"charge mode"is gone in 2017

[SFkjeld]

Took a test drive in a 2017 yesterday. I mentioned that I'd read (here) that the Charge Mode was gone in the 2017 cars. Two sales guys assured me that it was not. Even a guy in the shop. During the test drive our sales guy admitted that he couldn't find it."You might be right'.

But he did say that the car recharges while coasting in hybrid mode. Meaning without using the regenerative braking. Is this possible?

 

[Bartsimpson128]

The manual says it will charge while coasting. On a level interstate, I noticed it did charge but just barely (the virtual needle on the gauge was *just* in the charging zone).

 

[BentheRed]

I've just got my 2017 model. I took a trip over the weekend of about 130 miles each way. It was mostly highway, so I set Driver Select to "comfort" and ev mode to "hybrid". Despite the section in the (US) manual (p101) on "tips for efficient driving" saying it charges when coasting, I got zero battery charge from a 130 mile trip! When coasting the needle was in the "ready" position, not in "charge", the only time it went into charge was when breaking. Honestly I was disappointed with zero miles added back to the battery driving that far in hybrid mode.
Near the end of the trip when back in Austin I switched to Dynamic (sport) mode and got 9 miles charge in the battery driving the last 20 miles!! This doesn't make sense to me...

Can anyone explain why Sport mode is the mode that most aggressively charges the battery? I can really feel the resistance when coasting in Sport mode (I keep pulling up way short of traffic lights because I under estimated how aggressively it slows in Sport mode!)

Thanks!

 

[Bartsimpson128]

Not positive (just had the car a few days) but that built up charge was probably used up if you were in hybrid mode. Manual says hybrid mode will use up all the battery. It would probably build up if you were in battery hold. I'm going to try that on an upcoming drive.

 

[Jado127]

Just got my new etron 4 days ago. Held out for 2017 for the virtual cockpit. So sad to see charge mode gone while driving. :? Thought I was going crazy. I really hope a firmware update returns this feature. I really see minimal charging in any mode. Going to dealer tomorrow. The only thing I can think of is Audi was having problems with this mode or is attempting to be more environmentally friendly and forcing owners to plug in. Please keep posting with updates.

 

[rfortson]

Just got my new etron 4 days ago. Held out for 2017 for the virtual cockpit. So sad to see charge mode gone while driving. :? Thought I was going crazy. I really hope a firmware update returns this feature. I really see minimal charging in any mode. Going to dealer tomorrow. The only thing I can think of is Audi was having problems with this mode or is attempting to be more environmentally friendly and forcing owners to plug in. Please keep posting with updates.

For my 2016, the only mode where I see charging occurring (other than actual "Charge" mode) is in Sport mode. I used to switch to pure hybrid mode when my battery ran down, but now I just slap the shifter down to Sport which puts it in Hybrid Hold and also activates the agressive regeneration. Other than I drive more "sporty" in Sport mode, I don't think it affects my gas mileage, and I do see the charge slowly creep up (maybe a mile or two added to the battery) for a drive of 20-30 minutes.

 

[clarkaddison]

I used charge mode last weekend on a long freeway trip. In about an hour, 65 miles or so, it went from empty to full. I drove another 100 miles on hybrid and had 2 bars left at the end.

 

[bruintoo]

So I just celebrated one year of e-tron ownership this week, and I have racked 15,786 miles so far (Yikes, I might go over my 12K/year allowance lease allowance!). I think new owners here are confused about when the e-tron charges during driving. Let me go over what I think happens from experience:

Let's get this out of the way first, the estimated range. This varies depending on last driving style history and ambient temperature. During the warmer months, a full charge usually returns around anywhere from 23 to 26 miles of estimated range. During the colder months, a full charge usually returns around 19 to 23 miles of estimated range. Now it doesn't mean I get those actual miles while driving in EV mode. Sometimes, the estimated range is 19 miles, but I actually see the gauge draining slower and I get more than 19. Sometimes, estimated range is 27 miles (!), but I see the gauge draining fast and I only get about 18 miles out of it.

As far as I can tell the in "EV" mode and the gear in "D," the e-tron only charges during breaking and mild charging when coasting downgrade (of course the steeper the grade the more regeneration). In "EV" mode and the gear in manual or in "M," and the driver not interfering with changing gears, the e-tron will automatically upshift or downshift and in downshifting will charge the e-tron.

In "Hybrid" mode and the gear in "D," the e-tron only charges during breaking and mild charging when coasting downgrade (of course the steeper the grade the more regeneration). I have not tried driving in "Hybrid" mode with the gear in manual or in "M" mode and not shifting myself (I'm afraid the engine revving too high).

In "Hold" mode and the gear in "D," the e-tron charges during breaking and mild charging during coasting (no matter what grade). I have not tried "Hold" mode and driving with gear on manual or "M." The e-tron automatically goes into "Hold" mode with aggressive regeneration when the gear is shifted into "Sport" or "S" mode. If you time it right, you can do one pedal driving! I believe Audi set it this way so that you will always have power ready from both the gas engine AND the battery powered electric motor.

In "Charge" mode and the gear in "D," the e-tron charges during breaking and coasting (no matter what grade), and the gas engine also charges the battery even though the power meter doesn't indicate charging.

Whenever the regeneration happens during engine breaking, the brake lights come on.

To get the e-tron into "boost" area of the power meter for extra "oomph" press the accelerator pedal pass the detente positiion in an abrupt, aggressive manner (not gently). You will see the "yellow" (gas engine) and the "green" (electric motor) indicators run tandemly. This is fun and addicting.

So those are my observations so far after driving the car for a year.

-Ben

PS.

In driving long distances, a hypermiler who tested the e-tron recommended using up all the EV miles during highway driving then use the "Charge" mode until the battery is fully charged which will then autmatically put the car in "Hold" mode and drive in that mode until you get off the highway when destination is reached then go back to "EV" mode or "Hybrid."

 

[andymccrory]

Hi Bruintoo,

I can concur with your findings and comments, after 1 year and 16,000 miles in my e-tron.

One difference in the UK version though, the brake lights do not come on when re-generative braking is happening without pressing the brake pedal, they only come on when the brake pedal is pressed.

Also - I don't think that the hypermiler can be correct.
Charging the battery by using the ICE and then using that charge through the electric motor cannot be more efficient than using the same fuel directly in the ICE to move the car.
There will be some loss in converting fuel through the generator, storing that energy and then converting again to movement through the electric motor.

 

[bruintoo]

Hi Bruintoo,

I can concur with your findings and comments, after 1 year and 16,000 miles in my e-tron.

One difference in the UK version though, the brake lights do not come on when re-generative braking is happening without pressing the brake pedal, they only come on when the brake pedal is pressed.

Also - I don't think that the hypermiler can be correct.
Charging the battery by using the ICE and then using that charge through the electric motor cannot be more efficient than using the same fuel directly in the ICE to move the car.
There will be some loss in converting fuel through the generator, storing that energy and then converting again to movement through the electric motor.

Here's the link to the test:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/community/index ... 050/page-3

 

[gonkulator]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

The battery drains even in Hold mode; at least mine does. Perhaps it is the cold weather, but whatever it is, the electric motor is operating. So, Hold isn't just the ICE working. That being the case, when is it the most efficient (if ever) to use Hybrid mode? I keep switching between EV and Hold.

I used Hold with Dynamic yesterday and noticed it charge up three miles in about twenty minutes of driving.

Being a 2017, I don't have Charge mode. Could Charge mode be Hold mode with the engine response of Dynamic mode?

I see only two sets of three options in the Individual mode: Three for Engine/Trans: Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and the same three options for Steering.

Thus says my extensive 110 miles of driving so far.

 

[GiftCard]

I found this description of the Battery Charge Mode in the 2017 Audi A3 e-tron information on the audiusa website. It is located in the "Performance Section" under "Charge Battery mode". Why Audi would discuss what is an important feature for a plug-in hybrid and leave new owners of 2017 A3 e-trons to find that it is no longer there? It makes no sense. It must be there somewhere. Where is the official explanation from Audi regarding this?

Charge Battery mode

Switch to the Charge Battery mode to enable the gasoline-powered engine to help recharge the battery.

Charge Battery mode is perfect for when you’re driving between destinations. It enables you to recharge the depleted battery while you’re driving and be ready to drive on electric power once you’ve reached your destination. For example, you could drive on a depleted battery on a road trip and have your battery recharged and ready to use by the time you reach your destination.

 

[bruintoo]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. You can drive with with any of the driving dynamics settings with "EV mode" plug-in hybrid mode. In fact you can switch from Dynamic, Auto, Comfort or Individual at any time whilst driving in "EV," "Hybrid," "Hold," or in pre-2017 models, "Charge."

With the e-tron, the only option to change for "Individual" driving dynamics is steering (options include Comfort, Dynamic, or Auto). Also driving dynamics is not the what determines aggressive regeneration. Aggressive regen is determined whether the shift gear is in D, S or M.

-Ben

 

[Jado127]

Its pretty much horse **** we are even having this conversation as Audi had never stated they had removed the charging mode and even included it in the 2017 manual which they obviously didnt care to upgrade from 2016. We are all pretty obsessed with keeping our batteries fully charged and can no longer do it effectively with the gas engine, even in sport mode.
Has anyone noticed that the car always defaults to EV mode on start no matter what mode it was on during shut-off. Thats another bit of crap.
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions. Perhaps its too inefficient to recharge with the engine and so Audi removed this option knowing you could always keep a small charge with the hold mode.
Even if there was an official statement from Audi it doesent fix the problem. Unless we can get together and raise a lawsuit against Audi for false representation and get a software patch/upgrade, we need to develop a fix. A software fix or something as simple as a reversion back to the 2016 software. All my prior knowledge is with BMW software, so i am absolutely no help. We need someone with programing/coding skills.

 

[arne]

I suspect you can scrap the law suit idea. If you really read all of the web site or manual, I'm certain you will find the standard disclaimer that car manufacturers have been including for decades. "All features and specifications are subject to change without notice."

Personally, I'm not sure why it is a big deal to some, as it is a feature that those of us who have it rarely use. I don't find it valuable at all for my driving.

 

[rfortson]

I suspect you can scrap the law suit idea. If you really read all of the web site or manual, I'm certain you will find the standard disclaimer that car manufacturers have been including for decades. "All features and specifications are subject to change without notice."

Personally, I'm not sure why it is a big deal to some, as it is a feature that those of us who have it rarely use. I don't find it valuable at all for my driving.

Agreed. It's a "nice to have" at best. I've used it a couple of times on long (multi-hundred mile) trips, but no other times.

And starting out on EV is fine by me, though I agree it should be a default that you can change. But certainly not worth a lawsuit. This is a first world problem, at worst.

 

[gonkulator]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. You can drive with with any of the driving dynamics settings with "EV mode" plug-in hybrid mode. In fact you can switch from Dynamic, Auto, Comfort or Individual at any time whilst driving in "EV," "Hybrid," "Hold," or in pre-2017 models, "Charge."

With the e-tron, the only option to change for "Individual" driving dynamics is steering (options include Comfort, Dynamic, or Auto). Also driving dynamics is not the what determines aggressive regeneration. Aggressive regen is determined whether the shift gear is in D, S or M.

-Ben

Well, all I know is every time I switch to Dynamic mode, it switches to "Battery Hold" no matter how much charge the battery has.

 

[bruintoo]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. You can drive with with any of the driving dynamics settings with "EV mode" plug-in hybrid mode. In fact you can switch from Dynamic, Auto, Comfort or Individual at any time whilst driving in "EV," "Hybrid," "Hold," or in pre-2017 models, "Charge."

With the e-tron, the only option to change for "Individual" driving dynamics is steering (options include Comfort, Dynamic, or Auto). Also driving dynamics is not the what determines aggressive regeneration. Aggressive regen is determined whether the shift gear is in D, S or M.

-Ben

Well, all I know is every time I switch to Dynamic mode, it switches to "Battery Hold" no matter how much charge the battery has.

Well, if that's the case then they really kinda screwed you guys with the 2017 plus models. My default setting is "Dynamic" and every time the car starts with a sufficient battery charge it starts in EV mode.

In driving the first few weeks of getting the car, I would often shift to "S" sport mode, which then automatically puts the car in "Hold" hybrid setting. But if I change the driving dynamics setting to any mode, the car automatically shifts out of "S" mode to "D" mode. So my advice is to select the driving dynamics that you want first, which for me is "Dynamic" then shift the gear to "S" mode.

 

[user 293]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. You can drive with with any of the driving dynamics settings with "EV mode" plug-in hybrid mode. In fact you can switch from Dynamic, Auto, Comfort or Individual at any time whilst driving in "EV," "Hybrid," "Hold," or in pre-2017 models, "Charge."

With the e-tron, the only option to change for "Individual" driving dynamics is steering (options include Comfort, Dynamic, or Auto). Also driving dynamics is not the what determines aggressive regeneration. Aggressive regen is determined whether the shift gear is in D, S or M.

-Ben

Well, all I know is every time I switch to Dynamic mode, it switches to "Battery Hold" no matter how much charge the battery has.

I own a 2017 Canadian version ETron and I've switched to Dynamic (I drive it most of the time in Dynamic mode) and it remains in EV mode.

 

[user 293]

On the 2017, some observations and questions:

EV mode doesn't coexist with Dynamic mode. (That may illicit a "well, duh," but I am new at this.)

Dynamic mode seems the only condition with aggressive regeneration. No aggressive regeneration (without pressing the brake) in EV mode.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. You can drive with with any of the driving dynamics settings with "EV mode" plug-in hybrid mode. In fact you can switch from Dynamic, Auto, Comfort or Individual at any time whilst driving in "EV," "Hybrid," "Hold," or in pre-2017 models, "Charge."

With the e-tron, the only option to change for "Individual" driving dynamics is steering (options include Comfort, Dynamic, or Auto). Also driving dynamics is not the what determines aggressive regeneration. Aggressive regen is determined whether the shift gear is in D, S or M.

-Ben

Well, all I know is every time I switch to Dynamic mode, it switches to "Battery Hold" no matter how much charge the battery has.

My apologies, I just tested it and in fact it does switch to Battery Hold after switching to Dynamic mode. To get it back to EV mode I either drive in hold mode for a while or shut down the engine and restart. It will drive in EV with dynamic mode setting if started that way, since this is my usual configuration.