The advantage of this setup is that the driver does not need to manage anything. The powertrain operates fully automatically according to current driving conditions, including vehicle speed, load, road gradient and battery state of charge. The control unit primarily determines when the internal combustion engine should be engaged, for example when electricity needs to be generated for the electric motor because battery charge is running low, or when operating the combustion engine is more energy efficient.
Even at higher speeds, the Octavia Hybrid is capable of coasting with the internal combustion engine switched off. In Eco and Normal modes, this is the preferred driving strategy, and once the accelerator pedal is released the vehicle decelerates only very gradually. In Sport mode, a higher level of regenerative braking is pre-set, resulting in more pronounced deceleration. Regenerative braking itself is also controlled fully automatically by the vehicle’s electronics according to current requirements, regardless of brake pedal position. The driver can influence the powertrain’s behaviour through the selection of the various driving modes.