Driving the Leon eHybrid when battery is depleted

[fpdave]

Hi, I'm back on this forum after several years and created a new account.

I still have a trusty Mk1 Leon Cupra 225, which is still going well and with just a little rust and a water leak!

But time has come to change car I think, after 17 years with it!

I'm interested in the Cupra Leon Estate eHybrid, and have some questions about driving it:

My driving/Me:
- I do quite a lot of shortish journeys delivering my daughter to swimming, cricket, hockey, school etc, most of which will be around 10 miles round trip in a day, but sometimes will be up to 30 miles round trip, mostly on smaller A/B roads.
- I want to do day and over night trips to North Wales (150m round trip), perhaps once a month
- I'll drive into the Peak District for a 60m round trip every few weeks or so
- occasional longer trips to the lake District or Scotland, or maybe abroad, staying in Hotels/cottages etc
- I have a driveway, so expect to charge every night
- I do care about the environment
- I can be an enthusiastic driver at times.

1) whats its real world EV range - will most of my weekly journeys be covered so long as I charge overnight
2) on longer trips, say 100+ miles in a day, starting fully charged, what economy (mpg) will I likely get once the battery is depleted
3) on any trip, once the battery is depleted, what performance should I expect from the 1.4L engine?
4) is it any fun compared to my current car?

 

[G.P]

It'll be interesting to see if anyone's gone from a Mk1 to a Mk4, or the other way around even, each time I get a new car its never been as good as the previous, as for the environment, surely at present an EV just moves the pollution to a power station with a hybrid creating more pollution due to its weight both of which have other environmental issues, but we will all probably end up with 2..

 

[fpdave]

It'll be interesting to see if anyone's gone from a Mk1 to a Mk4, or the other way around even, each time I get a new car its never been as good as the previous, as for the environment, surely at present an EV just moves the pollution to a power station with a hybrid creating more pollution due to its weight both of which have other environmental issues, but we will all probably end up with 2..

a power station could be generating electricity from renewable sources (40+%) of electricity currently comes from renewables, and I am with Octopus, so the guarantee 100%, for my home charging at least.
I have to do something - for my daughter - or she will live in an even more trashed world!

 

[Fergoo]

Hi, I'm back on this forum after several years and created a new account.

I still have a trusty Mk1 Leon Cupra 225, which is still going well and with just a little rust and a water leak!

But time has come to change car I think, after 17 years with it!

I'm interested in the Cupra Leon Estate eHybrid, and have some questions about driving it:

My driving/Me:
- I do quite a lot of shortish journeys delivering my daughter to swimming, cricket, hockey, school etc, most of which will be around 10 miles round trip in a day, but sometimes will be up to 30 miles round trip, mostly on smaller A/B roads.
- I want to do day and over night trips to North Wales (150m round trip), perhaps once a month
- I'll drive into the Peak District for a 60m round trip every few weeks or so
- occasional longer trips to the lake District or Scotland, or maybe abroad, staying in Hotels/cottages etc
- I have a driveway, so expect to charge every night
- I do care about the environment
- I can be an enthusiastic driver at times.

1) whats its real world EV range - will most of my weekly journeys be covered so long as I charge overnight
2) on longer trips, say 100+ miles in a day, starting fully charged, what economy (mpg) will I likely get once the battery is depleted
3) on any trip, once the battery is depleted, what performance should I expect from the 1.4L engine?
4) is it any fun compared to my current car?

Happy to share my thoughts, although this is for the MK4 Hatch 245, but should be similar. I came from a MK3 290 DSG hatch and it's so long since I had my MK1 Cupra R and a manual for that matter it's hard to compare.

1) So many factors affect this, none more so than the outside temperature and how warm you like the cabin. Pre-heating from the mains not only heats the cabin (saving the battery from doing so) but also heats the batteries/motor so they are at a better operating temperature. So you also get more usable power for the motor, right from start. Lifting and coasting as you approach junction/roundabout as the car suggests you do, makes a difference too. You learner very quickly that your driving style has a far bigger impact on electric range than it does on MPG in a petrol car.

This time of year I've averaged low 20s on a full charge. Today I've done 18 miles and have 18% remaining on a mix of town and 50mph roads.

In the summer I've had as high as mid-30s, but that's driving very conservatively.

2) If you use the in built sav nav it will decide when to use the ICE most effectively. Looking back at my data and in December I did a 90 mile round trip averaging 78.5MPG. The further you go the more this will drop. The furthest I've gone in one go was 225 miles, which was all motorway so not ideal for battery and I averaged 54mpg.

No battery at all and your probably looking at 50MPG on the motorway, more on A roads.

3) Overall I would say mediocre. You're losing 75hp from the ICE alone and gaining 300kg in weight. That said even with a depleted battery you will usually be able to get a form of 'Boost' (motor and ICE) for a short overtake, which at low speed and in the right gear gives you a whack of torque.

With battery available and in Sports/Cupra mode the performance is 'warm'. At low speed and if you can handle the wheelspin from the torque it's reasonably brisk up to 60. At higher speeds, like pulling onto a motorway slip road I find the difference to my previous MK3 290 far more noticeable.

In Comfort mode the performance is very much set for economy. The car feels sluggish even if you kick it down. Sport/Cupra makes this far better and the car feels more brisk and alive, however ultimately your always fighting it's desire to switch the ICE off.

4) Hard to say, as it's going to be a massive change from your MK1 LCR. Ultimately it's a car that's designed for 'Warm' performance but ultimately economy vs what was a loutish hot hatch 20 years ago, using a performance Audi engine.

It's significantly more refined and comfortable thanks to technology such as the Dynamic Chassis Control, which you can really feel the difference. However, losing the manual alone, could affect how fun you find the car.

Personally I love the MK4 hybrid and don't miss my MK3.5 290, despite the well documented software gremlins, most of which are now resolved. I still find it sufficiently fun to drive on the rare occasion it finds itself in Sports/Cupra mode.

I have a similar usage to you and charging every night on Intelligent Octopus costs me circa £18 a month, which includes using some household appliances too.

For the 6K I've done in 8 months, I've averaged 104MPG, so it's saving me a small fortunate in fuel.

As always I'd recommend a test drive but ask them to charge it first, as most dealers seem to just use the ICE.

Hopefully that helps, any questions ask away.

 

[Darmik]

a power station could be generating electricity from renewable sources (40+%) of electricity currently comes from renewables, and I am with Octopus, so the guarantee 100%, for my home charging at least.
I have to do something - for my daughter - or she will live in an even more trashed world!

Octopus cannot guarantee to supply you with 100% renewable energy, they only buy renewable, what you are supplied comes from the grid…. It’s smoke and mirrors advertising from them…. Unless of course you have a dedicated feed to your house from Octopus Energy.

 

[fpdave]

It's all about Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificate.

Basically, Octopus get enough certificates to cover the energy they supply.

So yes, the individual electrons may not be green, but they pay for enough green sourced energy to supply their customers.

 

[mrtndbs]

Happy to share my thoughts, although this is for the MK4 Hatch 245, but should be similar. I came from a MK3 290 DSG hatch and it's so long since I had my MK1 Cupra R and a manual for that matter it's hard to compare.

1) So many factors affect this, none more so than the outside temperature and how warm you like the cabin. Pre-heating from the mains not only heats the cabin (saving the battery from doing so) but also heats the batteries/motor so they are at a better operating temperature. So you also get more usable power for the motor, right from start. Lifting and coasting as you approach junction/roundabout as the car suggests you do, makes a difference too. You learner very quickly that your driving style has a far bigger impact on electric range than it does on MPG in a petrol car.

This time of year I've averaged low 20s on a full charge. Today I've done 18 miles and have 18% remaining on a mix of town and 50mph roads.

In the summer I've had as high as mid-30s, but that's driving very conservatively.

2) If you use the in built sav nav it will decide when to use the ICE most effectively. Looking back at my data and in December I did a 90 mile round trip averaging 78.5MPG. The further you go the more this will drop. The furthest I've gone in one go was 225 miles, which was all motorway so not ideal for battery and I averaged 54mpg.

No battery at all and your probably looking at 50MPG on the motorway, more on A roads.

3) Overall I would say mediocre. You're losing 75hp from the ICE alone and gaining 300kg in weight. That said even with a depleted battery you will usually be able to get a form of 'Boost' (motor and ICE) for a short overtake, which at low speed and in the right gear gives you a whack of torque.

With battery available and in Sports/Cupra mode the performance is 'warm'. At low speed and if you can handle the wheelspin from the torque it's reasonably brisk up to 60. At higher speeds, like pulling onto a motorway slip road I find the difference to my previous MK3 290 far more noticeable.

In Comfort mode the performance is very much set for economy. The car feels sluggish even if you kick it down. Sport/Cupra makes this far better and the car feels more brisk and alive, however ultimately your always fighting it's desire to switch the ICE off.

4) Hard to say, as it's going to be a massive change from your MK1 LCR. Ultimately it's a car that's designed for 'Warm' performance but ultimately economy vs what was a loutish hot hatch 20 years ago, using a performance Audi engine.

It's significantly more refined and comfortable thanks to technology such as the Dynamic Chassis Control, which you can really feel the difference. However, losing the manual alone, could affect how fun you find the car.

Personally I love the MK4 hybrid and don't miss my MK3.5 290, despite the well documented software gremlins, most of which are now resolved. I still find it sufficiently fun to drive on the rare occasion it finds itself in Sports/Cupra mode.

I have a similar usage to you and charging every night on Intelligent Octopus costs me circa £18 a month, which includes using some household appliances too.

For the 6K I've done in 8 months, I've averaged 104MPG, so it's saving me a small fortunate in fuel.

As always I'd recommend a test drive but ask them to charge it first, as most dealers seem to just use the ICE.

Hopefully that helps, any questions ask away.

"Sport/Cupra makes this far better and the car feels more brisk and alive, however ultimately your always fighting it's desire to switch the ICE off."-any ideas to prevent this from happening? Perhaps an OBDeleven / VCDS 'hack' to disable the E-MODE as if to mimic the cold ICE state where on dash, the crossed-out E symbol appears (E-MODE conditions aren't met)?

 

[PeterThomsenDK]

Would like to share my findings, owning a Seat Leon eHybrid from late 2020.

Driving style: Economical without it being granny driving meaning I use coasting a lot and brake rarely and only when needed. I drive at the speed limit whenever possible unless otherwise stated.

EV Mode: I get an average of 4.5-5km per KwH during the winter and 6-6.5 Km per KwH during the summer. Measured several going to work and back which is is a total of 30 to 40 km depending on the route I take. Trip includes mostly 70-80km/h road and only around 15-20% small town. Going to work and picking up kids is the only time I use EV mode as the there isn't enough battery for anything else an charging is a pain due to the 3.4KwH limit and being stuck with public charging where I live.

Petrol only(locked battery in hybrid menu): Just done a 470km test today, 20/9, driving on motorway from Denmark to Germany(and back) at 110km/h where possible and even had a short distance of 30km of going between 140 and 200 on the Autobahn, traffic wasn't allowing for much fun so a lot of acceleration and deceleration. From Denmark to the German border(roughly 180km, 165 of which was motorway, 45km of the motorway is limited to 80km/h due to roadwork), then roughly 40km south on the autobahn and then back roughly 60km using smaller roads to Harrislee averaged 4.8L/100km and 1.7KwH/100KM, calm weather.
The return trip from Harrislee to my home in Denmark, same parameters, 181km of which 165ish is motorway, 45km of the motorway is limited to 80km/h due to roadwork. Drove 110km/h where possible, 4.8L/100KM and 1.0KWH/100KM, slight headwinds. To and from the border the car pretty much maintained the battery % I've locked it to, using some at times and the recharging it either through braking but mostly active recharging at high speed.
One note: The car have winter tires(2.5 bar in each) on atm due to a double flat on my summer tires.

Hybrid: I did a hybrid test in May of this year driving around 190 km, starting with a 100% battery, with 40% being motorway @ 110km/h, 50% being highway @ 80km/h and the rest small cities that I had to pass through so 50km/h. I did this trip twice in the same week and the first trip have had an average of 30km/L and around 20ish% left on the batteri. Second trip was much better and averaged 35km/L and 27% battery left.

The longest trip I've done without rest was roughly 350km all motorway(again 45km was limited to 80km/h)and that averaged around 16.7km/L and single digit % battery left. Was going 130km/h most of the way and otherwise 110km/h.

Overall I'm impressed with it considering its running petrol with 200 horsepower. Not as fare from my previous 2019 C3 100hp BlueHDI as I thought it would be.