So…next question about my new p400e. How do you get it to go into EV mode without starting the engine? Although I’ve only had it 4 days, I can’t figure out how to start it in, or subsequently get it into, EV mode. Pressing the EV button on the centre console makes it light up orange but the EV light on the rev counter thing lights up grey and the engine still runs. It’s been pretty cold over the last few days (4C or below) so maybe that’s got something to do with it, but I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Any advice from p400e drivers would be most welcome.

Haggis, yes there are quite a few reasons it will not run in ev mode & low temperature is one of them, it really frustrates me as I’ve got pv, a battery storage system & a smart charger but the car still runs on petrol when we only use it for short commutes on weekdays when it should be on cheap electric & saving the planet! 😂 seriously you really need to read the online manual so you know exactly what to expect, it’s a good system in the warmer summer weather but in Scottish winters is a fossil fuel burner I’m afraid until it warms up!

Enjoy it though, the black editions look awesome but I’m biased!

Cheers

Malc

So, a bit of an update on this.

The car’s now done about 160 miles in total from new and seems to have a mind of its own re battery-only running. Sometimes it starts and runs on battery alone and other times it refuses to do so and will only run in hybrid mode. I called my local dealer on Saturday who were unable to help due to the service dept being closed but put me in touch with LR Assistance who ended up sending someone out to look at it on Sunday. The technician said it was showing a fault with the normal 12v battery (not the EV one which was fine) and asked if it had been sitting for a while. I told them it had - at the dealers for about a month before delivery - so he checked the charge (it seemed ok) disconnected the battery, reconnected it and all seemed fine and battery-only kicked in. Since then though, little has changed. After running around on Monday mainly on battery, it wouldn’t run at all battery-only yesterday, despite being 90%+ charged, and would only run in hybrid instead. Today, it defaulted to battery-only for 2 short runs, despite me not pressing the EV button. Ambient temperature has been similar throughout, with battery-only working sometimes at lower temps than when it refuses to.

Frankly, part of me doesn’t care when it uses battery-only and when it doesn’t - it’s all “free” running no matter when it happens - but not knowing if or when it’ll happen and not having any apparent control over when it does really annoys me and detracts from an otherwise superb vehicle and driving experience.

I’d be interested in others’ experiences with this model to see if this is typical, before I think about getting the dealer to take a look, and I suspect they won’t have a clue about it…

So, a bit of an update on this.

The car’s now done about 160 miles in total from new and seems to have a mind of its own re battery-only running. Sometimes it starts and runs on battery alone and other times it refuses to do so and will only run in hybrid mode. I called my local dealer on Saturday who were unable to help due to the service dept being closed but put me in touch with LR Assistance who ended up sending someone out to look at it on Sunday. The technician said it was showing a fault with the normal 12v battery (not the EV one which was fine) and asked if it had been sitting for a while. I told them it had - at the dealers for about a month before delivery - so he checked the charge (it seemed ok) disconnected the battery, reconnected it and all seemed fine and battery-only kicked in. Since then though, little has changed. After running around on Monday mainly on battery, it wouldn’t run at all battery-only yesterday, despite being 90%+ charged, and would only run in hybrid instead. Today, it defaulted to battery-only for 2 short runs, despite me not pressing the EV button. Ambient temperature has been similar throughout, with battery-only working sometimes at lower temps than when it refuses to.

Frankly, part of me doesn’t care when it uses battery-only and when it doesn’t - it’s all “free” running no matter when it happens - but not knowing if or when it’ll happen and not having any apparent control over when it does really annoys me and detracts from an otherwise superb vehicle and driving experience.

I’d be interested in others’ experiences with this model to see if this is typical, before I think about getting the dealer to take a look, and I suspect they won’t have a clue about it…

Haggis mine is the same, I’ve had a new heater/conditioner fitted as it was not running at all in EV even though it was selected & up to temp etc, there was a slight miss on the petrol engine aswell when it had this fault where it seemed to be trying to switch off & go onto electric but would instantly keep running? Since the repairs it is better & the miss is away but sometimes for no reason even when everything should let it run in ev it still starts the engine? I’m hoping it’s just the colder temps, I guess I’m not as worked up about this car as it’s on a private lease & I would not consider keeping a hybrid anyway once it’s out of oem warranty especially a JLR hybrid!

I’ll keep monitoring mine & get it checked again when it’s due a service if not before.

Still great to drive & seamless when it does change over.

Malc

Thanks. Interesting set of issues you have, which are a bit different to mine but presumably all to do with the EV bits. Everything else on mine seems to work well whether on engine or battery - it’s just the “mind of its own” approach it has when it comes to running on battery / engine / hybrid that’s my issue. However I feel I should give it a few more miles and useage conditions before I contact the dealer as it does use battery much of the time, just not all the time.

I should have learned my lesson from my last RRS that reliability isn’t what it could / should be, but they’re just such brilliant cars you tend to overlook it. Mine’s also on a personal lease as I’d never ever run one without a full manufacturer new car warranty!!!

I agree I’d leave it a bit longer to see if any patterns develop, they are great cars but even the diesels have electrical gremlins, never mind the hybrids!

Did you get yours from taggarts?

No, I ordered it via Nationwide Vehicle Leasing and they ordered it through Inchcape in Surrey.

I used Taggarts in Glasgow North for servicing (and repairs unfortunately!) for my last RRS and expect to do the same with this one (although hopefully for fewer/no repairs). Unfortunately Taggarts customer service is pretty woeful and not a patch on BMW, Audi and others, especially as a RRS is towards to top end of their range so you expect to be treated as if you're at least slightly important to them, but what real choice do you have when it's warranty work?

Hi Haggisman, I know what you mean about Taggarts Glasgow, we’ve tried a number of dealers (Pentland Edinburgh, Parks Ayr and Taggarts Glasgow - both Volvo and LR), we now use Taggarts Motherwell, who have been absolutely superb over the least 24 months. Bit of a smaller garage, although part of the Taggarts group, they’ve been really helpful and dependable. We’ve now bought 4 cars from them, and I have a new RR on order with them. Salesman is brilliant and service has been really good - they actually think for you and treat you as a customer, rather than just an irritant as I’ve seen with other garages. My wife’s Disco sport PHEV has a problem, I’ve diagnosed it from the forum, managed to get EV working and I shared with them what they need to order - they’ve ordered the part (on back order) without insisting to see the car and run their own diagnostics unlike any other garage I’ve used before! Hope this helps

Do you have the car set for front and rear heated screens to come on on start up? I noticed with mine that the engine cut it when the heating elements were on and didn't when they weren't. I usually pre heat my car in the morning and the engine usually never comes on even in really cold weather.

No - I don’t. I understand that electrical load may impact on whether the EV mode is used but there are times it’s worked when the heated screens, heather, lights, wipers and audio are on and other times it won’t when nothing is on.

It definitely seems to be related to whether the engine stop/start is activating. If it is, and the engine cuts out when the car is stopped, EV mode seems to be available and works, and vice versa. Whether that means the 12v battery has something to do with it and maybe isn’t charging fully is unclear but it definitely seems to have a mind of its own and is totally unpredictable. Will persevere for a bit longer but I can see a trip to the dealer may be in the cards before too long