Best Fuel economy on a hybrid

[BearyArizona]

There are lots of good helpful tips from others here. I'm sure you'll get there once you learn to use a hybrid more.

A short summary:
- use eco or slippery mode (i prefer eco and get better mileage using it, I'm still trying to learn slippery mode properly to get me better mileage)
- longer trips tend to be better because the ICE warms up to operating temperature
- city trips tend to be better since you're traveling at lower speeds
- try to have a 'pulse and glide' driving style where you speed up to a bit over the limit, let off the gas, and glide along in electric as much as possible before pulsing again
- try not to glide with the power meter near the top of the electric power limit which uses the electric motor, it tends to be better when you glide close to the area between charge and drive
- look way ahead and do as much coasting as possible, let off the gas pedal early and glide towards red lights, etc.
- don't pulse towards your speed super slowly, its OK to give it a bit of gas to get there quicker (hard to say by how much)

This is exactly the way I've developed. Going to work I take the highway and that gets me ~38MPG, but on a trip home using this method going the same distance via surface roads my best-ever result was 60.1MPG with something like 2/3 to 3/4 electric mileage.

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[null98115]

The secret to long term fuel economy is to avoid short trips where the truck never fully warms up. The Maverick because the ICE operates so little, can take several miles to reach normal operating temperature. Until it does your gas mileage will be reduced. More noticeable in cold weather, not so much when it's hot.

Which is exactly why Ford needs to produce a PHEV version.

 

[null98115]

Geography also plays a huge role. Seattle, where I live, is built on seven hills. No vehicle with an internal combustion engine gets anywhere close to EPA/DOT estimates.

 

[tom_tucker]

We live in Utah with it's bitter cold winters getting down to like 10 degrees. Despite that, our maverick is averaging 41.8 mpg over the course of 9,000 miles. I can guarantee you that average will increase to the 42s or 43s this summer.

I will say, and others have reported this as well, the hybrid fuel economy seems to improve after the break-in period, at around 2-4k miles, a lot of us started to see noticable fuel economy gains. My tips are to drive as smoothly as possible, brake softer, maybe twenty or thirty feet sooner than you do in a gas only car. If the light in front of you is red, just take your foot off the case from a tenth of a mile away and coast to it rather than speeding right up to it. Apply the throttle gently. Just ease into everything while still driving in a safe manner. If there's a car stopped in front of you or something, of course brake as hard as you have to.

But just be gentle, be smooth. Owning a hybrid for the first time, I've almost made it a game to see how smoothly I can accelerate and come to a stop, and it's definitely made an improvement with our fuel economy.

You just said it though. It's the driver break-in period rather than the car.

Which is exactly why Ford needs to produce a PHEV version.

Build an entire power train around short winter trips? Not much of a use case to say it's a need. I get good mileage outside of winter on 1-2 mile trips. You're going to need more energy either way in Winter, PHEV included.

 

[2019StreetGlide]

In town+Hwy MPG average is 45.4. Here is a short trip in town: 90.7 MPG

 

[VICKY]

In my new maverick lariat hybrid at the 1000 mile mark with a mixture of city and highway driving I’m getting about 35mpg. I’ve had some folks report on YouTube and chat rooms crazy numbers like 45mpg etc. am I missing something? Does my driving generally suck or are there better ways to improve fuel economy?

My great milege only happens on vacations on the interstates?

 

[Tim d]

In my new maverick lariat hybrid at the 1000 mile mark with a mixture of city and highway driving I’m getting about 35mpg. I’ve had some folks report on YouTube and chat rooms crazy numbers like 45mpg etc. am I missing something? Does my driving generally suck or are there better ways to improve fuel economy?

In my new maverick lariat hybrid at the 1000 mile mark with a mixture of city and highway driving I’m getting about 35mpg. I’ve had some folks report on YouTube and chat rooms crazy numbers like 45mpg etc. am I missing something? Does my driving generally suck or are there better ways to improve fuel economy?

I can get that with mostly hwy driving on my ecoboost.something doesn't seem right....

 

[Phil Ricotta]

There are lots of good helpful tips from others here. I'm sure you'll get there once you learn to use a hybrid more.

A short summary:
- use eco or slippery mode (i prefer eco and get better mileage using it, I'm still trying to learn slippery mode properly to get me better mileage)
- longer trips tend to be better because the ICE warms up to operating temperature
- city trips tend to be better since you're traveling at lower speeds
- try to have a 'pulse and glide' driving style where you speed up to a bit over the limit, let off the gas, and glide along in electric as much as possible before pulsing again
- try not to glide with the power meter near the top of the electric power limit which uses the electric motor, it tends to be better when you glide close to the area between charge and drive
- look way ahead and do as much coasting as possible, let off the gas pedal early and glide towards red lights, etc.
- don't pulse towards your speed super slowly, its OK to give it a bit of gas to get there quicker (hard to say by how much)

Good advice.....We are on the same page. This works well and is easy to do.

 

[Vmontello]

I probably do 80% local 20% highway. Currently at 49.6 mpg on the dash. Although the "at the pump" numbers aren't nearly as good. Last fill up the at the pump 49 mpg became 44. But still better than advertised.

 

[jorl]

y'all need to get a

My Mav Mode Ford Maverick Drive Mode Selector Module Hybrid Ecoboost
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from ebay---NO MORE SWITCHING drive modes and you can choose your default

 

[randysc]

I have 1900 miles on mine and do mostly in town taking son too school and back and a few 25 mile Interstate trips. So far have averaged about 45 total. I get a little less when I fill up than the computer says I got. It will say ave 46.7 and actually get about 45

 

[MLA62563]

Geography also plays a huge role. Seattle, where I live, is built on seven hills. No vehicle with an internal combustion engine gets anywhere close to EPA/DOT estimates.

Exactly right. It never ceases to amaze me how many people here seem to think that hilly terrain improves their hybrid's gas mileage. No, it does not. Simple physics tells us that you always expend more energy going uphill than you can possibly recover on the way down.

 

[Oscarcat]

My commute to work is around 42 miles round trip on a 75mph freeway and my average fuel economy is 36.1 mpg. When I drive in town I can get over 50 mpg while driving but the highway I take every day really skews the average. I will say though the window sticker for my hybrid said the combined mileage was 37mpg so you are hovering around that. Maybe the reviewers just baby their trucks and only drive them around town.

Me: 2024 hybrid 1,900 miles new - I am in SoCal but our temperatures are probably similar. I noticed my trip odo mpg increased as the weather warmed up a bit. Also mpg increased when I added in freeway driving. On the present tank of gas my mpg stands at 43.8 mpg. It hit 44 mpg a time or two. I drive in regular mode as I forget to tap the eco button. I noticed 91 octane makes the engine a tiny bit less of a grumble but doesn't seem to affect mileage. I love going 550 miles on a tank of gas.

 

[jsalewicz]

I get 600 to a tank and I drive 45 min to work speed ranges from 60 to 20 mph and I depending on wind and cold temps I average about 50 mpg on my commute. I am at 8000 miles and my average for the 8000 miles is 46.5 mpg

 

[Frank McGervey]

Yes I am only eco mode, running average 40mph
Too bad Ford screwed up and doesn’t just have it in that mode . Give us the the option to switch it to other modes and five buttons to get there. What a shame.

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