Mild hybrid

[djkenn]

I have a 2023 V60 Cross Country

Does anyone have a good explanation of how the hybrid system works. The dealer (Lookers Colchester) is talking what sounds like complete crap to me. To be fair, have not asked Service

[sk546]

How exactly is the dealer explaining it to you?

The mild Hybrid system is basically a very fancy and efficient stop/start system that utilises a 48v system rather than the standard 12v system.
This enables the engine to stop and be restarted again very quickly (almost seamlessly) with the starter/generator supposedly also giving the car some low speed electrical drive assistance when pulling away and when coasting to improve economy.

[Kugaman1]

Its exactly as sk456 says.

It does little or near nothing. The only way you know its a mild hybrid (apart from the tiny battery on the dash) is the lack of a starter motor cranking away when you start up.

Apart from that, its pretty much nothing more than a marketing gimmick. - Volvo proudly announced that all of their cars were electric in some form or other….

[piorunz]

At the bottom of this article there is a nice explanation.
https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buyin...buy-one/n22776

So cars like Toyota Prius are "Parallel hybrids", with dual motor system where car can be propelled by ERAD, and tiny battery, just like in plug-in hybrid Volvo. But mild hybrid volvos seem to be Range-extender hybrids, with no ERAD, no electric motor but battery is helping ICE to achieve greater efficiency, is that right? Correct me if I am wrong anywhere, please.

[vonRypp]

It basically helps the car with the following:
- Functions as a starter motor (no conventional starter in MHEV Volvos)
- Supply electricity for auxiliary functions such as A/C when the engine is not running and with the approx 1 kWh (if I remember correctly) Li-Ion battery it can keep A/C running without turning on the engine longer than older MHEV systems.
- It also kicks in for a short period of time (few secs) when you intensely accelerate the car (e.g. overpassing) or when getting going from red light, stops etc.
- It helps with engine braking (while recharging the battery) when the brake pedal is pressed and the recuperation is even stronger when you put the car in manual mode.

Basically that's it. It's a serial hybrid with very little-to-no effect on car performance. It's more about smoothness and powering A/C, etc. when the engine is not running.

[Rich850R]

We have the V90 B4 mild hybrid and i have to say the braking performance is not what id expect to it to be, ive adjusted my driving style to suit, i even took it back to the dealer after only a few hundred miles to check all was ok, they just said its part and parcel, some times on initial application i feel no reduction in speed but the battery icon appears as recharging etc

[vonRypp]

Originally Posted by Rich850R

We have the V90 B4 mild hybrid and i have to say the braking performance is not what id expect to it to be, ive adjusted my driving style to suit, i even took it back to the dealer after only a few hundred miles to check all was ok, they just said its part and parcel, some times on initial application i feel no reduction in speed but the battery icon appears as recharging etc

The power output of the electric motor in the MHEV system is very weak, maybe around 3-5 kW, it's not enough to effectively slow the car on its own when in recuperating mode. It helps a bit, but you will barely notice. In normal mode (gear lever in D), the recuperating is not even 100% if you are not pressing the break pedal to the metal. You have to put in M (manual) mode to exploit the full benefits of the recuperating brakes even with just a tap on the brake pedal.

[Rich850R]

Much appreciated, i guess they dont on the whole inspire me with as much confidence as they should considering the size of the car etc

[neilgorin]

I don't know about the cross country model, as I suspect with 4WD it has a torque converter gearbox which will operate differently, HOWEVER on the B3 and B4 V60 with the DCT gearbox, and then only on late 2022 onward models, the mild hybrid works differently and switches off the engine when you lift off the throttle at speed, allowing the car to coast quite a distance if you're on a slight gradient.

My B3 (2023) does this and I can easily get mid 40s MPG out of it in most situations where I got mid 40s MPG out of my previous D4 - however it requires more "effort" to do so as you have to consciously lift off.