Which is more efficient way of accelerating?

[xk42]

From stationary, would you accelerate slowly while staying in electric or do you just floor it until you're cruising then it hopefully cuts over to electric? I feel like if I try to accelerate slowly and stay in the electric range. It would use up all the HV battery and by the time I get to cruising, it would have to turn on the engine just to charge up the battery again. Also my area is very hilly so unfortunately I can't always stay in electric unless I want to experience road rage with tailgating and getting cut off.

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[OleFordGuy]

Avoid road rage is my first thought, efficiency goes out the window when comparing the two outcomes. just my 2 cents

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

From stationary, would you accelerate slowly while staying in electric or do you just floor it until you're cruising then it hopefully cuts over to electric? I feel like if I try to accelerate slowly and stay in the electric range. It would use up all the HV battery and by the time I get to cruising, it would have to turn on the engine just to charge up the battery again. Also my area is very hilly so unfortunately I can't always stay in electric unless I want to experience road rage with tailgating and getting cut off.

Yes.

It depends.

But I usually roll 15 to 20 MPH on EV; then accelerate NORMALLY to a tad over the posted limit with gas: the battery recharges during this time as long as you don't floor it. Then a full lift off the go pedal. (Slippery mode helps to let you coast without surprising people behind you.) This shuts off the engine. Then I apply 1-9% on the power meter to MAINTAIN speed with battery only.

Gas is like your booster rockets. You'll generally need a boost to get up to speed, but then you can maintain a good long while with battery power only.

 

[xk42]

Agree on not hyper-milling when there's other cars around you. Which is why I'm getting 38mpg average for the past 13k miles. I would stay in 90 if I have to keep with the flow of the traffic even if it decimates my mpg. However for those camping trips that I'm out in the rural roads with no one around me for miles, that's when I try and play with maximizing the efficiency.

Recently I drove to vegas and was doing 75-80. On the way there, I was getting less than 30mpg and then on the way back with traffic, it brought it back down to 40 so it wasn't all that bad.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

More traffic, the better.

For MPG in a hybrid.


I was getting ~35 MPG towing this: (in wall to wall traffic).

 

[commadorebob]

I don't have a hybrid, but I use the approach that keeps me within a few car lengths of the car in front of me except for when I'm getting on the interstate. I am usually then reminding everyone that it is called an acceleration lane.

 

[OB1e]

No "Floor it Mrs Puff"

 

[710-oil-614]

Before my AT tires as long as nobody was behind me I could ride it out to almost 35mph before ICE kicked in and I found on mostly flat surfaces that it the most efficient and that after being at speed for a brief bit I can pull the off and blip to get back to EV only.

 

[MikeS1942]

Yes.

It depends.

But I usually roll 15 to 20 MPH on EV; then accelerate NORMALLY to a tad over the posted limit with gas: the battery recharges during this time as long as you don't floor it. Then a full lift off the go pedal. (Slippery mode helps to let you coast without surprising people behind you.) This shuts off the engine. Then I apply 1-9% on the power meter to MAINTAIN speed with battery only.

Gas is like your booster rockets. You'll generally need a boost to get up to speed, but then you can maintain a good long while with battery power only.

I think if you drive your hybrid like any other vehicle you've ever owned, your result will be the same. Jack rabbit starts are more expensive than smooth steady ones. The hybrid will give you much better mileage by just driving it like a normal vehicle.

 

[Cherokee]

With the Ecoboost it’s so simple. Briskly accelerate into the turbo, It starts a little boost at about 1800 rpm. I like 2,500 to 3,000 rpm.
The object is to get into one of the overdrives as soon as possible.

Always accelerate like your barefoot and you’ve got an egg under your toes on the gas pedal.
Press like you do with a pew pew trigger but don’t break the egg.

I’m an old fart. I tried and hated the eCVT, I like my out of date eight speed.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

I think if you drive your hybrid like any other vehicle you've ever owned, your result will be the same. Jack rabbit starts are more expensive than smooth steady ones. The hybrid will give you much better mileage by just driving it like a normal vehicle.

Nope. Hybrid advantage is turning off the gas motor while rolling. In traditional car, light acceleration is best.

In hybrid Mav I get best mileage at 75% acceleration to Minimize electric use while getting up to speed, then coast at 45-50mph on electric for miles and miles.

Aerodynamics are a big part of gas mileage. Lower speed maximizing electric only is easier. My regular Civic got better gas mileage on the highway than our Mav- 65mph I used to get 42mpg but going up to 75mph dropped to 37mpg.

Anticipate slow or stops and let off the gas early- to turn off the gas motor, And recharge the battery, AND maybe light will turn green to keep going without fully stopping.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Always accelerate like your barefoot and you’ve got an egg under your toes on the gas pedal. Press like you do with a pew pew trigger but don’t break the egg.

For regular cars, sure. Hybrids that uses up the battery so then the engine has to stay on longer, which eats up more gas.

Hybrid is better with medium-hard acceleration to get up to speed then back off and 'coast' on battery.

 

[MikeS1942]

For regular cars, sure. Hybrids that uses up the battery so then the engine has to stay on longer, which eats up more gas.

Hybrid is better with medium-hard acceleration to get up to speed then back off and 'coast' on battery.

To each his own.

 

[Cherokee]

For regular cars, sure. Hybrids that uses up the battery so then the engine has to stay on longer, which eats up more gas.

Hybrid is better with medium-hard acceleration to get up to speed then back off and 'coast' on battery.

I like to use the term, ‘Briskly’ as opposed to , medium-hard acceleration, because it sounds like I’m not punching it.
:’P

 

[HeyBales]

From stationary, would you accelerate slowly while staying in electric or do you just floor it until you're cruising then it hopefully cuts over to electric? I feel like if I try to accelerate slowly and stay in the electric range. It would use up all the HV battery and by the time I get to cruising, it would have to turn on the engine just to charge up the battery again. Also my area is very hilly so unfortunately I can't always stay in electric unless I want to experience road rage with tailgating and getting cut off.

You are exactly correct.

Back residential streets, no waiting at stop sign intersections, no one behind you - sure try the EV only acceleration when the limit is 25mph anyway, or another stop in a block after block.
You get better with the 25MY-up with 15% power available limit. pre-25MY gets 10% limit except very special initial start situations.

Otherwise - don't waste the HVB eeking up that hill, just to have the ICE turn on at the top and run for recharge when you could have been in EV mode on the level or downhill.
Or as you mention, get up to speed finally and out of juice anyway.
You'll learn your routes when it matters or not.

And then as mentioned in prior posts, just some of the good driving techniques that come into play with any vehicle and mpg - not jack-rabbit starts, looking ahead for stops where you can regen the most, ect.

But then sometimes wind and highway speeds will just get ya.

Just had a long drive, out was barely able to reach 30 MPG - slight headwind.
Little or a tad tailwind on way back - 35 MPG. Flat going N from Springfield, compared to hills south.
64.2 MPH avg, but generally 70 except for when highway went thru Clinton.

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