How to get more MPG from hybrid Maverick?

[brnpttmn]

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The Hybrid Mavericks defaults to Normal Drive mode on every start-up so be sure to put the Drive Mode into ECO. A leaf will show in the screen between the gauges

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I've been playing with ECO + "L" around the neighborhood. Pretty much one pedal driving. Haven't been able to tell yet if it's more|less efficient than ECO alone.

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[clavicus]

Great advice on this thread. In addition to monitoring your tire pressure and maintaining a higher pressure (within reason) and long stops to regen as much power as possible the best you can do is look for ways to reduce drag. Driving slower is one way to reduce drag. Another is to install a tonneau cover to keep air out of that air scoop of a bed.

Semi educated guesses on the effect of various methods:

• Tire air pressure: (upper limit opposed to lower) 3% to 6% (what we've seen in our Tesla)
• Going slower: 55 v 65 = 15% // 65 v 75 = 17% // 55 v 75 = 34% better economy (Consumer Reports test)
• Anticipate your stopping points and maximize long stops on regen ... (we only use the friction brakes for emergencies in our Tesla)
• Tonneau Cover: Manufacturers say 7%. On a lifted truck with big tires the effect would be minimal. However, on an otherwise efficient truck, I think our bed is most of the difference between the Escape's 4 MPG advantage on the highway. That's easily 7%.
• .... and yes, avoid short cold trips like the plaugue

IMO tonneau cover mpg boosting claims are poopity doopity. There are claims both directions — that a lack of cover is better due to a larger bubble of rolling turbulent air in the bed cavity that “new” air slides over more than if you had a cover. There are no exhaustive scientific tests to prove one way or the other for a variety of variables so far that I’ve seen. So don’t get a cover for that reason, but get it for all the other great reasons!

 

[mav_can]

IMO tonneau cover mpg boosting claims are poopity doopity. There are claims both directions — that a lack of cover is better due to a larger bubble of rolling turbulent air in the bed cavity that “new” air slides over more than if you had a cover. There are no exhaustive scientific tests to prove one way or the other for a variety of variables so far that I’ve seen. So don’t get a cover for that reason, but get it for all the other great reasons!

Yes aerodynamics are super counter intuitive in this way, and you really need to wait for hard evidence to understand. Similar to how you may think that leaving the tailgate down would increase MPG but it actually it makes it much worse. Leaving the tailgate straight up is more efficient.

 

[fbov]

It probably be slightly better if I had remembered to switch to Eco Mode, but Normal mode is just as good.

I find no difference in mileage between NORMAL and ECO modes in the Escape Hybrid. ECO mode is mainly a doubling of maximum regen braking, with a corresponding change in throttle calibration.

it's even better when I fall in behind someone who slows down by 10-15 miles an hour, then speeds up again, over and over.

That's how you would pulse-n-glide your Jeep. I have an issue with driving in N with engine off. No power brakes and no power steering leaves the driver somewhat powerless....

Excluding pulse and glide (which is annoying to the driver and other cars)

The only drivers annoyed enough to pass me, do so near intersections. I don't rabbit fast enough for them. Properly done, hybrid pulse-n-glide is only noticeable to tailgaters, leadfoots and rabbits. Normal folks will never know you're using half the fuel they are.

 

[DryHeat]

Properly done, hybrid pulse-n-glide is only noticeable to tailgaters, leadfoots and rabbits.

The link in my last post (and other sites) say "pulse and glide" involves varying one's speed up and down over roughly a 20 kph (12.5 mph) range. That's consistent with what I have observed on the road.

Is that not how it's "properly done"? Do you do it significantly differently? How?

Anyway, I'm not a "tailgater, leadfoot, or rabbit" -- quite the opposite. But I do notice when the car ahead of me repeatedly speeds up and slows down by 20 kph -- particularly in traffic or in a no-passing zone.

 

[fbov]

The link in my last post (and other sites) say "pulse and glide" involves varying one's speed up and down over roughly a 20 kph (12.5 mph) range. That's consistent with what I have observed on the road.

Is that not how it's "properly done"? Do you do it significantly differently? How?

As I said, that's how you hypermile your Jeep.
- speed up to ~10 over the limit,
- shift to N,
- turn off the engine, and glide until you're ~10 under the limit,
- turn on the engine and repeat.

A hybrid does this automatically, and it uses a power buffer. When driving a hybrid, you're really just moving energy around. (Data values for the HF45 in the Escape)

It trades the questionably practice of driving in N with the engine off, for the perfectly safe practice of driving in EV with the car on. That "BATTERY" box gives me a lot of flexibility and safety that your Jeep is missing.

"Pulse" is using gasoline. You want as much energy from the burn as possible, so the ICE is loaded with acceleration, ideally while climbing a hill and generating electricity. "Glide" accesses these reservoirs to maintain speed.
- TERRAIN is as simple as "ICE uphill, EV down"
- EV glides last longer if you can sacrifice a little speed, tap both BATTERY and MOTION.
- Try to keep the HVB charging whenever the ICE is on.

You'll note that the "glide" side of hybrid operation is powered, so speed loss is up to you. I find terrain changes my speed a lot more than p-n-g on flat land. There's where you'll see your +/- 20 mph.

 

[Chief83]

Biggest tips... 1) Very, VERY light acceleration to maximize full electric propulsion; 2) I'd say while stop and go driving is leave much more space in front of you, start decelerating early and capture as much energy by letting the truck slow itself down. Think of coasting to a stop or feathering the brakes instead of slamming them; 3)Pulse and glide... get up to speed (or just past) fast while having to use the internal combusiton engine (ICE) and maintain speed by using minimal accelerator action and/or coasting.

*Previous owner of a 2017 Ford C-Max Plugin Hybrid & 2012 Mitsubishi I-MiEV (fully electric) and currently sharing my wife's Chrysler Pacifica Plugin Hybrid until the Hybrid Mav comes in

 

[DryHeat]

"Pulse" is using gasoline. You want as much energy from the burn as possible, so the ICE is loaded with acceleration, ideally while climbing a hill and generating electricity. "Glide" accesses these reservoirs to maintain speed.
- TERRAIN is as simple as "ICE uphill, EV down"
- EV glides last longer if you can sacrifice a little speed, tap both BATTERY and MOTION.
- Try to keep the HVB charging whenever the ICE is on.

You'll note that the "glide" side of hybrid operation is powered, so speed loss is up to you. I find terrain changes my speed a lot more than p-n-g on flat land. There's where you'll see your +/- 20 mph.

So... I think you are saying that what you call pulse-and-glide doesn't involve speeding up and slowing down to increase fuel economy. Is that right? (I ask because every explanation I've read says doing so is the essence of pulse-and-glide. Google it if you like.)

If so, congratulations. You are not in the irritating group of people I was talking about. Which, as described in my post, was people who pulse-and-glide by repeatedly speeding up and slowing down over about a 20 kph range.

On the other hand, if you really are repeatedly speeding up and slowing down like I described, then the fact that you are doing it in a hybrid really doesn't make much difference to those behind you, does it?

 

[garnermike]

I can only repeat what others have said here. Based on my experience with 2 hybrids (a Honda Insight and Hyundai Ioniq), MPG is maximized by keeping to speed limits and treating the throttle like there's a robin's egg between your shoe and the gas pedal. Acceleration is never your wallet's friend. But re: speed, on interstates that have a 70mph speed limit, just don't do it. Stick to the right and stay under 70mph. Makes a big difference. My 2018 Ioniq is rated at 57 city/59hwy. Yet, going easy on the gas pedal on long trips on major highways, we get 67-70mpg. Love my Ioniq!

 

[abjbrtd]

I find no difference in mileage between NORMAL and ECO modes in the Escape Hybrid. ECO mode is mainly a doubling of maximum regen braking, with a corresponding change in throttle calibration.

That's how you would pulse-n-glide your Jeep. I have an issue with driving in N with engine off. No power brakes and no power steering leaves the driver somewhat powerless....

The only drivers annoyed enough to pass me, do so near intersections. I don't rabbit fast enough for them. Properly done, hybrid pulse-n-glide is only noticeable to tailgaters, leadfoots and rabbits. Normal folks will never know you're using half the fuel they are.

What group would you put this woman in?
Almost a decade ago in our CMax we had a 50+ 1 way commute.
We passed a woman with a paperback on her stearing wheel.
thought to self, "self must be time for a little pulsing and gliding.
We still chuckle about her struggling trying to read and glide, she didn't do much better reading and pulsing

 

[Billy]

How accurate is the Maverick Speedo compared to GPS?

 

[teamster02]

Here are some observations that I have made in that time of trying to maximize economy, in city driving. This are from driving experience insights as well as from researching how the hybrid system works.
.......charge the HVB up to 50% state using power from the gas motor.

Be aware of the SoC (state of charge) of your battery. If the HVB is showing >60% of charge (because of a really long light, or it had to idle to bring the engine temp up), and the speed limit is 25-35 mph this is the exception to keep acceleration to battery only.
......if a ~2 mile trip is started with a high SoC on the HVB (80+%) can be completed completely on the battery without any gas use if you don't use the AC. Using the AC on the same trip in a heat baked car might result in a trip MPG of 15-20 mpg.

I have yet to see a way to tell the battery level, or state of charge on my XLT. Anybody know how to see this information?

 

[clavicus]

I have yet to see a way to tell the battery level, or state of charge on my XLT. Anybody know how to see this information?

I feel like I've played around with every menu there is, I don't think there's any indicator.

I had a thought just now that maybe the location of the "EV Coach" blue bar for electric and grey bar for hybrid driving mean something... but probably not. I just wonder why are those bars so specifically small and located where they are, along the length of the EV Coach total background-bar? The min-max size of these bars seem dynamic depending on some condition but I don't know what those variable are. Not my truck I ripped these pics from a video.

 

[g1zstar]

I feel like I've played around with every menu there is, I don't think there's any indicator.

I had a thought just now that maybe the location of the "EV Coach" blue bar for electric and grey bar for hybrid driving mean something... but probably not. I just wonder why are those bars so specifically small and located where they are, along the length of the EV Coach total background-bar? The min-max size of these bars seem dynamic depending on some condition but I don't know what those variable are. Not my truck I ripped these pics from a video.

IIRC the length and how much of the length you fill is your gas pedal. more pedal = more filling the bar.
fill past the bar youre no longer in electric only range. shorter bar just means due to uphill or speed or battery current charge or any other factor you can only get so much power before ice needs to help

 

[mamboman777]

I feel like I've played around with every menu there is, I don't think there's any indicator.

I had a thought just now that maybe the location of the "EV Coach" blue bar for electric and grey bar for hybrid driving mean something... but probably not. I just wonder why are those bars so specifically small and located where they are, along the length of the EV Coach total background-bar? The min-max size of these bars seem dynamic depending on some condition but I don't know what those variable are. Not my truck I ripped these pics from a video.

Speculation here: blue electric is electric only mode. White hybrid mode is when ICE is running. Green charge mode is when regenerative braking or coasting is happening. I think the coach moves from left to right, left being energy gained neutral in the middle and maximum energy spent on the right. How that relates to gas pedal or MPG is anyone's guess and probably could only be answered by a Ford engineer

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