Yeah, I find Kia’s owners
Yeah, I find Kia’s owners manuals to be… lacking. My experience in owning and driving other PHEVs and EVs is what guides me (and the collective experience of other drivers on forums and online that share tips and knowledge). Re: your question about how I would manage the EV settings on your trip, here’s the things I would do and no need for any donations, just be kind to one another, watch out for yourself, and others, and drive safe!
First, you may want to precondition your Sorento PHEV if it is plugged in and battery topped off. I don’t believe the AC will force the gas engine to turn on, and the point of preconditioning it is to have it at your preferred temperature while still plugged in. Note, if it was cold out and you were trying to run the heat, it WOULD force the gas engine on… but you can turn on the heated seats and or steering wheel without using the gas engine. Anyway, get the car cooled off first if you’re plugged in and it will save just a little bit of battery for the road.
Second, try to use up at least 5-6 miles of battery range at the start of your trip. This is so you have plenty of “capacity” to recaptured some charge from breaking or coasting on long stretches. But otherwise, keep it in HEV mode (by manually switching to it with button between the front seats) except when you might hit traffic/drive through a small town/get off the freeway for a pit stop. Saving the battery mostly for driving 45 mph or under will stretch it out and let the gas engine “tap into” the battery throughout the trip. Bring your portable charger maybe in case you can charge when you get to your destination?
You’re right, not worth it to charge while en route unless you might be stopping for an hour at a restaurant or place that has a 240V charger (that can get you about 12-14 miles of range while you eat). Lastly, avoid using Sport mode (if what you care about is getting best fuel efficiency), as it will use more gas. I haven’t needed the Sport mode even for going over 4,000 ft mountain passes with a full load, but of course it is there for a reason (to give you more power/pore response from the engine), so use it as you choose or need to. Enjoy the drive!