Hybrid braking tips to maximize MPG?

[dwinch53]

Brake sooner so you have to apply less pressure. If you break late, resulting in breaking hard you won't get 100%. If you have a distant red light and nobody directly behind you, coast to slow down gradually then brake when getting close to the light if necessary.

bighap if I may add that you are 100% right and also correct braking adds kinetic energy back to the battery which is a good thing

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[MakinDoForNow]

Have had the 2025 Lariat Hybrid for a week. Can anyone recommend how I should be braking to ensure maximum MPG? Sometimes the braking coach says 100% returned other times as low at 64%. Not sure what I should be doing

Do what you did when you got 100% all the time!

 

[Bob zimmerman]

Power Gauge.


2025 MY - INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OVERVIEW - HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (HEV)

Note: Depending on the setting you select, your cluster could look different than what you see here.

A Engine coolant temperature gauge. B Power gauge. C Compass or Navigation. D Speedometer. E Information on demand area. F Fuel gauge. G Distance to empty. H Transmission position indicator. I Outside air temperature. J Odometer.

Speaking of the power gauge. How do we know that the physical brakes are not being applied before the green bar on the gauge hits the bottom. Is there documentation on this or are we guessing this is the case?
Bob

 

[Scupking]

Slam on the brakes until ABS kicks in and slows you down!!!

 

[h1k3rb]

Sounds like some here are driving their hybrid like they're playing a video game, trying come up with the highest score.

 

[HeyBales]

Speaking of the power gauge. How do we know that the physical brakes are not being applied before the green bar on the gauge hits the bottom. Is there documentation on this or are we guessing this is the case?
Bob

Log files. I posted a link above to another thread with log files and snippets of info.
Shows brake pedal mm of push, no brake fluid pressure, recharge happening, speed slowing.

Not until down about 8 mph are they brought in - despite all signs appearing you are totally still in regen.

 

[HeyBales]

Sounds like some here are driving their hybrid like they're playing a video game, trying come up with the highest score.

Hoping all the staring at the screen gets enough extra points to get an extra life!
Which might be needed...

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Speaking of the power gauge. How do we know that the physical brakes are not being applied before the green bar on the gauge hits the bottom. Is there documentation on this or are we guessing this is the case?
Bob

Tested and proven by dozens (hundreds?) of owners.

I'm one.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Log files. I posted a link above to another thread with log files and snippets of info.
Shows brake pedal mm of push, no brake fluid pressure, recharge happening, speed slowing.

Not until down about 8 mph are they brought in - despite all signs appearing you are totally still in regen.

In the first model year; it was more like 3 MPH.

Then tons of people complained about abrupt, harsh "brake grab" right at 3 MPH.

At 3 MPH regen shuts off abruptly.
At 3 MPH brake pads pinched the rotors abruptly.

Getting the forces to match precisely in an instant proved to be difficult.

Via experimentation I learned a couple of things:

No brake grab if you braked in neutral (regen off).

No brake grab if you braked briskly enough to get the EV coach into the white, that is, exceed the regen ability while slowing, IE bring the pads into play BEFORE regen cuts off.

BLENDING braking is the key.

Having regen stop at the same instant pads press the rotors was not a winning operating strategy.

Soon there was a brake system "program update"' to smooth the hand off from regen to friction brake.

I said from the start that bringing on pads at higher than 3 mph would solve the grabbiness. But too soon and you waste some regen wattage.

I thought it was closer to 6 mph in mine, (after software update) with regen confirmed to continute to 3 mph. Some "overlap" is a good thing.

If you can document the overlap starts at 8mph, I believe you. Maybe there's two software versions out there, or maybe I'm wrong about mine being 6 mph.

 

[Timothyd]

Speaking of the power gauge. How do we know that the physical brakes are not being applied before the green bar on the gauge hits the bottom. Is there documentation on this or are we guessing this is the case?
Bob

The physical brakes are applied by you. The regenerative "braking" is the generator loading and power going to the HV battery. You'll see the results of your applying the brakes on that power meter.

 

[HeyBales]

The physical brakes are applied by you. The regenerative "braking" is the generator loading and power going to the HV battery. You'll see the results of your applying the brakes on that power meter.

I think his point is valid though - that dial gauge pegs out basically.
It could peg out due to max regen carefully applied, or Low mode.
It does peg out due to max regen while also into the pads.

In saying that - I guess I retract my comment that it's all regen - because when it's pegged out you really don't know.

Now the EV Coach on the other hand - that's very clear about it.
Well - not sure if the 25MY version is.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I think his point is valid though - that dial gauge pegs out basically.
It could peg out due to max regen carefully applied, or Low mode.
It does peg out due to max regen while also into the pads.

In saying that - I guess I retract my comment that it's all regen - because when it's pegged out you really don't know.

Now the EV Coach on the other hand - that's very clear about it.
Well - not sure if the 25MY version is.

If you get 96% then 4% was not captured and was hydraulic!

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I think his point is valid though - that dial gauge pegs out basically.
It could peg out due to max regen carefully applied, or Low mode.
It does peg out due to max regen while also into the pads.

In saying that - I guess I retract my comment that it's all regen - because when it's pegged out you really don't know.

Now the EV Coach on the other hand - that's very clear about it.
Well - not sure if the 25MY version is.

If you get 96% then 4% was not captured and was hydraulic!

 

[HeyBales]

In the first model year; it was more like 3 MPH.

Then tons of people complained about abrupt, harsh "brake grab" right at 3 MPH.

At 3 MPH regen shuts off abruptly.
At 3 MPH brake pads pinched the rotors abruptly.

Getting the forces to match precisely in an instant proved to be difficult.

Via experimentation I learned a couple of things:

No brake grab if you braked in neutral (regen off).

No brake grab if you braked briskly enough to get the EV coach into the white, that is, exceed the regen ability while slowing, IE bring the pads into play BEFORE regen cuts off.

BLENDING braking is the key.

Having regen stop at the same instant pads press the rotors was not a winning operating strategy.

Soon there was a brake system "program update"' to smooth the hand off from regen to friction brake.

I said from the start that bringing on pads at higher than 3 mph would solve the grabbiness. But too soon and you waste some regen wattage.

I thought it was closer to 6 mph in mine, (after software update) with regen confirmed to continute to 3 mph. Some "overlap" is a good thing.

If you can document the overlap starts at 8mph, I believe you. Maybe there's two software versions out there, or maybe I'm wrong about mine being 6 mph.

I wondered what they did back then. Never saw that commented on.

3.7 mph pressure to all 4 wheels match - probably has to do with how hard being pressed too - I'm a gentle stopper normally, but this was attempting max regen, but never going over.
11.8 mph pressure is starting to be applied. But not enough to be noticeable.
So somewhere between there is enough to matter.
About 2 mph in logs for regen to hit 0. Basically nothing before that.

Data snippet for the following final seconds before a stop. Normal mode.
Was going 40 mph with ICE on, starting coasting as foot went to brake and ICE went off.
Pressed brake enough to stay at higher end of regen but didn't need max braking, plenty of battery to fill. About 1.1 mm on brake.
At 11.8 mph brake pressure started being applied - still totally in regen area for my press.
Rear brake PSI higher than front, until about 3.7 mph and 1.6 seconds later, when they all merged. (curious why front right about 2x PSI as left until merge, straight road)
I've noticed this effect before, rear's given pressure just barely stronger than fronts.

Data attached. Graph pic. Red line showing amps going to battery (coast regen to increased brake pedal regen), with neg traction motor torque confirming regen.

 

[HeyBales]

If you get 96% then 4% was not captured and was hydraulic!

Good point - you know after the fact.
If you think you are max regen to the peg out - and receive 96% - then you were wrong.
But EV Coach would show it.

I'm curious if the 25MY EV Coach is as big for display or box range, despite being vertical.

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