Why is winter *highway* mpg so low?

[The Real Maverick]

82 miles. 50 mph. 66°F lots of electric miles. No heat or A/C used. 58 MPG
Hard bed cover in place.

Same trip of 82 miles. 55 mph. 58°F
1000 lbs of cargo in the bed. Some tall cargo. Bed cover removed. Did not game the system to try and get extra electric miles just put on cruise and went. Seat heaters on and heat on the lowest fan speed.

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[MavMeister25]

82 miles. 50 mph. 66°F lots of electric miles. No heat or A/C used. 58 MPG
Hard bed cover in place.

Same trip of 82 miles. 55 mph. 58°F
1000 lbs of cargo in the bed. Some tall cargo. Bed cover removed. Did not game the system to try and get extra electric miles just put on cruise and went. Seat heaters on and heat on the lowest fan speed.

Getting depressed around here.

 

[KirkyMav]

I have a '23 hybrid, and drive a normal highway route of 180 miles @ 70-75 mpg. My average speed is around 74.

Did it today, first time in cold temps (28°F weather) and got 27 mpg. Normal is 35-36 over the summer months. Keep in mind tire pressure was ~40 on all four (just filled them prior to trip).

Curious why low temps effect the hybrid mpg so much? Heat being on shouldn't bring it down from where it is in the summer, as the engine is running 100% of the time at ~75 mph.

I guess you are over inflating your tires to try to lower the rolling resistance. Ford recommend the tires should be inflated to 35psi. Do you think it's a good idea to go over that? I notice some folks saying they inflate to 45psi. Thats 10psi over the recommended pressure. It must make the grip worse going that far, and possible lead to uneven tire wear too. Also, you are more likely to get a blowout when the tires get older by inflating them that much.

 

[MavMeister25]

Not that I’m doubting everybody’s personal experience in your particular case, but I’m going to base my reference point on what MotorTrend said after driving 10,000 miles of mixed city and highway. Their number was just shy of 35 mpg. To me, that matches up a LOT closer to what I’m getting and doesn’t make me feel like I got a lemon.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...id-yearlong-review-update-2-fuel-economy-mpg/

 

[MetalThunder]

Not that I’m doubting everybody’s personal experience in your particular case, but I’m going to base my reference point on what MotorTrend said after driving 10,000 miles of mixed city and highway. Their number was just shy of 35 mpg. To me, that matches up a LOT closer to what I’m getting and doesn’t make me feel like I got a lemon.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...id-yearlong-review-update-2-fuel-economy-mpg/

For what it is worth

Car and Driver have a Hybrid they've been road testing

Ford Maverick Hybrid Long-Term Road Test: 10,000-Mile Update

Months in Fleet: 6 months Current Mileage: 16,907 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 35 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.8 gal Observed Fuel Range: 480 miles
Service: $95 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0

Cheers

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Not that I’m doubting everybody’s personal experience in your particular case, but I’m going to base my reference point on what MotorTrend said after driving 10,000 miles of mixed city and highway. Their number was just shy of 35 mpg. To me, that matches up a LOT closer to what I’m getting and doesn’t make me feel like I got a lemon.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...id-yearlong-review-update-2-fuel-economy-mpg/

You're probably driving your truck like MT does - which will not reach maximum MPG.

 

[MavMeister25]

You're probably driving your truck like MT does - which will not reach maximum MPG.

I’m getting 100% regen breaking on almost every stop. I’m coasting as much as possible. Not accelerating fast.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

I’m getting 100% regen breaking on almost every stop. I’m coasting as much as possible. Not accelerating fast.

If you're using the EV Coach screen to stay in electric mode longer (using pulse & glide driving) and driving mostly non-highway, your MPG should increase quite a bit when weather is warmer and the heater isn't needed.

 

[TheQuixotic1]

Not that I’m doubting everybody’s personal experience in your particular case, but I’m going to base my reference point on what MotorTrend said after driving 10,000 miles of mixed city and highway. Their number was just shy of 35 mpg. To me, that matches up a LOT closer to what I’m getting and doesn’t make me feel like I got a lemon.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...id-yearlong-review-update-2-fuel-economy-mpg/

You're doing just fine. There are a lot of extreme cases of hypermiling and variances when it comes to driving in different climates and environments. I think the best perspective to look at it from is from as zoomed out as possible.

If I asked you if you'd be happy getting 35mpg in a compact pickup and you said yes? Case closed. You can do plenty of things to improve upon your efficiency, but if you start chasing the dragon you might never stop.

I love my 2023 Ecoboost, but my 2025 hybrid AWD should be here in a month and I am looking forward to it. My work commute is 9 miles each way of rural state routes and small town slow-downs. After leaving my 2013 C-Max hybrid for my 2023 Maverick Ecoboost, the only nagging aspect was knowing there was all this wasted energy from braking I wasn't getting anymore; and it has been aggravating enough that I was willing to order the 2025 when it was announced the hybrid would get the AWD and 4k towing treatment.

Find what makes you happy from the macro-perspective and call it a day.

 

[MavMeister25]

You're doing just find. There are a lot of extreme cases of hypermiling and variances when it comes to driving in different climates and environments. I think the best perspective to look at it from is from as zoomed out as possible.

If I asked you if you'd be happy getting 35mpg in a compact pickup and you said yes? Case closed. You can do plenty of things to improve upon your efficiency, but if you start chasing the dragon you might never stop.

I love my 2023 Ecoboost, but my 2025 hybrid AWD should be here in a month and I am looking forward to it. My work commute is 9 miles each way of rural state routes and small town slow-downs. After leaving my 2013 C-Max hybrid for my 2023 Maverick Ecoboost, the only nagging aspect was knowing there was all this wasted energy from braking I wasn't getting anymore; and it has been aggravating enough that I was willing to order the 2025 when it was announced the hybrid would get the AWD and 4k towing treatment.

Find what makes you happy from the macro-perspective and call it a day.

Great post. I shouldn’t complain if I’m getting better mpg in a truck than my previous economy car.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I guess you are over inflating your tires to try to lower the rolling resistance. Ford recommend the tires should be inflated to 35psi. Do you think it's a good idea to go over that? I notice some folks saying they inflate to 45psi. Thats 10psi over the recommended pressure. It must make the grip worse going that far, and possible lead to uneven tire wear too. Also, you are more likely to get a blowout when the tires get older by inflating them that much.

The OEM 225/60/R18 Primacy on the lariat are MAX 44PSI rated.
I don't remember on the Continental OEM
Note that sometimes the OEM tires are not identical to the after market versions so you have to check the id number not the series common name to get the exact specs.

 

[HeyBales]

I’m getting 100% regen breaking on almost every stop. I’m coasting as much as possible. Not accelerating fast.

So here's an easy way to look at it.

ICE is turning on if you need more than 10% power for whatever reason - hill or acceleration.
ICE is turning on if you need heat, or HVB is down to 30% and needs recharge.

So if you can time things such that anytime less than 10% power is needed, you have full battery allowing you to go further - time it.

For instance - using up the battery attempting to accelerate close to 10% power (and annoy all the drivers behind you), could mean you have nothing for when up to speed and less than 10% is needed. So now engine is running when you could have been on EV mode.
So you just spent the battery on 500 ft instead of a mile of travel say. Not a good MPG trade-off.

So take the acceleration or the hill at speed, let ICE run and help charge up battery - and take advantage of it on the next flattish section possible.
When blue bar runs out and ICE kicks on, get back up to speed or over, if another flattish section available, or every incline you know is followed by down or flat, don't spend the battery eaking upwards, get the ICE on and max the HVB, so ready for that next section.
The recharge on braking certainly helps, but if not annoying the drivers behind you, braking/coasting early to not stop and be able to use EV thru light even better.
You can't make up the battery used on accel from equal deaccel. 100% just means from what was possible.

Some traffic patterns and inclines just don't lend themselves to get a lot of EV use, I've noticed that compared to many other reporting their MPG, despite my best attempts. Every blue moon I'll have a stretch of road with the lights just right, or run an errand and take a level frontage road instead of highway, and have some nice max MPG. But usually not. If I want to just cruise for a bit I can pick some good roads and max it out too. Usually do that on last 10 miles before fillup, just to hit that 600 mile tank! (not in the winter of course).

 

[inline_five]

I guess you are over inflating your tires to try to lower the rolling resistance. Ford recommend the tires should be inflated to 35psi. Do you think it's a good idea to go over that? I notice some folks saying they inflate to 45psi. Thats 10psi over the recommended pressure. It must make the grip worse going that far, and possible lead to uneven tire wear too. Also, you are more likely to get a blowout when the tires get older by inflating them that much.

Yes I'm comfortable going up to ~43 psi. Sidewall is 50.

In another car I have, produced in the 90's, it came with a "comfort" psi and an "efficient" psi. Efficient was ~5 psi more than comfort. Nowadays, manufacturers just produce one number.

The OEM 225/60/R18 Primacy on the lariat are MAX 44PSI rated.
I don't remember on the Continental OEM
Note that sometimes the OEM tires are not identical to the after market versions so you have to check the id number not the series common name to get the exact specs.

Sidewall on mine is 50 psi. They ship at 45-50 to prevent flat spotting. I'm comfortable going up to about 43 psi cold. Been doing it for years on many cars without issue. Keep in mind the biggest factor of blows is actually underinflation - sidewalls heat up significantly more when they flex.

With radial tires you'd have to really over inflate them to start pushing the centers out. 40-45 psi won't do that.

Hypermilers run their civics, prius, corollas etc around 50-55.

I wouldn't do it if I drove on bad roads but our highways in NC are excellent.

 

[wb5oxq]

So your sample size is ~30 miles over ~30 minutes in 85 degree weather; that's not exactly a compelling sample size, onboard efficiency monitoring is always overstated, and is pretty anecdotal. I'd be more interested to see what your lifetime readout is for your 19,964.1 miles.

That being said, while I don't know your elevation changes, I could absolutely believe a mostly empty ecoboost Maverick averaging 60mph on flat terrain would be close to 40mpg. That 2.0l loves 55-60mph for efficiency.

My overall mileage is around 24 mpg because 80% city stop and go driving and some hours of idling while talking on my ham radio which requires the engine running. Elevation here is typically 700'asl, humidity typically 50%.
Most trips at 70mph yield 35+mpg with 3 adults aboard.

 

[MavMeister25]

I’ve realized something. There’s a reason why I’ve been getting slightly lower average mpg than everyone else around here. Almost all of my driving is either very short (8 minutes to work) or very long (4 hour drive on tollway once a week at 85mph). Both of these fall outside the range of what gives optimal mpg. Too bad. I’m probably the person who benefits least from hybrid motor. I just didn’t know how the technology worked and just assumed it improved gas mileage equally across the board.

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