3600+ Mile Cold Weather Trip (down to -20F) - No Issues

[jaransont3]

Over the last 2 weeks, Jill and I took our 2025 AWD Hybrid Lariat, BEKI, on a 3677 mile trip up to and around our cabin in Minnesota and also spent some time in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We had absolutely no issues on the trip and BEKI went over 30,000 miles on the way home...in just 13 months.

We averaged just a few ticks under 30 mpg for the trip with about 600 of the 3677 miles electric. We did use the remote start through the app often to let the truck warm up before leaving as the temps ranged from a low of -20F to a high of +25F over the two weeks. We also started the truck remotely often because we were traveling with our pup and wanted to keep her warm when we stopped for dinner or some other adventure that she couldn't participate in. With the colder temps and the significant amount of idling, I am really happy with the mileage even if it is 4 mpg lower than we have averaged over the life of the truck.

The OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tires performed well on often snow covered and icy roads, even with 30k miles on them. Even with that, I will still probably go with something a little bigger and more aggressive when it is time to replace them.

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[Cancunbadlands]

Beautiful pictures!

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Very beautiful.
Cold and quiet. So, quiet you can hear the snow falling. So cold when you walk the snow crunches under your feet.
The crackle of wood in the fireplace and hot chocolate
Thank you for posting.


Uh-oh What's that I spotted in the distance?

 

[Toymaster]

Yeah, majority highway miles will lower the MPG as well as cold weather. Haven't figured out exactly how the cold affects but it has got to be something with the using the heat from the ICE motor to keep the battery and electric warm. There is a heat exchanger in the exhaust pipe to keep the battery coolant loop warm, wondering if there is also another heater in that loop a well.

 

[HeyBales]

How cold affects?

If ICE starts for any reason - like needing a tad more power, or HVB reaches 30% SOC, or more heat wanted, then the following are met before it's allowed to turn off.

Catalytic converter temp to 1000 F.
Coolant temp 120 F minimum if HVAC not turned on.
If heat on, the temp differential spells out a new minimum (seen 135 often) to stay above, and maximum to reach (seen 153 often) before turn off.

That means the ICE would never turn off once it was brought on, if the right conditions.
Even when EV mode could have been used just fine.

When it was 5 F, I saw idling with no HVAC on able to reach 117F.
Actually even driving to highway down a hill (so idling the whole time), it seemed about 115F max reached, until I got on highway.
By the highway exit needed, finally allowed to go into EV mode even with heater on.
But by the end of the coast, and sitting at light with no ICE - when it kicked on for power, no more EV in spots I normally could get it.

So that's why the avg mileage can take such a nose dive.
This isn't including the slow temp increase on the HVB to take a good charge so it's not getting down to 30% so easily. That can increase the frequency of why the ICE is turned on more, and then staying on much longer.

No other heater in that HVB loop - and frankly the regen to it heats it up faster than the exhaust heat from my logs.
That downhill to the highway to work can have HVB at a decent temp from regen.
But if I take other route to work that is flat and uses the ICE even more - temp remains lower.

 

[Toymaster]

How cold affects?...............

Good info there. However, I travel 430 miles one-way to work each week with about 20 miles of that on electric and I still see lower MPG when below zero F than above 32F. Even in mild weather and low wind my ICE is on and in use 95% of the time. I suppose it could be the ICE on 100% instead of 95% of the time.

 

[Dad]

Over the last 2 weeks, Jill and I took our 2025 AWD Hybrid Lariat, BEKI, on a 3677 mile trip up to and around our cabin in Minnesota and also spent some time in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We had absolutely no issues on the trip and BEKI went over 30,000 miles on the way home...in just 13 months.

We averaged just a few ticks under 30 mpg for the trip with about 600 of the 3677 miles electric. We did use the remote start through the app often to let the truck warm up before leaving as the temps ranged from a low of -20F to a high of +25F over the two weeks. We also started the truck remotely often because we were traveling with our pup and wanted to keep her warm when we stopped for dinner or some other adventure that she couldn't participate in. With the colder temps and the significant amount of idling, I am really happy with the mileage even if it is 4 mpg lower than we have averaged over the life of the truck.

The OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tires performed well on often snow covered and icy roads, even with 30k miles on them. Even with that, I will still probably go with something a little bigger and more aggressive when it is time to replace them.

One of the features I love about the hybrid is that you can leave the engine running and since it's the electric motor, you're not using gas, nor producing carbon dioxide. Perfect for keeping Fido or people comfortable for a short time. Fantastic trip and glad to hear the Maverick performed so well. It's a great little truck.

 

[sprubs]

I've def noticed that really cold temperatures make a pretty big difference on my daily driving. 0F is way lower mpg compared to 30F.

 

[Darryl]

Good info there. However, I travel 430 miles one-way to work each week with about 20 miles of that on electric and I still see lower MPG when below zero F than above 32F. Even in mild weather and low wind my ICE is on and in use 95% of the time. I suppose it could be the ICE on 100% instead of 95% of the time.

Some people don't realize that Internal combustion engines themselves use more fuel at extreme cold temps. Cold air is more dense. So it takes more fuel to maintain the proper air/fuel ratio. My 2011 Ford focus got about 2 mpg less when the morning temp was in the low 20s and evening temps were in the low 40s than it did when the low temps were in the upper 40s and the afternoon temps were in the 70s I'm not sure. But I think the Atkinson cycle engine is more sensitive to cold than other IC engines. That's why mpg is lower evenat highway speeds when the IC engine runs all the time regardless of temps.

 

[grandpopa'sMPGs]

Very beautiful.
Cold and quiet. No bugs.
Just the crunching of snow under your feet. The crackle of wood in the fireplace and hot chocolate
Thank you for posting.


Uh-oh What's that I spotted in the distance?

Looks like an out of focus picture of my 6'6" 280 pound rippled muscles big brother

 

[boxster03]

may I rent your cabin ?

 

[VICKY]

Over the last 2 weeks, Jill and I took our 2025 AWD Hybrid Lariat, BEKI, on a 3677 mile trip up to and around our cabin in Minnesota and also spent some time in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We had absolutely no issues on the trip and BEKI went over 30,000 miles on the way home...in just 13 months.

We averaged just a few ticks under 30 mpg for the trip with about 600 of the 3677 miles electric. We did use the remote start through the app often to let the truck warm up before leaving as the temps ranged from a low of -20F to a high of +25F over the two weeks. We also started the truck remotely often because we were traveling with our pup and wanted to keep her warm when we stopped for dinner or some other adventure that she couldn't participate in. With the colder temps and the significant amount of idling, I am really happy with the mileage even if it is 4 mpg lower than we have averaged over the life of the truck.

The OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tires performed well on often snow covered and icy roads, even with 30k miles on them. Even with that, I will still probably go with something a little bigger and more aggressive when it is time to replace them.

Good for you guys, what a beautiful, tranquil cabin!!!

 

[Toymaster]

Did my usual weekly commute to my home last night. Usually can do from my work location to my door on one tank, temps were between 12-19F the whole way, patchy snow, litte to no wind. I used 1 & 3/4 tanks of fuel. Just sayin' cold affects these little Mavs. No issues other than MPG.

 

[Darryl]

Did my usual weekly commute to my home last night. Usually can do from my work location to my door on one tank, temps were between 12-19F the whole way, patchy snow, litte to no wind. I used 1 & 3/4 tanks of fuel. Just sayin' cold affects these little Mavs. No issues other than MPG.

Yes. It does. Truth be told. Extreme cold significantly affects the MPG in non hybrids as well, just not quite as much. Even in situations where the electric motor doesn't have much effect such as highway speeds temp has a significant effect due to the nature of the Atkinson cycle engine.

 

[ScottyC]

...The OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tires performed well on often snow covered and icy roads, even with 30k miles on them. Even with that, I will still probably go with something a little bigger and more aggressive when it is time to replace them.

Great write up - as for tires, seeing as I also have the Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT 225/55R19XL size on my 2025 hybrid Lariat, I have done a lot of studying on replacement tires when the time comes only because Goodyear tires tread design has the traction sipes 1/2 way through the tread blocks so when your tire is 50% worn, your wet weather traction diminishes. By going to a 235/55R19XL size, you open the possibilities of what is available. My personal favorites are BF Goodrich Trail-Terrain T/A or General Grabber Alti-MAX 365 AW. If you drop the XL designation and spec a SL design - it opens it up even wider, but your truck will handle differently. You may not even notice it right away but it will. The handling will be less crisp and more compliant...I don't really know why Ford spec'ed an XL on the 19" size but I assume with the shorter sidewall, it was mainly for rim protection. When I sold tires 35+ years ago, I went to Michelin in South Carolina for training - a lot of lessons just stuck with me over the years.

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