Smug PHEV driver

[Ollycat]

OK, so the car is a lemon...can't bring myself to say PHEV owner, too far to own up to...

But how smug have I been this week, as at 06.30 I listen to all the other cars up and down our road being de-iced / scraped, knowing mine will be electrically preheated, windscreen defrosted...

Mind you, havent checked the latest electric bill.

 

[maby]

OK, so the car is a lemon...can't bring myself to say PHEV owner, too far to own up to...

But how smug have I been this week, as at 06.30 I listen to all the other cars up and down our road being de-iced / scraped, knowing mine will be electrically preheated, windscreen defrosted...

Mind you, havent checked the latest electric bill.

That is satisfying, isn't it? At least it would have been if I had not been too lazy last night to plug the car in and woke up this morning to the first frost of the year with a close to flat battery and no mains connection!

 

[user 816]

and..

Forecast is for some snow tonight, might even get a chance to test the 4wd traction at last tomorrow!!!

Might be Smug 2.0

 

[Codriver]

I agree, the preheat feature is by far the best thing about the Phev, activated while I'm in bed and by the time I get out there it's cleared and toastie, the instant rear demist is a bonus too! whatever you might think about the car in general this will keep me happy to drive it!!

 

[Ollycat]

Talk on local radio this morning about whther it's legal to start your car and leave it running to defrost, while you have your tea and toast indoors. Not a problem!

Also live at the bottom of a hill, kinda hoping for a bit of the white stuff, so we can test the 4WD. In previous years I've had to wfh, the turbo-nutter-diesel couldn't get up the hill - at least, that was my excuse...

 

[user 816]

Well that was a pathetic bit of snow, like icing sugar dusting on a cake!

I did pre-heat this morning and for the first time ever it set the stupid alarm off, I had it set for 'demist' rather than the general heating function I usually use. Its known the that the demist which directs the hot air up the windscreen can trigger the ultrasonic interior alarm as he draught disrupts the waves passing through.

Must remember to disable ultrasonics tonight when putting the PHEV to bed (pull up on wiper lever after switch off until you hear 2 beeps)

 

[jthspace]

Talk on local radio this morning about whether it's legal to start your car and leave it running to defrost, while you have your tea and toast indoors. Not a problem!

If someone drives off in it, it isn't insured.

Another favourite trick is on "bin day" (refuse collection), a car thief will move a bin in front of the drive of a house where he knows a car gets home every day. When you get out of the car to move the bin, the thief jumps in and drives away.

It is now also an offence under pollution laws to leave an engine running whilst stationary either in the car or unattended. (Stationary Idling Offence, 2002). The fines enforce Rule 123 of the Highway Code, which says: 'If the vehicle is stationary and likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should switch off the engine to reduce emissions and oil pollution.'

Recent Press :

Man given £30 fixed penalty notice for leaving car running unattended
Imagine this…you wake up, its cold and frosty outside. You pop outside to start you car so its warm and defrosted when you eventually want to set off. You only leave it for 10 minutes…..then…..bang – you’ve got a ticket.

This is what happened to Ken Hardman recently. Ken, 45 from Chorley in Lancashire, left his car to defrost and warm up during a frosty morning and was stunned to receive a £30 fixed penalty notice under the Road Traffic Act offence of ‘quitting’. This is when a person who the vehicle is registered to leaves their car engine running whilst not sitting in it.

Road Traffic Act : (UK) Regulation 107(2)(a). This states that no person shall cause or permit to be on any road any motor vehicle which is not attended by a person duly licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and the parking brake is effectively set. Exemptions to the requirements of this Regulation as to the stopping of the engine include a fire brigade vehicle, the engine of which is being used for any fire brigade purpose.

 

[greendwarf]

Raises interesting questions regarding the PHEV

1. If the car is powered up in EV mode is that "engine running" = no doubt lawyers will have fun with that.

2. The "bin trick" will be a bit of a problem for the thief as you, no doubt, have the keys in your pocket

3. I think you will find that the new anti-pollution offence of parking/idling is a local authority managed one so will depend on where you are. And anyway see point 1. above for PHEV :lol:

 

[AndyInOz]

The "bin trick" will be a bit of a problem for the thief as you, no doubt, have the keys in your pocket

Has anyone experimented with this?

I would be very interested to know what happens if someone jumps into your car when you have the keys in your pocket.

My first guess is that the car would run fine until they turn it off at a later date.

Can you disable the car with the remote? By pressing the door lock button for example?

Andy

 

[Sunder]

My first guess is that the car would run fine until they turn it off at a later date.

I suspect you're right, as I work in Cybersecurity, and a bulletin I received from police last year was to watch for a device for sale that amplifies the "challenge" from the car, so that the key can hear it from further away, then amplifies the "response" from the key, so the car can open and start.

Once the car is started and moving, the car might scream blue murder, but won't shut off for safety reasons.

 

[AndyInOz]

Next time I'm using the car, I'll try locking the doors from outside, without turning the car off first.

I have a feeling that the car refuses, and puts up a yellow exclamation icon, and the message: "Turn the car off!"

So even locking the car as the thief runs up, probably wouldn't work.

So... if you see your bin blocking your drive, park legally and turn off and lock your car, before moving the bin.

 

[anko]

You can lock it with the physical key that is hidden in the FOB. But it will lock the driver door only, so you have to first lock the other doors with the button in the driver door armrest.