CX-50 Hybrid on a long mountain ascent?

[Snake]

I'm researching new cars.

According to Honda hybrid owners, the battery runs out on a long mountain climb leaving the ICE to do the duty, greatly reducing the power and therefore lowering the ability to keep speed.

How does your CX-50 Hybrid do on a long mountain ascent?

 

[25Hybrid]

Can't imagine it is an issue. Yes the battery may be low, but it is still being charged to maintain about 40% battery. This means you will use a bit of gasoline and engine power and that power is plenty for climbing all mountains in North America for sure and likely all the world. Keep in mind you have a Toyota powertrain which could well be different from Honda.

 

[25Hybrid]

I just travelled 1200 km in the Rockies between BC and Alberta, both to the west and return to east. Many long climbs of grades especially west to east on hiway 3. Never had an issue and battery power did not get below 40%. You need not be concerned with this.

 

[RattleCanAR]

Honda’s ICE is primarily a generator. Toyota’s ICE it the primary motivation for the car.

There should be no drop off except for ICE HP drops because of the altitude.

 

[pete 06108]

Can't imagine it is an issue. Yes the battery may be low, but it is still being charged to maintain about 40% battery. This means you will use a bit of gasoline and engine power and that power is plenty for climbing all mountains in North America for sure and likely all the world. Keep in mind you have a Toyota powertrain which could well be different from Honda.

If the car is continuing to charge the battery, it is throwing away energy when it is being required to make max power to continue the ascent.

While I am a YYYYYYuge fan of hybrid systems, extended stretches of high power output are its achilles heel.

Fortunately it is a rare situation for most and it doesn't mean you'll be stuck on the side of the road. It just means you might not be the first to the top.

So what!

 

[bdc101]

The CX-50's gasoline engine has something like 176 horsepower on its own, without any electric assist. 176 horsepower is plenty to haul even a 4,000lb vehicle up a mountain at 65+ mph without losing speed. It won't even drain the battery to do so. I do not own one personally but I owned a Prius for a couple of years and would drive it over a steep mountain pass regularly. (And my old Prius had even less power to weight ratio than the CX-50 hybrid does)