The REAL HYBRID MPG

[Eagle11]

Ranger,

Okay, I have owned my Maverick for a month just broke 1K miles, and filled up the tank for a second time. I didn't take any pictures then but did the rough math after topping it off while rounding up to the even dollar amount (an old habit from when cash was the main form of payment), I remember saying 40+ MPG is pretty good for my first fill-up. Unfortunately, I do not remember the exact gallon amount but based on the mileage total today, my first tank was 507.7.

After reading this original post and just refilling my Maverick a second time, here are the results in staggered form based on when the pump stopped and when I topped it off while rounding to an even dollar amount.

Total Mileage for my second tank of gas with a definite mix of city and highway miles while driving in the DMV on the 95s (aka 495, 95, and 295), various state highways, and street driving in DC and BMore : 567.7

Initial Pump Stop: 12.4 gals - MPG: 45.782
Final Pump Stop: 13.1 gals - MPG: 43.335

For a frame of reference to what the on-board computer calculated, attached is a screenshot of my Trip 2 odometer which I used to track miles per tank (Trip 1 is for total daily mileage). Both are usually generous with the MPG.

One thing I will note is that for the second tank, I actually used and paid attention to the Hybrid Coach while driving. Of course, there are other variables that could have contributed to the 60-mile difference, the main one being that, I do not know how full the tank was when I drove it off the lot.

Hope this helps anyone who is awaiting their order a little bit of what to expect.

TGCuatro

Learning how to dive a hybrid is the key, regen braking is the key to getting high mileage. You need to recharge the battery, the longer you coast to a stop the more free energy you make.

I've had my Maverick 18 months, and my Sig tells the story

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[GPSMan]

Learning how to dive a hybrid is the key, regen braking is the key to getting high mileage. You need to recharge the battery, the longer you coast to a stop the more free energy you make.

I've had my Maverick 18 months, and my Sig tells the story

To expand on that a tad:

Regen without using the brake pads.
You have at least three tools to help you here.

1. that big permanent dial with the green regen zone. Never let the needle hit the "peg". Keep away from full horizontal.

2. EV coach. Keep the bar green while slowing and stopping. Avoid white. White is when the brake pads hit the rotors (at the same time as regen so you lose some energy to heat). Green is 100% regen.

3. Brake Coach. Fun for 1 or 2 days. I've not looked at it since day 2. It is redundant with those above.

Lastly,
Use up the regen when you can! Use EV mode when you can. Hauling around a full battery is dead weight and you want to make room for more regen! The hybrid battery is small. It is like a rubber band on a balsa wood plane. You have wind it and unwind it routinely to have the most fun!

 

[Eagle11]

To expand on that a tad:

Regen without using the brake pads.
You have at least three tools to help you here.

1. that big permanent dial with the green regen zone. Never let the needle hit the "peg". Keep away from full horizontal.

2. EV coach. Keep the bar green while slowing and stopping. Avoid white. White is when the brake pads hit the rotors (at the same time as regen so you lose some energy to heat). Green is 100% regen.

3. Brake Coach. Fun for 1 or 2 days. I've not looked at it since day 2. It is redundant with those above.

Lastly,
Use up the regen when you can! Use EV mode when you can. Hauling around a full battery is dead weight and you want to make room for more regen! The hybrid battery is small. It is like a rubber band on a balsa wood plane. You have wind it and unwind it routinely to have the most fun!

Learning how to drive a hybrid is like learning how to drive a turbo-charged car, it's not like driving a normal car. There is a learning curve and you won't master it in a couple of days.
But I think most people don't want to learn how to maximize the hybrid range. You need to think about what you are doing, people just want to get in and get that 55 mpg.

 

[tgcuatro]

Learning how to dive a hybrid is the key, regen braking is the key to getting high mileage. You need to recharge the battery, the longer you coast to a stop the more free energy you make.

I've had my Maverick 18 months, and my Sig tells the story

Eagle 11,

Thanks for the reply.

What does this mean "and my Sig tells the story"?

Thanks,

TGCuatro

 

[tgcuatro]

To expand on that a tad:

Regen without using the brake pads.
You have at least three tools to help you here.

1. that big permanent dial with the green regen zone. Never let the needle hit the "peg". Keep away from full horizontal.

2. EV coach. Keep the bar green while slowing and stopping. Avoid white. White is when the brake pads hit the rotors (at the same time as regen so you lose some energy to heat). Green is 100% regen.

3. Brake Coach. Fun for 1 or 2 days. I've not looked at it since day 2. It is redundant with those above.

Lastly,
Use up the regen when you can! Use EV mode when you can. Hauling around a full battery is dead weight and you want to make room for more regen! The hybrid battery is small. It is like a rubber band on a balsa wood plane. You have wind it and unwind it routinely to have the most fun!

Eagle 11,

Thanks - I am definitely adjusting my driving to take advantages of the regen and trying to use the EV Coach as much as possible and as you stated keeping it green and 100% as much as possible. Of course I am in the DMV and that can be difficult at times.

TGCuatro

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Eagle 11,

Thanks for the reply.

What does this mean "and my Sig tells the story"?

Thanks,

TGCuatro

There is a picture, shows 46mpg.

 

[tgcuatro]

There is a picture, shows 46mpg.

Ha! I scrolled right by that thinking it was an advertisement. LOL.

 

[tom_tucker]

Eagle 11,

Thanks - I am definitely adjusting my driving to take advantages of the regen and trying to use the EV Coach as much as possible and as you stated keeping it green and 100% as much as possible. Of course I am in the DMV and that can be difficult at times.

TGCuatro

"Sig" is an MTC members' post signature. His says 46 mpg. I'm running more like 40 here in the DMV and Shenandoah road trips.

In the DMV, I just let them all pass. I typically catch back up and pass them back at the next stoplight when I time the green just right. It's so routine now that it's almost comical. I'll pass the same car 3 times while I'm maintaining a consistent speed.

Tolls and gas prices go hand-in-hand with mpg. I'm avoiding some tolls, typically about 50% of them. If the extra time saves $0.50 /min. or better I'll do it. For example, I live near a toll road, $6 each way, 8-10 extra min to drive around. Haven't used the toll road yet with the Maverick in 8 months!

Gas prices swing wildly between stations here in the mid-Atlantic region. I try to time fill-ups with cheap name brand gas when I'm on the road. In terms of financial efficiency, tolls and gas buddy can be a big factor for some MTC members. Much bigger factor for me than 40mpg vs. 45mpg in the Hybrid.

 

[Bluecrew]

I somewhat agree with you. I have a 22 Hybrid XLT. I have averaged about 36MPG over the 22K+ miles that I've driven it. Longer highway trips are closer to 33MPG (I drive between 75-80 MPH with ECO Mode on and cruise set) and my daily commutes put me closer to 38MPG most of the time. Obviously colder months with morning warmups drop that number to 34-36. So unless you are hyper-miling 100% of the time or your drive is downhill both ways, you're not averaging 45-50MPG in any real world scenario. I could see maybe if you live in a very hilly area and can feather the pedal once up to speed, you might be getting 43ish but come on. I get 999MPG if I back it up in the driveway a few feet and shut it off hahaha Doesn't mean that's my average.

I somewhat agree with you. I have a 22 Hybrid XLT. I have averaged about 36MPG over the 22K+ miles that I've driven it. Longer highway trips are closer to 33MPG (I drive between 75-80 MPH with ECO Mode on and cruise set) and my daily commutes put me closer to 38MPG most of the time. Obviously colder months with morning warmups drop that number to 34-36. So unless you are hyper-miling 100% of the time or your drive is downhill both ways, you're not averaging 45-50MPG in any real world scenario. I could see maybe if you live in a very hilly area and can feather the pedal once up to speed, you might be getting 43ish but come on. I get 999MPG if I back it up in the driveway a few feet and shut it off hahaha Doesn't mean that's my average.

I am easily getting 50 mpg in city driving when not using a/c. Keep practicing - you'll get it.

 

[TarpDogg]

I am easily getting 50 mpg in city driving when not using a/c. Keep practicing - you'll get it.

Thanks for the encouragement. Again, I'm happy with my 38mpg average. I'm too busy and usually running late with 3 kids in tow. On easy-going days, it's doable to hit 47mpg or so when I'm trying.

 

[Eagle11]

Thanks for the encouragement. Again, I'm happy with my 38mpg average. I'm too busy and usually running late with 3 kids in tow. On easy-going days, it's doable to hit 47mpg or so when I'm trying.

The highlights are the death of society and the cause of accidents. People rush all the time.

 

[Waterick]

"Playing the game" is worth at least 10mpg in a hybrid. When my wife takes the Maverick, the overall MPG will go down - yes, after every single trip. She simply could not care less about efficiency. It's completely a game for me; my goal then becomes to return the overall on-board estimate to where it was. If I was the only driver, I'm pretty certain the on-board estimate would be 55mpg or even more. . . . .

Sounds very familiar to me, still no Maverick yet, but that's how it goes on the Prius we have. Also, the mileage average goes down in the summer when we ride together on errands and one waits in car while other does their errands (leave car "on" for A/C and ICE runs as needed to recharge HVB). Look forward to Maverick arrival as I will probably be the sole driver and the MPG average will be solely mine.

 

[K5Blazer]

Learning how to drive a hybrid is like learning how to drive a turbo-charged car, it's not like driving a normal car. There is a learning curve and you won't master it in a couple of days.
But I think most people don't want to learn how to maximize the hybrid range. You need to think about what you are doing, people just want to get in and get that 55 mpg.

I think most people don’t know how to drive ANY car for good fuel efficiency anymore. They jackrabbit start and don’t slow down until they have to slam on the brakes at the next light. (Must text you know)

Good grief, this isn’t high level stuff here. Letting off the gas when you see a red light up ahead and coasting to that point used to be somewhat common, and understood by the general populace.

I often do not come to a full stop at most lights simply because I am timing the light/traffic to where I still have forward momentum and don’t have to use energy accelerating from a full stop.

When gas prices go parabolic here pretty soon maybe some people will try a different method of driving. Or, maybe not, cause and effect is not readily understood anymore.

 

[Eagle11]

I think most people don’t know how to drive ANY car for good fuel efficiency anymore. They jackrabbit start and don’t slow down until they have to slam on the brakes at the next light. (Must text you know)

Good grief, this isn’t high level stuff here. Letting off the gas when you see a red light up ahead and coasting to that point used to be somewhat common, and understood by the general populace.

I often do not come to a full stop at most lights simply because I am timing the light/traffic to where I still have forward momentum and don’t have to use energy accelerating from a full stop.

When gas prices go parabolic here pretty soon maybe some people will try a different method of driving. Or, maybe not, cause and effect is not readily understood anymore.

Dude, this is it, you are so right... People texting, I see it all the time... I love hearing people say, "I dont have time to drive the speed limit" that right there is the problem.
People complain about the high price of fuel, but wont do anything about it to get MPG. Now, those who have the big lifted trucks, wont get much better MPG is they slowed down, but the other drivers will.

That is why I laugh when I drive past a gas station, I average about 3 weeks per tank.

 

[GPSMan]

I think most people don’t know how to drive ANY car for good fuel efficiency anymore. They jackrabbit start and don’t slow down until they have to slam on the brakes at the next light. (Must text you know)

Good grief, this isn’t high level stuff here. Letting off the gas when you see a red light up ahead and coasting to that point used to be somewhat common, and understood by the general populace.

I often do not come to a full stop at most lights simply because I am timing the light/traffic to where I still have forward momentum and don’t have to use energy accelerating from a full stop.

When gas prices go parabolic here pretty soon maybe some people will try a different method of driving. Or, maybe not, cause and effect is not readily understood anymore.

There is almost no penalty for jackrabbit starts and brisk (regen) braking when you have a pure EV.
Wind resistance is the only enemy worth mentioning. And climate control. (There's no waste heat to heat the cabin for example.)
But zero to 60 in 5 seconds, is not a big deal.

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