EV Coach question

[DanaL]

I use the Fuel Economy screen.
It tells me when I am in Electric or Hybrid mode, and I have the power meter to tell me when I am charging.
It seems that the only difference on the EV Coach screen is that it tells me how much battery I have.
While that could be interesting, I have no control over that, so I don't see how that helps.
When I am driving and it won't go into electric mode no matter what I do, I assume the battery is too low.
I like the Fuel Economy screen and am doing well on gas mileage (average 42 real world), but wondering if there is something on the EV Coach screen that I'm missing that would help me do better.

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[J..R..]

I have not received mine yet, so while I have nothing to offer by way of answer, I am interested in whatever answers you get!

Good question!

 

[Traegorn]

EV coach also tells you when you're using regen or the brake pads to brake.

 

[Funpilot]

The behavior it is trying to create is to not stop hard/quickly as that does not efficiently capture energy. I mastered that in my first Prius and got over 60 MPG in the first model year. Have not refilled my tank on my new Maverick so it will be a while before I can see how to get really good MPG in the Maverick.

 

[mrbee]

I use the EV Coach frequently. Most importantly, it tells you how much engine vs electric you are using. For example, if you lift off the accelerator on flat or downhill in the 30-55 MPG range, you can often switch to pure electric just to keep you going. Driving gently is not a behavior I had before buying my 2025 Lariat, but now it is a bit like gaming the truck to get the best mileage. EV Coach also shows you when you are regen mode. When in hybrid mode, the horizontal bars tell you how much the engine is working (wider = more fuel), so you can attempt to make the horizontal bar narrower and use less gas.


When I am diligent, I can usually get 44-50MPG. However, when I drive on the highway at 80MPH, fuel consumption goes up and I usually get 33-34.5 MPG.

 

[DanaL]

I use the EV Coach frequently. Most importantly, it tells you how much engine vs electric you are using. For example, if you lift off the accelerator on flat or downhill in the 30-55 MPG range, you can often switch to pure electric just to keep you going. Driving gently is not a behavior I had before buying my 2025 Lariat, but now it is a bit like gaming the truck to get the best mileage. EV Coach also shows you when you are regen mode. When in hybrid mode, the horizontal bars tell you how much the engine is working (wider = more fuel), so you can attempt to make the horizontal bar narrower and use less gas.


When I am diligent, I can usually get 44-50MPG. However, when I drive on the highway at 80MPH, fuel consumption goes up and I usually get 33-34.5 MPG.

I guess it comes down to preference. No matter what I watch in videos and by your description, I don't see that the EV Coach is giving me anything more useful to me.
It does break down the regen vs braking charging, but why do I care? Charging is charging (unless I'm wrong about that).
It does show how much battery is left, but there is nothing I can do with that except coast very slowly or hit the gas and let it not use the battery for a little.
The Fuel Economy screen gives me a summary of the EV Coach data, which works well for me and helps me look more at the road than the dash.
I drive and brake very gently.
I try to stay in electric as much as I can. When I hit inclines I gas it a bit because I feel it will use a lot more battery straining to get up.
I keep it at the limit (or a couple above) on the highway. I actually get better mileage on the highway. A lot of my street trips are a little over a mile to the grocery store. It's not happy with those.
I have one run back from Lowe's/Walmart that consistently gives me around or over 100. (I wish I could that going there too. )

I greatly appreciate your explanation. It pretty much confirms what I thought. I was/am trying to make sure I'm not missing anything.

This truck is fabulous. It inspires me to drive better. I hope you are enjoying yours as much as I am mine.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Waterick]

.... , I don't see that the EV Coach is giving me anything more useful to me.
It does break down the regen vs braking charging, but why do I care? Charging is charging (unless I'm wrong about that).
It does show how much battery is left, but there is nothing I can do with that except coast very slowly or hit the gas and let it not use the battery for a little. .......

You may care, because just a slight change in your driving style can yield dividends in fuel mileage and brake maintenance. Just letting off the gas a second earlier coming to a stop sign might keep you out of the gray bar on the brake coach part of this system reducing brake wear long term and returning or reserving electrical power for future use there by increaing your MPG. I love the Maverick, because to a great degree, you get to choose the MPG you end up with. I currently, at 9786 miles on my hybrid have an AFE corrected lifetime average of 47.6 MPG.

Edit: FYI, when your correct your AFE bias, the lifetime MPG is also updated. It's only lifetime if you have never reset it, so I am told up to (I think) 10,000 miles.

 

[DanaL]

You may care, because just a slight change in your driving style can yield dividends in fuel mileage and brake maintenance. Just letting off the gas a second earlier coming to a stop sign might keep you out of the gray bar on the brake coach part of this system reducing brake wear long term and returning or reserving electrical power for future use there by increaing your MPG. I love the Maverick, because to a great degree, you get to choose the MPG you end up with. I currently, at 9786 miles on my hybrid have an AFE corrected lifetime average of 47.6 MPG.

Wow! Good for you! I have real 42. The truck says 43.5. I'm happy with both, but again, wow for you!
As I said in my reply to MrBee, it seems like just a preference between the two screens. I have not yet seen any videos or any posts here that tell me that the EV Coach is giving me anything more useful than the Fuel Economy screen. I don't see where the extra details in the EV Coach are anything that matters to me. I can see when I'm charging on the power meter and when I'm in electric on the on the screen. A lot of my trips are about a mile back and forth the grocery store. That's a mileage killer. I drive gently and do let off early. (I'm just leery of upsetting people behind me.) If you have any specifics on how the details on the EV Coach screen will help me in ways that the Fuel Economy screen can't, please elaborate. I'd love to see your number....

 

[Waterick]

Wow! Good for you! I have real 42. The truck says 43.5. I'm happy with both, but again, wow for you!
As I said in my reply to MrBee, it seems like just a preference between the two screens. I have not yet seen any videos or any posts here that tell me that the EV Coach is giving me anything more useful than the Fuel Economy screen. I don't see where the extra details in the EV Coach are anything that matters to me. I can see when I'm charging on the power meter and when I'm in electric on the on the screen. A lot of my trips are about a mile back and forth the grocery store. That's a mileage killer. I drive gently and do let off early. (I'm just leery of upsetting people behind me.) If you have any specifics on how the details on the EV Coach screen will help me in ways that the Fuel Economy screen can't, please elaborate. I'd love to see your number....

The fuel economy screen will not tell you when your about to engage the ICE; if for example your going up a hill on a road you know has a long down hill coming, make an effort to avoid the ICE engaging if you can before the crest (stay with flow of traffic) if you know you're going to need the ICE, use enough throttle so you can let off by the crest to maximize your Regen braking. That blue bar will shrink as the available battery power diminishes. It allows you to anticipate your need for the ICE. Likewise, if traffic and time allows, sometimes just a lighter foot on the accelerator slows the blue bar shrinking enough to crest the hill. I've been driving Prius' for over ten years and they have no EV/brake coach (they do have their own system), I think it's really made a difference for me. YMMV.

 

[DanaL]

The fuel economy screen will not tell you when your about to engage the ICE; if for example your going up a hill on a road you know has a long down hill coming, make an effort to avoid the ICE engaging if you can before the crest (stay with flow of traffic) if you know you're going to need the ICE, use enough throttle so you can let off by the crest to maximize your Regen braking. That blue bar will shrink as the available battery power diminishes. It allows you to anticipate your need for the ICE. Likewise, if traffic and time allows, sometimes just a lighter foot on the accelerator slows the blue bar shrinking enough to crest the hill. I've been driving Prius' for over ten years and they have no EV/brake coach (they do have their own system), I think it's really made a difference for me. YMMV.

Interesting. I keep the power meter below one, and while I've got battery that seems to work. I will punch it into ICE on grades feeling it will conserve the battery, and it will usually pop right back into electric when I drop off the gas. I can see where having the exact detail of the battery could help there. My fear in that is it will give me more reasons to look at the dash. I don't want to get involved in a slightly long stare that could cause an accident. I can be distracted and try hard to minimize it. But you explanation is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.

 

[Traegorn]

It does break down the regen vs braking charging, but why do I care?

Braking on regen reduces wear on your pads, and charges the high voltage battery faster than the engine running does.

 

[DanaL]

Braking on regen reduces wear on your pads, and charges the high voltage battery faster than the engine running does.

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[DanaL]

Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Driving with the EV Coach is oddly helpful and one part annoying.
The annoying part is that I get to a point where the electric box is very small and it switches directly from charging to hybrid. It does that a few times, then it jumps to electric with a huge charge. I would think it would switch as long as it has a little charge, but it seems like it doesn't.
Having said that, I feel like I'm driving the same as I was without it, but my mileage has been better, so it's changed me somehow.
I had one trip home from Lowes where I've gotten as high as 111mpg. I've done well on others, but that was the best. With EV Coach, I got 127.
I took a trip today somewhere else and got 60mpg both ways. I don't think I've ever seen 60 except on a very short drive.
I can't say why it's working, but it seems to be.

 

[HeyBales]

Just as a coach is looking at slight improvements for who they are training - I view this the same way. It's not about constant info to change what you are doing, but just enough at the right time to help improve.

It trains you on common driving routes.
You'll learn what inclines are better to just hit the power and use the ICE and then coast over the top and get the EV mode for awhile after.
Compared to say the annoyance of sucking the battery down to 30%, then it has to run as you crest the hill until back to 40% - wasting EV opportunity.
Sounds like you got that one already down.

The other annoying one - is ending at a common red light and ICE has to keep running to get over 40% - because your timing of HVB draining and regen and real brakes ect made it happen.
I have one decently long slight decline where if I have ICE engaged over a bit at the top, I'll have enough HVB to make it to the next red light. But I can also eek over that bit at the top in EV mode, and for sure will hit that red light and ICE will turn on just before I start to brake, and remain running.

It coaches you how to avoid those common issues along your route.
Then you just start getting a feel as you do new areas how to tweak your driving.

And then as winter approaches - the fine lines get smaller for avoiding ICE running and getting EV mode in the cooler temps.

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