Do hybrid cars need block heaters for cold weather starting?
bobbisue asked:
I’m thinking about buying a hybrid car and I live in a state where winter temperatures can drop to minus 20 degrees or even colder. I want to make sure I purchase a vehicle that will start on these wicked cold mornings.
Egerton
I’m thinking about buying a hybrid car and I live in a state where winter temperatures can drop to minus 20 degrees or even colder. I want to make sure I purchase a vehicle that will start on these wicked cold mornings.
Egerton
January 14th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Nobody knows yet?Good question..
January 17th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Not unless it’s a diesel/electric hybrid it shouldn’t. Normally, it’s a gasoline engine in hybrid cars. And with the huge battery pack in them it should actually crank over easier in winter. However, it might be a good idea to have one in those extreme environmental conditions.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:28 am
5 W oil AND a heater
January 20th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Hi,
no, you won’t need a block heater any more than you would for a standard vehicle for a full hybrid. I’ll break down the difference for you at the end.
And hybrids have been around in the US since 1999, so there is plenty of cold and hot weather history.
Speaking for Toyota, all vehicles, including the hybrids, are torture tested in Death Valley and Alaska to make sure they will start in extreme climates. Most manufacturers do similar testing.
I live in a cold climate (going to be a high of -5 on Saturday) and never have an issue starting any of the Prius, Camry Hybrid or Highlander Hybrids I use.
I also keep my vehicles in a detached, unheated garage each night.
If you live in an area that has reformulated winter gas, that will be all you need.
You do not need gas line antifreeze in a modern vehicle, it is a waste of money. As long as you keep your tank at least half full (which you always do in extreme weather, hot or cold), you should never have to deal with water freezing in a fuel line or intake. Modern direct fuel injection systems, like the one’s in all Toyotas, keep the fuel system sealed and burn up any small amounts of moisture that might be in the tank or lines.
Full hybrids actually start the electric drive first, and then that starts the gas engine second, so the vehicle is actually started and running when the gas engine is started.
A full hybrid is one that can move using electricity only, the gas engine doens’t have to run to move the vehicle. All Toyota/Lexus hybrids, the Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner Hybrid twins, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, and the GM Yukon/Chevy Tahoe Hybrid twins are full hybrids. These should all be available now, although the Altima and the Yukon/Tahoe are only available in limited markets. Other full hybrids will be coming out this year, but again, the markets might be limited.
If you purchase any other hybrid, treat is like a standard vehicle and put a block heater on it. That’s beacuse partial or mild hybrids (like the Honda Accord Hybrid or the current Saturn Vue Green Line) start the gas engine in order to move. The hybrid system simply boosts power and/or efficiency.
Good luck.
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:09 am
it’s not necessary to get your car started, but it will improve your gas mileage on cold mornings.. i’m not sure how much, or if it’s even worth it though