X | 351 long-range miles Excellent and delicate traction control Up to 9.0 inches ground clearance |
Finally
Hybrid vehicles make riding so much easier. The gas and electric combo are ideal for anyone who wants to optimize speed and save fuel simultaneously. To those who assume they need to warm up their engines like petrol-powered vehicles, that isn’t right. You will only end up wasting more fuel and reducing the engine’s lifespan.
Contrary to popular notions, hybrid vehicles do well in snow and cold weather conditions as much as they do in summer periods. However, you need to winterize it to optimize its efficiency.