25K miles in my Hybrid. Best MPG tips

[Deleted member 1483]

Here are some tricks I use day to day that can help you get the best MPG possible in the Hybrid.

Use the EV Coach. This screen will show you how much electric power and regen you can use. By using this feature, you can reduce the amount of time you spend with the engine on.

While eco mode is intended to be the most fuel-efficient mode, normal mode or slippery mode can actually be better depending on how you drive. I would use eco mode on long highway trips with cruise control.

Don't accelerate hard, but don't be afraid to keep up with traffic either. Your goal is to get up to speed and use electric mode until your battery needs charged.

When you are just slightly over your desired cruise speed, let off the throttle until it quickly shows “charge” and then gently apply throttle less than 10% power. It should say “electric”. Hold the throttle steady state and continue your cruise (even if you lose a little bit of speed over time) until the engine comes on. The battery charges pretty quickly, and you should be able to cruise on electric again after 20 seconds or so.

Cruise control can be less efficient than manually controlling your speed, but you can still use it to your advantage. Set the speed for 1 mph over your desired speed, and on a flat or slight downgrade, lower the speed by one, and it should automatically engage electric mode.

Generally, driving slower will help you get better gas mileage. Stay in the right lane and drive the speed limit or 5 over. Stoplight to stoplight, you'll get there in the same time as rushing, trust me.

Even if you lose a little speed up hills, try to use a steady throttle. It's pretty efficient, and you can see the engine hold get 20-25mpg up grades.

LRR tires will probably make a difference, as my heavier all terrain tires made a notable difference. Consider using lighter tires to maximize your fuel efficiency.

I hope these tips help you get the best MPG in your hybrid. Let me know if you have any other tips to share!

happy driving!

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[Burdy]

One thing I will say, is cruise on this truck is more efficient at maintaining mpg than any other vehicle I have ever owned. Can you do better? Sure, but the cruise programming is pretty darn good on the Mav. I definitely am not afraid to use it. Thanks for the tip on using it in ECO mode.

 

[Deleted member 1483]

@Burdy
The cruise control is definitely less aggressive in eco mode.

 

[RatherBeDrivingaManual]

Use the EV Coach. This screen will show you how much electric power and regen you can use. By using this feature, you can reduce the amount of time you spend with the engine on.

Thank you @area51leader for creating this topic
As you can see... I just got my Hybrid.

I am assuming this is the EV Coach screen you are talking about.

I wanted to ask.... is the blue outline & white fill on the bar showing how much electric and gas is in use or (as you say) "how much electric power I can use"? I have also seen this bar be all white with no blue outline & still say Hybrid.

When you are just slightly over your desired cruise speed, let off the throttle until it quickly shows “charge” and then gently apply throttle less than 10% power. It should say “electric”. Hold the throttle steady state and continue your cruise (even if you lose a little bit of speed over time) until the engine comes on. The battery charges pretty quickly, and you should be able to cruise on electric again after 20 seconds or so.

I did get this to work, like you said. I was on a flat road that's uninterrupted. I get to the 30mph, let off, see the green charge bar, quickly press the accelerator lightly.

I could not get into Electric on the rest of my commute. It can be a lot of stop & go. You often hit every red light. Other than the ending flat stretch it is uphill a gradual long hill, down a moderately large hill, up a steep hill, down a long hill, up a steep hill, down a long hill then the ending stretch is flat. 8 traffic lights along this AWEFUL stroad.

I don't know if its the warm up time, the 1 - 2 mins between when I start the truck to when I am rolling or I have to charge the battery up first and its such a short 3 mile drive I don't have any charge to use until the end? Is there anyway on the XLT to see what % the battery is holding?

The other day on a backroads drive to my dad's house, nothing over 65mph, I just drove how you would drive any car for good fuel economy &

 

[Mightybeast]

Slippery mode every day.

 

[Deleted member 1483]

Thank you @area51leader for creating this topic
As you can see... I just got my Hybrid.

Awesome!

I am assuming this is the EV Coach screen you are talking about.

Correct.

So the engine is sometimes “on” for good reason even if you think the electric only mode should be active. The battery could be too low. The engine could be cold. You could just be using too much throttle.

You have to think of the electric mode as just a really long coast. You can’t coast uphill. You can’t coast while accelerating.

You want to get up to speed, and coast. The electric only mode allows you to coast (lose minimal speed) until the battery hits 30% and then the engine will come back on.

Then you can maintain speed using the engine until you hit a slight downhill or enough time has passed that you have enough battery to coast again.

This is usually impossible at speeds faster than 60mph, and the car won’t go into electric only except in really rare circumstances.

A good way to explain this is to maybe find a flat or slightly hilly road, and try using cruise control. If you just set cruise to 45mph the display will just say hybrid, as the truck is just trying to maintain speed. But if you bump it down to 44, it will decelerate and then “decide” if it can keep the speed you set using electric or not. If it can, it will maintain the speed without using fuel for as long as it can.

This is more effective if you do this manually because you can predict when you’ll get the longest periods of “coasting” on electric power better than the cruise control can.

Once you see the electric only mode as a way to just keep the car rolling (and even slightly losing speed) and allowing the gas engine to run when appropriate you’ll see a higher mpg.

If the engine is still warming up or needs more torque, you can’t use electric only.

edit: note I got the below mpg using heavy all terrain tires

 

[RatherBeDrivingaManual]

If the engine is still warming up or needs more torque, you can’t use electric only.

ahh, that was another question of mine... every vehicle I've ever owned... the rule was DON'T start it and drive immediately... let it idle for at least a minute maybe two to let the oil circulate and warm up a little... the most wear occurs on startup... but this hybrid, can I just start it and drive immediately? When I start it.... the ICE is not running... so how do I give it that minute we've always given our cars?

 

[Deleted member 1483]

ahh, that was another question of mine... every vehicle I've ever owned... the rule was DON'T start it and drive immediately... let it idle for at least a minute maybe two to let the oil circulate and warm up a little... the most wear occurs on startup... but this hybrid, can I just start it and drive immediately? When I start it.... the ICE is not running... so how do I give it that minute we've always given our cars?

If its battery charge is high enough and climate control doesn’t need to run, the engine won’t start if you turn on the truck. It has a “parking lot mode” to get you going.

The engine will start when needed and run non stop until it is up to temperature or %battery it needs.

Ideally don’t go wide open throttle or some other heavy load for a minute or so, but it’s not like it’s going to kill the truck.

 

[Bushpilot]

No car built in the last few decades needs to be warmed up before driving under normal conditions.

 

[ZachSD]

Just got mine last week and thought I went through all the screen options. How in the heck are you getting to that EV coach screen with the bar?

 

[stoptothink]

Slippery mode every day.

We're definitely seeing the best efficiency with slippery mode. Beat my record to and from in-laws house yesterday; it's ~30 miles each way, slightly uphill on the way there with only ~5 miles on the highway. I believe we got 64.4mpg there and 88.6mpg on the way back.

 

[RatherBeDrivingaManual]

Just got mine last week and thought I went through all the screen options. How in the heck are you getting to that EV coach screen with the bar?

I just woke up but I think it's the star, the favorite screen, you press the 3 lines on the steering wheel and you have a choice of an empty screen (calm) or the EV bar.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Just got mine last week and thought I went through all the screen options. How in the heck are you getting to that EV coach screen with the bar?

Go into settings and screens. You can turn different screens on and off, then use the switch on the right side of the steering wheel to scroll through them. You can also turn on "this trip" which is handy to check how your driving is going.

 

[My1stFord]

No car built in the last few decades needs to be warmed up before driving under normal conditions.

2016 n/a Forester has a blue icon when the ccoolant is below 100 degrees. The manual says not to drive it until this blue icon disappears. Also, as noted previously, to drive lightly for a mile or so for the gear oil to warm up.

 

[Eagle11]

Here are some tricks I use day to day that can help you get the best MPG possible in the Hybrid.

Use the EV Coach. This screen will show you how much electric power and regen you can use. By using this feature, you can reduce the amount of time you spend with the engine on.

While eco mode is intended to be the most fuel-efficient mode, normal mode or slippery mode can actually be better depending on how you drive. I would use eco mode on long highway trips with cruise control.

Don't accelerate hard, but don't be afraid to keep up with traffic either. Your goal is to get up to speed and use electric mode until your battery needs charged.

When you are just slightly over your desired cruise speed, let off the throttle until it quickly shows “charge” and then gently apply throttle less than 10% power. It should say “electric”. Hold the throttle steady state and continue your cruise (even if you lose a little bit of speed over time) until the engine comes on. The battery charges pretty quickly, and you should be able to cruise on electric again after 20 seconds or so.

Cruise control can be less efficient than manually controlling your speed, but you can still use it to your advantage. Set the speed for 1 mph over your desired speed, and on a flat or slight downgrade, lower the speed by one, and it should automatically engage electric mode.

Generally, driving slower will help you get better gas mileage. Stay in the right lane and drive the speed limit or 5 over. Stoplight to stoplight, you'll get there in the same time as rushing, trust me.

Even if you lose a little speed up hills, try to use a steady throttle. It's pretty efficient, and you can see the engine hold get 20-25mpg up grades.

LRR tires will probably make a difference, as my heavier all terrain tires made a notable difference. Consider using lighter tires to maximize your fuel efficiency.

I hope these tips help you get the best MPG in your hybrid. Let me know if you have any other tips to share!

happy driving!

With this advice, what are your numbers?

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