Hey everyone! I am new to this forum. Love my Clarity! I was wondering has anyone else had an issue with their Clarity going out of EV mode even if there is still battery? It's really strange it will just switch for no apparent reason.
This is asked a lot. 2 reasons, first is that the car runs the engine when it needs to move lubricants and diagnostics checks. It runs until warmed up. second many people report that the car runs when it is fully charged and the car is being charged with regain (going down a long hill for example) the battery can not be charged more and the energy is taken away with the ICE running. I have never had the 2nd one but like I said it is reported to happen.
The most control you can have over EV Drive mode is to put your Clarity in ECON Mode and then avoid pressing the accelerator past the click point. In NORMAL Mode and SPORT Mode, you have to watch the POWER/CHARGE Gauge and keep the pointer in the blue to avoid activating the ICE by pressing the accelerator too far. EV Drive mode is one of the 3 underlying modes the Clarity uses to provide the modes drivers can select. EV Drive mode is battery-only; Hybrid Drive mode is when both the battery and the ICE-driven generator are powering the traction motor; Engine Drive mode (others call it gear mode because a gear icon appears on the center screen between the wheels) is when a clutch connects the ICE to the wheels through a single-speed gearbox. Because it uses a single-speed gearbox, Engine Drive mode works at a somewhat narrow range of road speeds, typically between 45 and 80 mph, although some report a wider range of speeds. See page 14 in the Clarity Owners Manual for a description of the 3 underlying propulsion modes. @stacey burke correctly identified instances when the ICE will start no matter which mode you're in or how far you press the accelerator.
