How to get more MPG from hybrid Maverick?

[Tony_The_Wiseguy]

Since reverse is only using electric motor, drive to your destination in reverse. DUH....

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[MakinDoForNow]

Put something heavy in truck bed at top of hill take it out at bottom!

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Since reverse is only using electric motor, drive to your destination in reverse. DUH....

Or just brake the whole way=regeneration.

 

[Bushpilot]

It's all about speed, and rate of acceleration and deceleration. Keep them reasonable, and the tires inflated, and you are more than 90% there.

 

[DragonSpirit76]

The Maps app usually has an Eco mode friendly route you can take. So I tried it out, and drove as normal as I could. I think this was my best mpg I've done. There was traffic on the way home so that slowed me down. If I took the Eco Mode friendly route to work it wouldn't have taken as long. It probably be slightly better if I had remembered to switch to Eco Mode, but Normal mode is just as good.

 

[brnpttmn]

Since reverse is only using electric motor, drive to your destination in reverse. DUH....

Can confirm. Backing out of my garage and then backing back in to install the bed cover last night.

 

[flyjum]

Keep the tires on the higher side of the spec
Dont go over 65mph
Cold weather kills MPG as well

 

[Atisko]

hello, Maverick will be my first ever hybrid vehicle and also a first truck from Ford. I know some of the journalists mention the truck can get up to 50 mpg in hybrid trim. I'm curious how previous owners of hybrid can milk out such a higher mpg, ie. via driving dynamics behaviors, or this is mostly city driving. How about downhill speed. I own a manual transmission vehicle and it's kind of fun to breeze thru long downhill with the transmission in neutral.

Buy the Lowest rolling resistant tires you can, lightest front brake calipers& inflate your tires on the high side whenever about 40°

 

[DryHeat]

I hope you're double-clutching, or at least rev-matching, before you put the trans back into gear while still moving. Otherwise you will greatly reduce the life of the synchros in the transmission.

I bet he’s granny shifting not double clutching like you should.

My granny shifted her 1950 Ford for 40 years without double-clutching. The synchros were fine when she gave it to me in 1990.

I'm not sure this is a big thing to worry about, particularly with modern transmissions.

 

[DryHeat]

But don't be one of those pulse and glide jerkwads saving 2 cents in fuel and annoying everyone on the highway by not maintaining a constant speed.

Stop tailgating and you will never notice...

Ah, the Wars of Religion begin again... To the ramparts!!

Personally, I love driving the old 2-lane highways around here (with their 10-mile-long no-passing zones). And 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.

Pulse and glide works like this: let's say you're on a road where you want to go 60 km/h. Instead of driving along at a steady 60, you instead accelerate to 70 (that's the pulse), and then coast in neutral with the engine off down to 50 (that's the glide). That's it. Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat... Driving technique: exploring 'Pulse and Glide' - MetroMPG.com

https://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm

 

[Bobinmi]

Slow speeds are your friend

 

[brnpttmn]

One thing I've noticed in the first couple days driving my Maverick is that the real time MPG monitor actually shows higher MPG with "moderate" acceleration rather than "light" acceleration. That said, I'm not putting too much stock in the hybrid's performance and mileage characteristics right now since it's not seen the warm side of 20°F yet (currently -6°F), but I'm wondering if others have seen this as well.

 

[taralon]

Although I do not currently have a Maverick (awaiting an AWD hybrid version and doing research), my family does own 2 Ford Fusion Hybrids, a 2010, and a 2018.

I have driven the 2010 for 6+ plus years, and we've had the 2018 for 2+ now. 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.

One thing to keep in mind about the hybrid system is that when the motor is on, unless you demand a lot of power with the go pedal, the computer systems keep the engine RPM in a steady state, and attempt to keep a steady state load that places the engine in the most efficient state in regards to fuel use. Now this is not to say that you will get the best MPGs. Very light acceleration with the engine on will result in power being shunted to the battery to maintain load, too heavy a load will result in more power being demanded from the battery during acceleration to maintain steady state engine RPM resulting in a battery deficit that will eventually need to be made up. Both of these result in attendant losses in charging/discharging the HVB (High Voltage Battery). The best efficiency is had when as close to 100% of the power from the gas motor goes to acceleration as possible, and when as close to 100% as possible of charging of the HVB comes from deceleration. You'll never hit that though, because the system is programmed to maintain a certain minimum charge, and when that minimum is hit the system will normally (in my experience with the Fusions I have) charge the HVB up to 50% state using power from the gas motor.

Although it would seem that using battery only mode to accelerate to the speed limit would be a good idea to increase mileage, this only really works if you're in stop and go that is from one light to another light within a quarter to half mile. And only then, if you don't have a high heat/ac load and/or have enough AC/Battery power and enough heat in the coolant to cover the time that you will be stopped. Sitting at a light or stopped in traffic with the engine running will kill MPG faster than anything else. I find it is better to accelerate moderately from a stop with the gas motor on and then let off the throttle far enough to maintain speed with the electric only operation, and then to decelerate as slowly as feasible to put the maximum of power back into the battery.

The standard 'anticipate your start/stops' works with hybrids just as well as with any other car. If you can modulate your speed such that you hit the lights green without having to completely stop or even slow down, all the better. Same is true in stop and go, it is better to creep along at 5-10 miles per hour, vs surge to 20 stop surge to 20 stop.

Plan your routes. A route that is 10-15 percent longer, but has fewer lights, less traffic, is flatter, and/or has a lower speed limit will save gas.

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.

Try to limit short trips (less than 10 miles) in cold temperatures, or chain them together. It is best to have the longest 'car off' portion of the trip either very early (because it hasn't warmed up yet) or at the end (because it is warm and will carry that heat until you get done). If you have electric heated seats/steering wheel, use them instead of the HVAC heat until the engine is fully warm. Wear a thicker coat in the winter on short trips and avoid HVAC heat.

In the summer on short trips try to limit the amount of AC used (especially on really hot days). In the summer in our 2018 fusion, 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.

Don't sit with the car idling.

Use enough throttle to climb hills with the gas motor on with as close to 100% energy going to maintain speed. Use enough throttle on the descent to be in electric mode only and maintain speed. If possible plan your descent so you can use no braking at all.


Excluding pulse and glide (which is annoying to the driver and other cars) there really isn't much you can do on the highway/interstate to get better MPG outside of use the cruise control as much as possible, and keep your speed as low as you can.

 

[Proflig8tor]

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

 

[huunvubu]

hello, Maverick will be my first ever hybrid vehicle and also a first truck from Ford. I know some of the journalists mention the truck can get up to 50 mpg in hybrid trim. I'm curious how previous owners of hybrid can milk out such a higher mpg, ie. via driving dynamics behaviors, or this is mostly city driving. How about downhill speed. I own a manual transmission vehicle and it's kind of fun to breeze thru long downhill with the transmission in neutral.

Having had my Hybrid Maverick for 18 days this is what I have found to be helpful in getting better MPG while driving.

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.

In ECO Drive Mode a more powerful regenerative braking happens when you take your foot off the accelerator which allows for stopping quicker without stepping on the brakes. You probably will need to apply the brake pedal but don't do that aggressively and note the regenerative gauge and try to keep it in the Green Range. I have found doing this you get 100% regenerative braking power report every time when stopping.

When accelerating try to stay in the 0-15% range on the white power gauge. I try to stay at 10% or less but go higher when necessary like going up a hill. As soon as you are up to speed take your foot briefly off the accelerator then reapply the accelerator gently to maintain speed. Doing this usually puts the truck into electric only mode as power is only needed to maintain speed.

The climate control settings will affect MPG numbers when either the heat is needed (ICE Engine is running) or AC is needed (electric AC from HV battery).

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