Wild MPG variation in hybrid HIGHWAY mpg: Driving style. Ambient temp, both.

[MaverickDragon]

@Darrell - Good points.

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[Darryl]

70 mph + does not help; but the bigger culprit is use of cruise control- ICE is on more maintaining preset speed with less "coasting". I believe you proved this on your trip. Temp may have some effect but way less than use of cruise. Just my experience from my own driving my 2024 hybrid XL.

The thing is, I ALWAYS use cruise control. So that will partially account for some of the difference between my nephe and I even if the temp was constant. But it wouldn’t account for the difference between my summer (95-101 degree ) trip and this (31-42 degrees) since my drive speed was similar. and it was along much of the same stretch of road. And since the engine is constantly running at 75+ mph, the temp has a noticeable effect. It’s not really a concern. It’s just something interesting I noticed. Glad I live in Florida where even in Tallahassee, we’ll have 70+degrees within days of a light or even harder freeze.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

I think it had something to do with the varying speed since he had 42 electric miles vs only 4 when I drove. Note that I always drive 75-80 on the highway interstate. And this summer I got 32 or a similar trip with two passengers and luggage. And it was 95-100 degrees then

It is advantageous 100% of the time to drive in "serial hybrid mode". Think of a Chevy Volt.

The Maverick can behave like this, and there are ways to force it to do this more often than naturally occurs.
(Driving in reverse past battery depletion is always serial hybrid mode.)

Pulse and glide with battery use to extend the glide is forcing a form of serial mode.

Before talk of "conversion losses" pops up, let me nip that in the bud.

It is better to drive with electricity (90+ percent efficient) than to drive with gas (30-35 percent efficient) with brief periods of battery boost getting your average to 40 percent efficient.

The electric drive is SO DARN GOOD it is a fuel saver after and including the conversion losses.

How do I know?

50 MPG HWY and 60 MPG city when I focus on making the most serial drive mode minutes per trip.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Before someone asks:
"If serial is better than parallel, why didn't Ford make it full time serial?"

A couple of reasons.

Cost
It would cost more. You'd want a larger battery pack and larger traction motor and possibly a slightly larger generator but what we have now is close. You could use a smaller gas engine.
But will the 1.5L engine cost much less than a 2.5L? Probably not. Not enough to offset the other more expensive components.

Performance
The serial hybrid Maverick will easily get 60+ MPG. But will probably drive like a Prius. Inconsistent with what the Ford Truck buyer is expecting.

I'm sure there's more reasons. But there's two.

 

[Surly Old Bill]

It is advantageous 100% of the time to drive in "serial hybrid mode". Think of a Chevy Bolt.

The Maverick can behave like this, and there are ways to force it to do this more often than naturally occurs.
(Driving in reverse past battery depletion is always serial hybrid mode.)

Pulse and glide with battery use to extend the glide is forcing a form of serial mode.

Before talk of "conversion losses" pops up, let me nip that in the bud.

It is better to drive with electricity (90+ percent efficient) than to drive with gas (30-35 percent efficient) with brief periods of battery boost getting your average to 40 percent efficient.

The electric drive is SO DARN GOOD it is a fuel saver after and including the conversion losses.

How do I know?

50 MPG HWY and 60 MPG city when I focus on making the most serial drive mode minutes per trip.

I wish the hybrid had a decent sized battery, that could go 20+ miles without needing to recharge. The little tiny 1.1 kWh battery (about the capacity of a large starting battery) does a great job, but I think we'd be averaging over 50mpg if it were 3x the capacity. Note: most EVs start at 50kWh battery capacity, some are over 100. 1.1 is REALLY tiny.
I tend to get 45 mpg per tank in town, but 50-60 would be better, and worth the extra $1000 cost for larger battery.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I have heard, but haven't researched, that there is a method to driving a hybrid to gain MPG that is different than the driving style to get the most MPG out of an ICE engine. Something about accelerating and coasting to kick in the electric motor.

Try pulse and glide 60-80 mph. Start pulse before truck actually gets to bottom of downhill. Then pulse (50-60% power ok as you will have fewer minutes for ice to run to get to top of hill than if you run at 30-40% power) and then start gliding downhill with ice off = the ice is running, use it while keeping in electric if possible.

 

[jorgy_bc]

Winter blend fuel will lower mpg also
5% ish if memory serves me right.

 

[Darryl]

It is advantageous 100% of the time to drive in "serial hybrid mode". Think of a Chevy Bolt.

The Maverick can behave like this, and there are ways to force it to do this more often than naturally occurs.
(Driving in reverse past battery depletion is always serial hybrid mode.)

Pulse and glide with battery use to extend the glide is forcing a form of serial mode.

Before talk of "conversion losses" pops up, let me nip that in the bud.

It is better to drive with electricity (90+ percent efficient) than to drive with gas (30-35 percent efficient) with brief periods of battery boost getting your average to 40 percent efficient.

The electric drive is SO DARN GOOD it is a fuel saver after and including the conversion losses.

How do I know?

50 MPG HWY and 60 MPG city when I focus on making the most serial drive mode minutes per trip.

Yes. I believe my nephew was naturally driving closer to what the hybrid likes, while I was driving at what I like. That was Get home fast at a speed that won't get me a ticket . Which meant engaging the cruise control, so I wouldn't gradually creep to 85+ because the Maverick will do it without me really noticing. . The temp contributed significantly too. We had a couple of cold days at home. When I drove to work those days, I noticed a significant drop then too. And since the majority of my commute is at or just below highway speeds, the engine will account for most of the difference . On my way home from work I often drive at a more leisurely pace and on a different route where there's a lot more electric driving. Depending on which route I take and the speed, I can get close to 40 mpg. When driving around town in the evening or on weekends, that's when I sometimes try to maximize my mpg just to see what I can do. That's when I can sometimes get 50mpg or so

 

[ianjay]

It is advantageous 100% of the time to drive in "serial hybrid mode". Think of a Chevy Bolt.

The Maverick can behave like this, and there are ways to force it to do this more often than naturally occurs.
(Driving in reverse past battery depletion is always serial hybrid mode.)

Pulse and glide with battery use to extend the glide is forcing a form of serial mode.

Before talk of "conversion losses" pops up, let me nip that in the bud.

It is better to drive with electricity (90+ percent efficient) than to drive with gas (30-35 percent efficient) with brief periods of battery boost getting your average to 40 percent efficient.

The electric drive is SO DARN GOOD it is a fuel saver after and including the conversion losses.

How do I know?

50 MPG HWY and 60 MPG city when I focus on making the most serial drive mode minutes per trip.

You mean Chevrolet Volt, not Bolt, right? Bolt is pure EV, Volt is extended range electric vehicle AKA plug-in hybrid.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

You mean Chevrolet Volt, not Bolt, right? Bolt is pure EV, Volt is extended range electric vehicle AKA plug-in hybrid.

Chevy Volt. Yes.
Why did they have to put B and V so close on the keyboard?

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Chevy Volt. Yes.
Why did they have to put B and V so close on the keyboard?

They are also close to the space bar!

 

[inline_five]

The thing is, I ALWAYS use cruise control. So that will partially account for some of the difference between my nephe and I even if the temp was constant. But it wouldn’t account for the difference between my summer (95-101 degree ) trip and this (31-42 degrees) since my drive speed was similar. and it was along much of the same stretch of road. And since the engine is constantly running at 75+ mph, the temp has a noticeable effect. It’s not really a concern. It’s just something interesting I noticed. Glad I live in Florida where even in Tallahassee, we’ll have 70+degrees within days of a light or even harder freeze.

Just fyi the Atkinson engine takes about a 20% efficiency hit from summer high temps to 30*.

36-37 mpg highway going 70 in the summer (even with AC on) will be 29-30 mpg in the winter at highway speeds.

I drive the same 400 mile loop year round and set cruise control to 70, fuel up just prior and directly afterwards, so have a really good read on expected mpg.

 

[Darryl]

Just fyi the Atkinson engine takes about a 20% efficiency hit from summer high temps to 30*.

36-37 mpg highway going 70 in the summer (even with AC on) will be 29-30 mpg in the winter at highway speeds.

I drive the same 400 mile loop year round and set cruise control to 70, fuel up just prior and directly afterwards, so have a really good read on expected mpg.

Makes sense. Given that the effective compression ratio is lower than in a non Atkinson cycle engine. And my mpg loss seemed close to that amount

 

[kidshelleen]

2025 hybrid drive from RI to Utah to pick up Oru camper from MTF member. 28mpg. cruise set to 85. Enkei 17x7.5 wheels with Toyo Open Country A/T IIIs.

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