Hybrid Eco vs Normal vs Slippery modes - short distance

[tom_tucker]

Hey Eco mode people. Please update us down to road on how long your HVB lasts running in Eco mode all the time.

It will be Normal mode for me. If cruise control is on (highway) or there is extra heavy traffic, I may try Eco.

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[xplorguy]

For a year now I thought I was driving in eco mode since I selected that mode in the beginning. I was thrilled with my 42.3 overall mpg! Thanks to this great group I recently learned I was mistaken and need to select eco every time I start my truck (what a pain). I was sure selecting eco mode wouldn’t make any difference so I decided to test my theory.

I drive 6 miles every day to walk at a park so I drove in normal one day and eco another day. Yes, temps were different but I don’t think that would make a big difference. Same speeds and here are what I consider amazing results. I plan on driving in eco mode from now on, if I can remember to set it🫤 Maybe the difference is only this great in town so I plan on testing it out for my 454 mile trip in a couple weeks.

Does using ECO make your Mav feel more sluggish vs driving in Normal?

 

[GreenLady]

Does using ECO make your Mav feel more sluggish vs driving in Normal?

Apparently I haven’t used it on a road trip yet because I didn’t switch out of normal and yes it did seem a little constrained when I would take my foot off the gas but that’s due to regen. If you look at my total miles and my miles to empty in the two pictures you can see how the regen does. My CMax hybrid would actually show the regen miles.

 

[grumpyunk]

For a year now I thought I was driving in eco mode since I selected that mode in the beginning. I was thrilled with my 42.3 overall mpg! Thanks to this great group I recently learned I was mistaken and need to select eco every time I start my truck (what a pain). I was sure selecting eco mode wouldn’t make any difference so I decided to test my theory.

I drive 6 miles every day to walk at a park so I drove in normal one day and eco another day. Yes, temps were different but I don’t think that would make a big difference. Same speeds and here are what I consider amazing results. I plan on driving in eco mode from now on, if I can remember to set it🫤 Maybe the difference is only this great in town so I plan on testing it out for my 454 mile trip in a couple weeks.

Given the short distance, the elapsed time indicated is significant as is the amount of 'electric' distance.
I would suggest doing a longer trip, or at least getting your time closer before determining that eco makes a large difference.
tom

 

[jsus]

I didn’t realize the difference since I just remember folks complaining about the cubby space and it should have been a bigger screen.

The infotainment screen in all Mavericks is 8" diagonally. Lariat Luxury Package just upgrades the hardware/software behind the scenes with Sync 3 (and nav for 2023).

The instrument clusters vary. The standard option has a smaller screen between the gauges where your trip meters are displayed, and does not show This Trip while you are driving. It only shows a summary when the vehicle is shut off. It does get Trip 1 and Trip 2 but those do not display EV miles to compare against total miles. Lariat and FX4 get the bigger screen you have.

 

[TyPope]

Hey Eco mode people. Please update us down to road on how long your HVB lasts running in Eco mode all the time.

It will be Normal mode for me. If cruise control is on (highway) or there is extra heavy traffic, I may try Eco.

It'll last about the same as those not keeping it in Eco mode all the time because the battery gets charged either through regen or through the engine providing the power or a combination of both. Really, Eco mode just remaps the throttle so it isn't quite as touchy (still get full power if you floor it though). In addition, Eco mode enables a more aggressive regen mode.

Since the battery will be charged/discharged at about the same rate regardless of mode, staying in standard mode just gives you a snappier throttle response and less aggressive regen.

The real question is: How much longer will your brakes last when you use eco mode all the time? Because, you'll use your brakes a lot less when in Eco mode than standard mode. The HVB doesn't care either way.

 

[Eagle11]

I didn’t realize the difference since I just remember folks complaining about the cubby space and it should have been a bigger screen.

Since I see you have a hybrid CMax please correct me if I’m wrong in thinking I put it in eco mode the first time and didn’t have to change it every time. Mine was a 2013 which was 3 vehicles ago and 10 memory years!

You need to place it in Eco Mode everytime you start your Maverick

 

[TomD]

For a year now I thought I was driving in eco mode since I selected that mode in the beginning. I was thrilled with my 42.3 overall mpg! Thanks to this great group I recently learned I was mistaken and need to select eco every time I start my truck (what a pain). I was sure selecting eco mode wouldn’t make any difference so I decided to test my theory.

I drive 6 miles every day to walk at a park so I drove in normal one day and eco another day. Yes, temps were different but I don’t think that would make a big difference. Same speeds and here are what I consider amazing results. I plan on driving in eco mode from now on, if I can remember to set it🫤 Maybe the difference is only this great in town so I plan on testing it out for my 454 mile trip in a couple weeks.

I to try to drive in eco mode all of the time. I was planning on asking this group if there was a way to have my Maverick stay in eco mode and let me select what I want from there. Apparently FOMOCO monitors this site, if us hybrid owners all join together and sing kumbia (?) they will see that this is something the masses want. When my wife drives the truck I know she’s not using eco mode. She just isn’t thinking about it.

 

[A Sturdy Beast]

Hey Eco mode people. Please update us down to road on how long your HVB lasts running in Eco mode all the time.

It will be Normal mode for me. If cruise control is on (highway) or there is extra heavy traffic, I may try Eco.

I’ve wondered the same thing. That would be the only reason for Ford to discourage constant eco mode. But with the 8 year 100,000 mile hybrid components warranty, I plan to stay in eco mode when mine arrives two months from now.

 

[TheQuixotic1]

Since I see you have a hybrid CMax please correct me if I’m wrong in thinking I put it in eco mode the first time and didn’t have to change it every time. Mine was a 2013 which was 3 vehicles ago and 10 memory years!

I'm currently driving my 2013 hybrid C-Max I ordered new and took delivery of in September of 2012 (almost 150k miles). You are correct, ECO mode on the C-Max was a set-and-forget option; if you selected it once then it permanently stayed on and would show "ECO" vertically on the left side of the left instrument cluster screen until you turned it off. Although I am guessing this was different in the C-Max because that was the only selectable "driving mode" outside of normal and there were no other options like slippery, tow/haul, etc.

The real question is: How much longer will your brakes last when you use eco mode all the time? Because, you'll use your brakes a lot less when in Eco mode than standard mode. The HVB doesn't care either way.

My 2013 C-Max finally had its factory brake pads replaced at 142k miles. This was without any hypermiling tactics, but also a considerable amount of highway miles.

Hey Eco mode people. Please update us down to road on how long your HVB lasts running in Eco mode all the time.

It will be Normal mode for me. If cruise control is on (highway) or there is extra heavy traffic, I may try Eco.

I would imagine Ford hybrid battery tech has moved forward since my 2013 C-Max, but it still has its HVB running just fine and probably in the ballpark of 75% capacity. In optimal conditions it can go for over a mile and a half in all electric mode; was closer to 3 miles when new.

I’ve wondered the same thing. That would be the only reason for Ford to discourage constant eco mode. But with the 8 year 100,000 mile hybrid components warranty, I plan to stay in eco mode when mine arrives two months from now.

So long as you don't need the extra performance for any reason, permanent eco mode is the way to go.

 

[pigsareus]

I haven't used ECO mode much but have started to try it and have noticed that when I let off the gas the brakes grab a bit more. But as many has said....it's remembering to push the button each time that will be the biggest change in driving.

One would have thought that with a hybrid, having a "permanent" eco mode would be intuitive since most of us bought the hybrid for the MPG.

But, I'm sure like everything else, it's a cost trade-off and maybe some other feature was given a higher priority based on the cost constraints. Be nice if a software upgrade would fix things so it would stay in ECO mode when set.

yep - you'd think it would be a simple easy menu setting where it's once and done. Must be some logic and rationale behind why you have to swap it out every time.

 

[TheWizziard]

Hey Eco mode people. Please update us down to road on how long your HVB lasts running in Eco mode all the time.

It will be Normal mode for me. If cruise control is on (highway) or there is extra heavy traffic, I may try Eco.

I'm missing something.
Why would running in ECO mode affect how the HVB lasts.

 

[GreenLady]

Given the short distance, the elapsed time indicated is significant as is the amount of 'electric' distance.
I would suggest doing a longer trip, or at least getting your time closer before determining that eco makes a large difference.
tom

I definitely plan on a little longer trip comparison. As far as the time I sat in my garage and fumbled for my phone to take a picture.

 

[A Sturdy Beast]

So long as you don't need the extra performance for any reason, permanent eco mode is the way to go.

I drive like an old man. Oh, crap. I am an old man.

 

[Maverick2023]

I’ve used eco and Normal and slippery modes in driving freeway and sit and go traffic and the results were similar. To me I’m stuck in normal most of the time since it provides a little bit of everything

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