[perk1329]

i find that my niro hesitates for a second from a stop if i try to moderately accelerate in ev mode. (if i try to accelerate too quickly it changes to hev mode) i expected the transmission to be locked in the appropriate gear and that i’d experience the same instant acceleration as an ev, not as quick as a tesla but instant none the less. what’s going on? is this just me?

 

[jmurphEV]

i find that my niro hesitates for a second from a stop if i try to moderately accelerate in ev mode. (if i try to accelerate too quickly it changes to hev mode) i expected the transmission to be locked in the appropriate gear and that i’d experience the same instant acceleration as an ev, not as quick as a tesla but instant none the less. what’s going on? is this just me?

I've noticed that too, I think it's related to the fact the Niro has a DCT and the car is held in neutral until you release the brake. The Telsa Model 3 by comparison doesn't even have a transmission (other than a reduction gear) so there's no need for a clutch.

I don't feel the delay often, mostly when I try to start immediately after stopping. I also notice a lag if I shift from R to D without stopping first, the car will continue to roll backwards briefly before engaging first gear.

This is my first car with a DCT hybrid or otherwise, so I don't know if this is a Niro specific thing or a more general phenomenon. I know that early auto-manuals had lots of issues with low speeds and slow starts.

As to the car switching the HEV on takeoff, I really have to give it the beans for that to happen, at least on a full charge. I can apply moderate throttle and (slowly) accelerate up to highways speeds while keeping it in EV mode. If you press hard enough to push the efficiency gauge into the power band you can get the ICE to kick on to provide more thrust.

Takes some getting used to, mostly just learning how to accelerate more gradually.

 

[yticolev]

There are potentially two reasons for this. One is the hill hold feature. Press hard on the brakes at a stop, and there will be a start delay. Try releasing the brake pedal before you are ready to go and then pressing it softly. Your starts should now be pretty normal.

On this Engineering Explained, the hero turned in his 2WD Tesla 3 for the all wheel drive Tesla 3 because launch was better (not delayed). Had an engineering explanation which might also account for your experience, although I'll bet my explanation fixes the problem.

 

[perk1329]

in ev without the ice running i would expect it to remain in gear. it originally came up when i test drove the car and the dealer told me to stomp on the accelerator and enjoy the rush. it was there, after the slight hesitation. as i’m not in much of a hurry to get anywhere i’m actually pretty gentle with the accelerator (i cringe when the ice kicks in much like when my oil burner comes on to heat my house) but i am curious about how it responds versus my expectations. in playing around with the car i find it’s quickest off the line in sport mode.

 

[yticolev]

It is in gear at a stop, even with the engine running. Technically, it is in EV mode at that point and the engine clutch (not the DCT) is open.

 

[Mal]

Interesting, it certainly feels like it is declutched when stopped foot on brake but electric motors are, by nature, off with no power. Since the IC is stopped, all just seems declutched. When the brake is released, the motor provides power similar to an IC at idle. I don't know if that was done to better simulate a conventional car or to better transition to added "throttle". I'd rather it not but I understand.

 

[yticolev]

The hydraulic clutch for the engine is always opened at a stop. Otherwise the engine would be fighting the brakes. The DCT does have a neutral mode but as far as I know, that only happens when you shift the lever to neutral.

 

[deltasmith]

i find that my niro hesitates for a second from a stop if i try to moderately accelerate in ev mode. (if i try to accelerate too quickly it changes to hev mode) i expected the transmission to be locked in the appropriate gear and that i’d experience the same instant acceleration as an ev, not as quick as a tesla but instant none the less. what’s going on? is this just me?

Not sure if this is the same phenomenon that you experience, but when I roll into my garage I'm going pretty slow. In a conventional ICE powered car that I used to park in this spot, I'd just slow down and creep up to my parking spot (which is less than 2 feet from the wall that I approach as I drive in). In the Niro, and in full EV mode, I seem to always come to a complete stop about three feet from my intended stopping place, and then once I've stopped (thoroughly, even a traffic cop would tell you I came to a full stop) it resumes creeping forward until I get to the place where I actually want to stop (forward parking assist sensors change from amber to red on the instrument cluster). I'm not sure why it behaves this way, I assume it's something about the drive train. I quickly adapted to it (at least for parking in my garage) and I rarely give it a second thought, but I haven't yet dared to try and coach my wife through this parking technique: she responds to technology pretty well most of the time, but sometimes she doesn't seem to have the same "seat-of-the-pants" take on behavior that I have, and so I'm sometimes at a loss to understand what I need to explain so she won't feel surprised.

 

[TK6]

I thought that both the ICE and the electric motor run through the DCT transmission?

In EV mode at a stop, it seems like the ICE is de-coupled from the transmission(the ICE isn't running), but the electric motor is still connected, but might be in second gear? If you accelerate slowly, it is pretty smooth, but if more acceleration is needed, the DCT shifts down to first, which causes a delay/lurching. Of course, it's impossible to tell because the only gear indicator available is when you are in Sport mode.

I say this because from a stop in EV mode, simply removing my foot from the brake makes the car move forward immediately, so there is some power being transmitted without applying any gas pedal.

 

[jmurphEV]

I thought that both the ICE and the electric motor run through the DCT transmission?

Indeed they do, but there is a separate clutch between the ICE and the electric motor allowing it to be disconnected from the drive-train entirely.

 

[Mal]

I think, like most hybrids, KIA tried a little too hard to make it behave like a conventional IC car. Take your foot off the brake and it moves. Really no reason to, but it does. So far, I really like how they programmed it. I just hope they haven't sacrificed too much efficiency for a conventional car feel. I can certainly live with the little quirks the drive has for the sake of being a hybrid.

 

[cockedandglocked]

I think, like most hybrids, KIA tried a little too hard to make it behave like a conventional IC car. Take your foot off the brake and it moves. Really no reason to, but it does. So far, I really like how they programmed it. I just hope they haven't sacrificed too much efficiency for a conventional car feel. I can certainly live with the little quirks the drive has for the sake of being a hybrid.

I personally am thankful that they decided to make it drive like a conventional car. I never liked the way a typical hybrid felt to drive. This car feels a lot more fun, with real actual gear changes. CVTs just feel unnatural to me. Maybe I'm just getting old. You kids with your skateboards and comic books, get off my lawn!

 

[jmurphEV]

I personally am thankful that they decided to make it drive like a conventional car. I never liked the way a typical hybrid felt to drive. This car feels a lot more fun, with real actual gear changes. CVTs just feel unnatural to me. Maybe I'm just getting old. You kids with your skateboards and comic books, get off my lawn!

Agreed. One of the major attractions of the Niro for me was the conventional transmission layout. Probably not logical, but I too prefer a normal shift feel compared to the very odd to me behavior of a CVT.