Hybrid efficiency when speeding up to highway speed and slowing down going through small towns?

[AdventureSetterland]

So my current commute has a lot of 55 mph highways with small towns along the way where you slow down to 35ish go through them. From what I have gathered, hybrids are best in city driving.

I have never had a hybrid before, so this is all new to me. Would the slowdowns going through towns find more efficiency than a standard engine?

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[Zotman]

In a hybrid with a CVT the slower you go, the higher the MPGs (pretty much). If you really want to see what's possible, do a little reading on 'hypermiling'. Some of those folk go to insane lengths to increase their numbers.

 

[JASmith]

So my current commute has a lot of 55 mph highways with small towns along the way where you slow down to 35ish go through them. From what I have gathered, hybrids are best in city driving.

I have never had a hybrid before, so this is all new to me. Would the slowdowns going through towns find more efficiency than a standard engine?

Hybrids will have the most extreme performance difference in stop and go traffic or places where there's a lot of idling, thanks to regenerative braking and great stop-start functionality with electric assist.

Steady state cruising, even at lower speeds, is where the difference won't be as extreme. Traditional ICE and especially small ICE with turbos like cruising at reasonably steady RPMs. For example, our turbo little Fiat was rated at only 33mpg highway, but if you went between 35mph to 55mph you could easily get mid 40s and that's just because of less drag. Most vehicles that aren't built for super aerodynamics will max out on fuel economy at a mere 40mph.

So your hybrid Maverick will get great fuel economy in your use case, but the ecoboost may exceed its EPA rating as well in that scenario so the delta won't be as huge as when you have lots of traffic with speed and surge and speed and surge or stop and go with red lights and stop signs, where the hybrid would blow the ecoboost away.

 

[AdventureSetterland]

Hybrids will have the most extreme performance difference in stop and go traffic or places where there's a lot of idling, thanks to regenerative braking and great stop-start functionality with electric assist.

Steady state cruising, even at lower speeds, is where the difference won't be as extreme. Traditional ICE and especially small ICE with turbos like cruising at reasonably steady RPMs. For example, our turbo little Fiat was rated at only 33mpg highway, but if you went between 35mph to 55mph you could easily get mid 40s and that's just because of less drag. Most vehicles that aren't built for super aerodynamics will max out on fuel economy at a mere 40mph.

So your hybrid Maverick will get great fuel economy in your use case, but the ecoboost may exceed its EPA rating as well in that scenario so the delta won't be as huge as when you have lots of traffic with speed and surge and speed and surge or stop and go with red lights and stop signs, where the hybrid would blow the ecoboost away.

Thanks, that’s valuable info

 

[vabchusa]

If the Maverick is as good as my 2015 Ford C max hybrid there is no problem. Great acceleration, mpg above EPA estimates (41.7 mpg average over 6 years and 16500 miles), quiet and have a hard time staying under the speed limit

 

[Fotomoto]

So my current commute has a lot of 55 mph highways with small towns along the way where you slow down to 35ish go through them. From what I have gathered, hybrids are best in city driving.

Your driving scenario is almost perfect for the hybrid.

It is, however, not a magic technology capable of bending the laws of physics so your cold winters (plus winter gas) will reduce fuel economy during those times. But..... your spring, summer, and fall will be nearly perfect; especially since you don’t need much A/C use either.

The software has a few driving aids/coaches that will help a lot too if you let them.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[AdventureSetterland]

Your driving scenario is almost perfect for the hybrid.

It is, however, not a magic technology capable of bending the laws of physics so your cold winters (plus winter gas) will reduce fuel economy during those times. But..... your spring, summer, and fall will be nearly perfect; especially since you don’t need much A/C use either.

The software has a few driving aids/coaches that will help a lot too if you let them.

GOOD LUCK!

Won’t take much for a massive difference. Been driving a 90s chevy full size truck haha.

 

[Fred]

If the Maverick is as good as my 2015 Ford C max hybrid there is no problem. Great acceleration, mpg above EPA estimates (41.7 mpg average over 6 years and 16500 miles), quiet and have a hard time staying under the speed limit

You only put 16500 miles on the vehicle in 6 years? I must have read that wrong.

 

[vabchusa]

Should have read 165000 miles vs 16500

 

[MakinDoForNow]

So my current commute has a lot of 55 mph highways with small towns along the way where you slow down to 35ish go through them. From what I have gathered, hybrids are best in city driving.

I have never had a hybrid before, so this is all new to me. Would the slowdowns going through towns find more efficiency than a standard engine?

Let us know if you figure out to coast without ever accelerating! Generally speaking 35-55 is great mpg.

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