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Top speed in Hybrid electric only mode?

Wrench77

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Does anyone have an exact top speed for the Hybrid in electric only mode? Curious about it because a lot of the roads I’m on never exceed 50 mph.
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This is a great question. Anecdotally, it appears to be <40 mph, based on the Escape hybrid; However, speed isn’t the only factor. There are other vehicle demands that engage the combustion engine; Such as, A/C or Heater use, towing, battery capacity level, drive-mode selection, driver acceleration, and inclement driving conditions.

It should be noted that this is a hybrid vehicle that was never designed to drive extended durations in electric mode only. The capacity of the battery pack and the hybrid, software programming is best suited for improving MPG, not completely reducing it.

With all the interest in the Hybrid model and MPG’s, there should be a dedicated, Hypermiling section of this forum.
 
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clavicus

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Does anyone have an exact top speed for the Hybrid in electric only mode? Curious about it because a lot of the roads I’m on never exceed 50 mph.
It really depends what you mean -- you can possibly be cruising at 50 and in a very low-load situation it can use "electric only" to keep you cruising under certain circumstances. I use quotes because there is no real "EV mode" in an HEV (hybrid), which is different from a PHEV (plugin hybrid). You may be using HVB (high voltage battery) source of power at certain points, but it is silly to consider that an EV mode since the power ultimately comes from gas in this vehicle any way you cut it.

But you're not going to be accelerating at a rate to, for example, pass cars, or accelerate quickly in general, without also using the ICE (at any speed, really). The ICE kicks in when you need a relatively strong boost at the low end, and then alternatively the HVB kicks in to provide an extra boost above a certain speed like 40+ because at that point the ICE is doing more direct driving force. This is all my amateur analysis since I don't actually have one but this is the gist I've read from other owners like of the Ford Escape and similar hybrids.

My major point is, no matter what speed you drive, you are going to be using the ICE at least a little bit if you're driving like a normal person. No matter how you hypermile, unless you're driving under 15mph 25mph your whole 1/2-mile trip across a parking lot, there are going to be points where you need to accelerate a little bit 'extra' (aka normally) here and there and the ICE will do its thing independent of your willpower to prevent it :giggle:
 
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icegradner

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It really depends what you mean -- you can possibly be cruising at 50 and in a very low-load situation it can use "electric only" to keep you cruising under certain circumstances. I use quotes because there is no real "EV mode" in an HEV (hybrid), which is different from a PHEV (plugin hybrid). You may be using HVB (high voltage battery) source of power at certain points, but it is silly to consider that an EV mode since the power ultimately comes from gas in this vehicle any way you cut it.

But you're not going to be accelerating at a rate to, for example, pass cars, or accelerate quickly in general, without also using the ICE (at any speed, really). The ICE kicks in when you need a relatively strong boost at the low end, and then alternatively the HVB kicks in to provide an extra boost above a certain speed like 40+ because at that point the ICE is doing more direct driving force. This is all my amateur analysis since I don't actually have one but this is the gist I've read from other owners like of the Ford Escape and similar hybrids.

My major point is, no matter what speed you drive, you are going to be using the ICE at least a little bit if you're driving like a normal person. No matter how you hypermile, unless you're driving under 15mph 25mph your whole 1/2-mile trip across a parking lot, there are going to be points where you need to accelerate a little bit 'extra' (aka normally) here and there and the ICE will do its thing independent of your willpower to prevent it :giggle:
You have that mostly correct, but the part you didn't get is that electric motors are torque monsters. Electric motors have way more low end torque than an ICE does, which is why you'll see from the Maverick speed tests that came out last week that the hybrid accelerates from 0-40mph faster than the 2.0 EB. You'll see the same result in any system like that. For example, my Camry Hybrid has the same 2.4L engine as the standard gas version did (the hybrid runs in the Atkinson cycle, gas only did not). The Hybrid has a 0-60MHP of 6.5s, vs over 7 for the 2.4L on it's own.

The electric motor hits peak torque very quickly, and the gas motor adds to it, rather than the other way around. The gas motor does more of the work once the vehicle is up to speed, rather than at the low end, because gas motor typically have more high end toqure. The electric motor in hybrids isn't going to take the world by storm for speed, but it does what it was designed to do very well in my experience. Way more power than a standard 4 banger could ever hope for.
 
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BILLNOROVILLE

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My Maveric went into electric mode at over 55mph easily. You see when there is almost no load as going down hill very slightly the ice engine with cruise control set on 55 will show on the left gage that it doesn't need to be on and lets the electric motor continue maintaining the speed. Of course when the road levels out a little the force needed to keep the truck going requires the ice to kick in. It's pretty seamless. You can ease up on the throttle in some instances and it will run just electric. Your right foot and rolling resistance has everything to do what is powering the truck down the road.

If I am at a stop light and it's a 35mph zone. When the light turns green I can really feather the throttle and stay in electric mode. But it will piss off everyone behind me. I find it better on a flat road to get up to 35-38 fairly quickly then get off the gas enough that the truck continues down the road on electric. The dash will give you clues as to how your foot is doing and what load the truck is under. Every time you start up a hill with cruise control on you see the gate on the left move up as the load increases. Much like the old vacuum motor minder gages of many years ago. Downhill more vacuum, uphill more power needed and less vacuum.

Let the truck figure out what you are telling it by your foot and what the road is telling it by loading the power.

Of course if you are blasting the AC or heater/defroster on high you may never see the ice shut off much. That loads the motors because it is drawing more amps to run the electric accessories.
 

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Wrench77

Wrench77

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My Maveric went into electric mode at over 55mph easily. You see when there is almost no load as going down hill very slightly the ice engine with cruise control set on 55 will show on the left gage that it doesn't need to be on and lets the electric motor continue maintaining the speed. Of course when the road levels out a little the force needed to keep the truck going requires the ice to kick in. It's pretty seamless. You can ease up on the throttle in some instances and it will run just electric. Your right foot and rolling resistance has everything to do what is powering the truck down the road.

If I am at a stop light and it's a 35mph zone. When the light turns green I can really feather the throttle and stay in electric mode. But it will piss off everyone behind me. I find it better on a flat road to get up to 35-38 fairly quickly then get off the gas enough that the truck continues down the road on electric. The dash will give you clues as to how your foot is doing and what load the truck is under. Every time you start up a hill with cruise control on you see the gate on the left move up as the load increases. Much like the old vacuum motor minder gages of many years ago. Downhill more vacuum, uphill more power needed and less vacuum.

Let the truck figure out what you are telling it by your foot and what the road is telling it by loading the power.

Of course if you are blasting the AC or heater/defroster on high you may never see the ice shut off much. That loads the motors because it is drawing more amps to run the electric accessories.
Thank you. One last question is there a power flow app on the infotainment screen? I know a bunch of the other hybrids have them. Maybe useless but I’m a gauge watcher and would like to look at it once and a while. Again thank you for an owner’s experience on the hybrid.
 

clavicus

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My Maveric went into electric mode at over 55mph easily. You see when there is almost no load as going down hill very slightly the ice engine with cruise control set on 55 will show on the left gage that it doesn't need to be on and lets the electric motor continue maintaining the speed. Of course when the road levels out a little the force needed to keep the truck going requires the ice to kick in. It's pretty seamless. You can ease up on the throttle in some instances and it will run just electric. Your right foot and rolling resistance has everything to do what is powering the truck down the road.

If I am at a stop light and it's a 35mph zone. When the light turns green I can really feather the throttle and stay in electric mode. But it will piss off everyone behind me. I find it better on a flat road to get up to 35-38 fairly quickly then get off the gas enough that the truck continues down the road on electric. The dash will give you clues as to how your foot is doing and what load the truck is under. Every time you start up a hill with cruise control on you see the gate on the left move up as the load increases. Much like the old vacuum motor minder gages of many years ago. Downhill more vacuum, uphill more power needed and less vacuum.

Let the truck figure out what you are telling it by your foot and what the road is telling it by loading the power.

Of course if you are blasting the AC or heater/defroster on high you may never see the ice shut off much. That loads the motors because it is drawing more amps to run the electric accessories.
Just a note for others — the dashboard power level is in total kw, it does not explicitly help you distinguish between using HVB source vs ICE source of power at ant point.

But there may be an infotainment menu that shows it in a cool colorful illustration? Anybody got a pic or video of that in action?
 

clavicus

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You have that mostly correct, but the part you didn't get is that electric motors are torque monsters. Electric motors have way more low end torque than an ICE does, which is why you'll see from the Maverick speed tests that came out last week that the hybrid accelerates from 0-40mph faster than the 2.0 EB. You'll see the same result in any system like that. For example, my Camry Hybrid has the same 2.4L engine as the standard gas version did (the hybrid runs in the Atkinson cycle, gas only did not). The Hybrid has a 0-60MHP of 6.5s, vs over 7 for the 2.4L on it's own.

The electric motor hits peak torque very quickly, and the gas motor adds to it, rather than the other way around. The gas motor does more of the work once the vehicle is up to speed, rather than at the low end, because gas motor typically have more high end toqure. The electric motor in hybrids isn't going to take the world by storm for speed, but it does what it was designed to do very well in my experience. Way more power than a standard 4 banger could ever hope for.
I think we are actually saying the same thing! When I say ICE provides boost at the low end under significant acceleration, I mean it is literally providing extra electricity pretty much directly to the traction motor, via the generator motor, and is not providing direct driving force at the very low end normally. Or with low state of charge it’ll both charge battery and provide juice to the traction motor at the same time.
 

Criss944

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I have heard owners of other hybrids compare the ability to sail. That's how far and fast they can maintain a constant speed full electric.
 
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BILLNOROVILLE

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Thank you. One last question is there a power flow app on the infotainment screen? I know a bunch of the other hybrids have them. Maybe useless but I’m a gauge watcher and would like to look at it once and a while. Again thank you for an owner’s experience on the hybrid.
Not that I can find. The only power/mph information comes on the dash screen. There are a couple of options but pretty basic. My Prius is more comprehensive I think but I'm ok with what I get.
 

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Based on C-Max and Escape Hybrids...
- top speed is limited by the redline of the traction motor. I've seen 110 mph for Maverick, 125 mph for Escape. Could be a gearing difference (redline limited) or just reflect a difference in aero drag.
- top speed for EV is 85 mph, due to lubrication. The ICE runs the pump that cools the stators.
- top speed in reverse is 15 mph, but I think that a SW limit, not a lack of capability.

Lots of good replies have already hit anything else I might add.
 

BILLNOROVILLE

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Just a note for others — the dashboard power level is in total kw, it does not explicitly help you distinguish between using HVB source vs ICE source of power at ant point.

But there may be an infotainment menu that shows it in a cool colorful illustration? Anybody got a pic or video of that in action?
I have yet to see anything about power or electric usage displays on the infotainment screen. But I am still learning.

The power level meter is not explicit in that at ZERO it has to be running electric. What I see is around + or - a little around Zero the gas engine will switch to electric driving. Sometimes a pause in the area will make it switch but it will not if around zero is just a momentary event. What the gage does do is respond to your foot , press on the gas it goes up, get off the gas it goes down. I find that when I hit the first notch (line) past zero it will always be gas engine running. I really don't care at that point if the system is running gas only or electric & gas. I let the computer figure what it needs from each.
 

icegradner

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I have heard owners of other hybrids compare the ability to sail. That's how far and fast they can maintain a constant speed full electric.
Part of the depends on tires to be honest. Many Toyota Hybrids for example ship with very low rolling resistance tires. I don't know if other manufatures do, haven't own another brands Hybrid yet. When I switched to all weather (snow flake marked) tires that is now harder to do. Still get good range, but not as good as before.
 

BILLNOROVILLE

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Part of the depends on tires to be honest. Many Toyota Hybrids for example ship with very low rolling resistance tires. I don't know if other manufatures do, haven't own another brands Hybrid yet. When I switched to all weather (snow flake marked) tires that is now harder to do. Still get good range, but not as good as before.
Both Volt and Prius when new come with low rolling resistance tires. Replacement tires other than OEM can cost you as much a 3 mpg less distance on the Volt since it is a plug in. I don't think the Prius suffers as bad. The Prius came with a spare tire, the Volt had a small pump with bottle of green goo. Weight added inside a vehicle is also a killer of MPG. Tool bags, accessories, etc.
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