Hybrid power, how does it feel?

[SgtLip]

There is no way to compare your Jeep to a Hybrid of any car.... A hybrid isn't built for speed.

Both of mine would move. They are economical but the 2.5l moves when asked to.

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[pnorwood54]

2020 kia niro in econ mode never a problem and i've never actually "floored" it.

 

[r100gs91]

I was able to find a hybrid Escape this morning and take it for a test drive. I only had like 20 minutes with the car, but I was very impressed. I took it easy to start with just getting a feel for the car in traffic. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to drive the car in stop and go traffic. There was no noticeable engine on/engine off time like you get in an ICE vehicle with start-stop technology. I honestly couldn't tell when the car was running on electric or when it was the engine.
My main concern was with the power. My daily driver is a Jeep Wrangler with a GM 5.3L swapped in it, so when I hit the accelerator I expect some power. The fist time I floored it in the Escape I was honestly surprised. The amount of acceleration was more than enough for passing someone or accelerating into traffic.
Overall, I was skeptical whether I would be happy with the hybrid as everything I have ever owned has been modified to be faster. After driving it today I am sold on the hybrid... now to track down a Cyber Orange anything so I can see one in person.

Cyber Orange = School Bus Yellow IMO YMMV

 

[goyogi]

It really depends on how they engineer it so comparing to the Escape is probably the closest. Though I noted that the Escape hybrid has 198 HP and the Maverick has 191HP. Torque specs for the Escape hybrid are no where to be found from my searching.

Though the specs are confusing. They state 162HP/155lb-ft from the engine and 94kw(126HP)/173lb-ft torque from the motor. But total system HP is 191 HP.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...22-Ford-Maverick-Technical-Specifications.pdf

 

[fbov]

Though the specs are confusing. ...

I agree.

The problem is combining power from two sources whose speeds (and so output) are independent of one another. The acceleration model is ICE rising to a steady RPM for the duration, while the motor speed, tied to the wheels, rises from zero. You get the low-RPM motor torque (limited by current delivery capability) added to constant ICE output, apportioned between the road and the charging motor as the control system requires.

So I see the functional HP/torque curves as a family of throttle-position specific curves. The current-limited motor curve is added to different levels of constant ICE power. The trick is understanding that the motor is current limited for the bottom ~1/3 of its speed range, and where you are in the speed range is as simple as knowing the motor is redlined at top speed, on the order of 120 mph. That means the motor is current limited to ~40 mph. It helps explain the great merging/passing performance.

 

[rp2s]

Wes, I think a lot of folks would love to know, but very few have actually driven one yet. Have you ever driven a Hybrid of any kind ??? It feels very different. Pressing the pedal harder does not cause your RPM's to instantly go up. Its like the RPM's are independent of what your doing at the time lol... you really just have to drive an Hybrid to experience it. Get up and go, I'm sure, is going to be different with every different Hybrid vehicle. My Prius does fine, even in ECO mode. But its unbelievable how much the power is boosted in Power mode ! I rarely use that, unless I'm on a steep hill, with a full load.... Or, waiting at one of those freeway onramp lights (and wanting to show off lol It has to feel bad to be dusted by a Prius, right ?

Oh, and I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I would strongly expect the Hybrid Maverick to have an Eco Mode, a regular mode, and a sport / power mode, which again, in my Prius make a night and day difference. I think its great to get the best mileage 95% of the time, but to be able to boost your power that other 5% of the time when you need it, with the press of a button

I think the rpm change has more to do with the CVT than any hybrid power train. I had a Suzuki Kizashi AWD with a CVT. I expect the Maverick eCVT to be a significant upgrade.

 

[Ricstar]

07 Prius and has all the power needed, would hope a 15 year newer car will do even better

 

[oljackfrost]

We are so spoiled that we don’t think the Hybrid will have any power. Just got done reading an article in Hemmings Classic Car on the 1960 Chrysler 300F; 375 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. At the time Motor Trend clocked 0-60 at 8.3 seconds, pretty much the same as the recent Maverick test videos discovered for the hybrid! Yes, I know 60 years have past.

 

[Big_T]

We are so spoiled that we don’t think the Hybrid will have any power. Just got done reading an article in Hemmings Classic Car on the 1960 Chrysler 300F; 375 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. At the time Motor Trend clocked 0-60 at 8.3 seconds, pretty much the same as the recent Maverick test videos discovered for the hybrid! Yes, I know 60 years have past.

I agree. And I bet that Chrysler was well over 4,000 pounds. Back in the day my Dad had a Sunbeam Tiger; a little sports car with a Ford 260 V8. It would do zero to 60 in 6 seconds and that was scary fast. He sold it before I got my drivers license. LoL

 

[oljackfrost]

We are so spoiled that we don’t think the Hybrid will have any power. Just got done reading an article in Hemmings Classic Car on the 1960 Chrysler 300F; 375 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. At the time Motor Trend clocked 0-60 at 8.3 seconds, pretty much the same as the recent Maverick test videos discovered for the hybrid! Yes, I know 60 years have past.

I forgot to mention that the Chrysler got 13 mpg!

 

[oljackfrost]

I agree. And I bet that Chrysler was well over 4,000 pounds. Back in the day my Dad had a Sunbeam Tiger; a little sports car with a Ford 260 V8. It would do zero to 60 in 6 seconds and that was scary fast. He sold it before I got my drivers license. LoL

The Tiger was sweet! The development work shoehorning the Ford V8 into a Sunbeam Alpine was done by Shelby American.

 

[WesM]

We are so spoiled that we don’t think the Hybrid will have any power. Just got done reading an article in Hemmings Classic Car on the 1960 Chrysler 300F; 375 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. At the time Motor Trend clocked 0-60 at 8.3 seconds, pretty much the same as the recent Maverick test videos discovered for the hybrid! Yes, I know 60 years have past.

I suspect for a lot of us we have never owned or even driven a hybrid. We have questions about something we are not familiar with, more than being spoiled. 165 HP in a truck even weighing 3700lbs is going to be sluggish, without a decent electric boost.

 

[oljackfrost]

I suspect for a lot of us we have never owned or even driven a hybrid. We have questions about something we are not familiar with, more than being spoiled. 165 HP in a truck even weighing 3700lbs is going to be sluggish, without a decent electric boost.

Sorry, but I don’t consider 0-60 in 8 to 8.5 seconds, sluggish.

 

[WesM]

Sorry, but I don’t consider 0-60 in 8 to 8.5 seconds, sluggish.

Your point? The Hybrid is not going to do 8 seconds without an electric boost... one of the qualifiers of my statement.

Sounds like it should do 0-60 in 7.5-8 seconds, which I am fine with... that was something we did not know on the post date of this thread.

 

[NewBernWolf]

I have not been able to find a hybrid escape in my area to test drive to use as an analogue, so I was curious for those of you who have driven one, how powerful does it feel? I have a 2014 AWD rav4 that makes 176HP with its 4 cylinder engine and I'm pretty happy with it. Would the power/torque feel about the same or do you think it will be better?

Based on this hybrid powertrain (whatever that means), you could probably also search for a late model Toyota hybrid (Rav4 or Prius sedan) to get a general idea how driving a hybrid feels and sounds. My 2017 Prius takes a couple of seconds longer than the Maverick to go from 0 to 60, but I don't really do that in regular driving so I don't much care. What it DOES do is merge beautifully into highway traffic, and pass F-150's on my way downtown.

The weirdest thing to get used to, which I don't notice anymore, is starting the vehicle and shutting it off. People who ride with me continue to be startled by the lack of 'power up' and 'power down' sound.

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