Review: Ford Maverick Hybrid is an efficient, cold-weather office for a journalist

[22XLThybrid]

I had a slow day so I wrote a story about my '22 Maverick Hybrid XLT, which really should be breaking news! haha. The heated seat paired with the built-in inverter really makes the perfect cold weather office. I can run off the hybrid battery for about 30 minutes with only a few minutes out of the 30 calling for the gas engine to charge the high-voltage battery verses just sitting there and wasting gas the whole time. See the story below to see how it works for me in addition to just getting great miles per gallon when I'm paid by the mile.

I have worked out of many vehicles, in all kinds of weather, for over four decades. I am cheap when it comes to buying cars. To me they are appliances. It should be inexpensive to buy and efficient to operate. I like small vehicles to drive and park in tight spaces where giant vehicles can't fit. I need a truck for other business adventures, so I usually have a small car for the mileage and a small truck for occasional utility....

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/loca...as-a-mobile-office-ford-maverick/81612428007/

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[scottjl]

It's nice to see a practical, real world use review and why the Maverick works for you as opposed to one filled with stats and numbers and situations most of us will never experience. Thanks for sharing!

 

[22XLThybrid]

It's nice to see a practical, real world use review and why the Maverick works for you as opposed to one filled with stats and numbers and situations most of us will never experience. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for reading. Yeah I have been thinking about writing something for awhile. Extremely useful vehicle for my use.

 

[riparian]

Good article. I think local journalism is undervalued, and I appreciate your work that field.

 

[FredFein]

All good except that radio station choice ...

 

[22XLThybrid]

Good article. I think local journalism is undervalued, and I appreciate your work that field.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Ryom]

Hey neighbor, glad you found the Maverick for your needs. We need journalists in these times and I think you have a great taste in radio stations, though I prefer a curated playlist for myself.

 

[BradH]

Nice story! Good to hear how someone is using their Mav as a practical part of their work day. Curious, how do you support your laptop when you're using it, especially when you're typing? The main photo kind of appears like it might be balanced on your legs - do you use any kind of small laptop desk, steering wheel tray, or some such?

 

[matmondro]

Right on! I agree, nice to see a practical review.

As a meteorologist myself, I've always thought these trucks would make a cool little storm chasing rig.

 

[710-oil-614]

Nice story! Good to hear how someone is using their Mav as a practical part of their work day. Curious, how do you support your laptop when you're using it, especially when you're typing? The main photo kind of appears like it might be balanced on your legs - do you use any kind of small laptop desk, steering wheel tray, or some such?

I generally pop over to the passenger seat so I don’t have to deal with the steering wheel and I could put the seat back all the way without losing my driving position.

I put folding tray tables in my model 3 (think like an airplane) for the rear seats which would have been awesome if I could sit back there without ducking.

I would offer that the Maverick is only better than an ICE only engine in this application in that it will start the engine when battery voltage drops.

The smaller size of the 12v and the small HVB doesn’t offer significantly more capacity than a truck with a large 12v.

 

[22XLThybrid]

As long as the Maverick hybrid is "on" as I am using it parked, the 12 volt battery is charging off the high voltage battey, so it's irrelevant the side of the since the 12-volt is topping off all the time. On the ice you need to run the gas engine continuously or drain it. The size of the 12-volt on the hybrid doesn't matter in this application.. So if I am working for an hour with the heat seater off. The ICE engine comes on maybe once an hour for a few min to charge the HVB. That cycle continues indefinitely and uses almost no gas. I have seen the Maverick with as high as a 600 mile range from a tank and I can get that range in a couple min at the pump. My driving life is random and an EV never made sense to me with reduced range in super cold temps or needing to wait for a charge or a place to charge when I need to get somewhere and make a deadline, plus it would cast at least twice what a HEV Maverick costs and that isn't even in the budget for people who don't make a lot. I would however love to see how an average EV works like this and have nothing against them when the price point drops. I would imagine you could charge and work at the same time and take care of some of the wait to charge time. I'm skinny and working behind the wheel is just perfect for me with the wheel as a stand. I have worked in the passenger seat, as well, but interestingly it doesn't work as well without my steering wheel stand. Thanks for the input.

I generally pop over to the passenger seat so I don’t have to deal with the steering wheel and I could put the seat back all the way without losing my driving position.

I put folding tray tables in my model 3 (think like an airplane) for the rear seats which would have been awesome if I could sit back there without ducking.

I would offer that the Maverick is only better than an ICE only engine in this application in that it will start the engine when battery voltage drops.

The smaller size of the 12v and the small HVB doesn’t offer significantly more capacity than a truck with a large 12v.

 

[710-oil-614]

As long as the Maverick hybrid is "on" as I am using it parked, the 12 volt battery is charging off the high voltage battey, so it's irrelevant the side of the since the 12-volt is topping off all the time. On the ice you need to run the gas engine continuously or drain it. The size of the 12-volt on the hybrid doesn't matter in this application.. So if I am working for an hour with the heat seater off. The ICE engine comes on maybe once an hour for a few min to charge the HVB.

It is relevant because the combined capacity of your 12v and HVB is not significantly greater than that of a non-hybrid engine that has a larger 12v battery designed to handle starting a vehicle.

The beauty of the Maverick is that the ICE engine will kick on automatically vs needing to start an ice only vehicle, however you're not accessing additional battery capacity that otherwise wouldn't be available in a larger 12v.

As far as efficiency goes - modern vehicles don't burn much fuel at idle (as you've pointed out) so the additional time that an ICE only engine would run constantly (if you did not want to start and stop it) would be negligible over an hour park. And environmentally, a Subaru is PZEV and would actually be cleaner running the entire hour vs the time of the Mav's 2.5L running.

 

[XLTLUXRED]

We love our Maverick Hybrid XLT as well! Ours is Hot Pepper Red (Vermillion). What's yours?

 

[22XLThybrid]

It's probably a perfect for my size I'm about 5.8 145, but seat all the way back and back of laptop propped on steering wheel and front on legs. Always been good with a touch pad at any angle. It's mostly video and stills, some writing.

Nice story! Good to hear how someone is using their Mav as a practical part of their work day. Curious, how do you support your laptop when you're using it, especially when you're typing? The main photo kind of appears like it might be balanced on your legs - do you use any kind of small laptop desk, steering wheel tray, or some such?

 

[22XLThybrid]

Hey neighbor, glad you found the Maverick for your needs. We need journalists in these times and I think you have a great taste in radio stations, though I prefer a curated playlist for myself.

Thanks for your kind words. I mostly use a Google music generated play list, but the radio happened to be on that day

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