Starting and stopping the combustion engine in Twin Engine vehicles

An advanced control system determines the distance that the vehicle can be driven on the combustion engine, electric motor, or both at the same time. When driving on only the electric motor, the vehicle may automatically start the combustion engine due to outside circumstances, e.g. low ambient temperatures. This is completely normal. The combustion engine will also always start when the hybrid battery is nearly fully discharged.

Climate settings at low temperatures

At low ambient temperatures, the combustion engine will sometimes start automatically to help achieve the desired passenger compartment temperature and air quality. The amount of time the combustion engine is running can be affected by:

  • lowering the temperature
  • reducing blower speed
  • activating Pure drive mode.

Using the electric motor in hot or cold weather

At very low or high ambient temperatures, the electric motor's driving range and power may be reduced and affect how often the combustion engine automatically starts.

Emission control system

To help ensure that the emission control system functions optimally, the combustion engine will run for several minutes after it is started. The amount of time the combustion engine needs to be used varies depending on the temperature of the three-way catalytic converter.