Sometimes the most interesting tests aren’t planned.
While we were driving the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T plug-on hybrid SUV this week, we found ourselves in an unusual situation.
The gas tank was almost empty, but we had plenty of charge left in the battery, which is big enough to provide a maximum range of 33 miles between charges.
Well, maybe it wasn’t that strange since the Hornet R/T’s gas tank holds just 11.2 gallons and the vehicle is rated at 29 mpg when operating as a hybrid after the battery runs out, so it’s not the longest hauler.
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That got us thinking.
The point of a plug-in hybrid is to provide enough electric driving for most daily tasks while offering the safety net of a quick-to-refuel gasoline powertrain when the battery runs out But what happens if the gas runs out? We had to find out.
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The Hornet R/T uses a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine assisted by an electric motor/generator to power the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, while the rear axle gets its own electric motor, which isn’t mechanically connected to the rest of the all-wheel drivetrain.
There are three main selectable eDrive modes. Hybrid taps into the entire system, while Electric just uses the rear motor, unless it senses slippage, then it kicks in the front powertrain for all-wheel-drive traction.
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Then there’s e-Save, which prioritizes the internal combustion engine and can be set to either maintain the battery’s current state of charge or to charge it up using excess energy and through the vehicle’s regenerative braking system.
With the gas gauge reading 14 miles left and a similar amount on the batter gauge, we switched to e-Save and hit the highway.
It took a bit longer than expected, but eventually the car informed us that it had switched to Hybrid mode and displayed a warning that included a red turtle icon and a “Vehicle Speed May Be Limited” message.
That’s because the electric motor only has 121 hp and the vehicle’s top speed maxes out at 84 mph in all-electric mode.
Aside from that, the transition was uneventful and just as smooth as when the opposite happens, and the gasoline engine takes over when the battery has been fully drained.
A Dodge spokesman told us that Hybrid is the default mode in that situation, rather than electric, and also that the company does not advise running the gas tank empty, because driving the battery totally flat could damage it. Fortunately, we were in an area with a lot of gas stations nearby and had no problem finding one.
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Things may have been different out in the desert, so make sure to keep an eye on the estimated combined range of the gasoline and battery if you ever plan to head across the range with a plug-in hybrid.
We’ll have a full review of the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T posting soon, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check back with American Cars And Racing for the latest news and features.
