Why is winter *highway* mpg so low?

[The Real Maverick]

No. It does us the electric and HVB even at highway speeds when the ICE is running. It's not an either/or.

It's not an "either/or".

But.... city I'm about 25% gas and 75% electric.

At 55 mph it's about 95% gas and 5% electric.

At 75 mph it's about 99% gas.

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[MakinDoForNow]

It's not an "either/or".

But.... city I'm about 25% gas and 75% electric.

At 55 mph it's about 95% gas and 5% electric.

At 75 mph it's about 99% gas.

Hybrid. I bought gas and drove 240+/- miles at 76-78 speedo (78 speedo = 75.3 GPS) turned truck off at stop with it showing 2.7 electric miles.

 

[inline_five]

Hybrid. I bought gas and drove 240+/- miles at 76-78 speedo (78 speedo = 75.3 GPS) turned truck off at stop with it showing 2.7 electric miles.

So 1.125% electric

 

[MavMeister25]

I’m finally getting great mpg numbers now that the weather is back above 60 degrees. Man, those cold temps REALLY kill the engine and battery. I was worried for a bit there. Thought I got a dud. But now I’m routinely getting trips around town in the mid-upper 40 mpgs. I even just got my first trip with a CRAZY number of 75 mpg . Check it out.

 

[CD_SM]

It's not an "either/or".

But.... city I'm about 25% gas and 75% electric.

At 55 mph it's about 95% gas and 5% electric.

At 75 mph it's about 99% gas.

How can you tell? That isn't reported by the truck anywhere, at least not on my 24 XLT.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

So 1.125% electric

Looks like it. Very hard to do, actually. About 1/3 mile from gas pump start to speed then 1/2 mile from speed to potty stops shut down. About 3 times, I think, traffick caused slow down to mid 60's.

 

[The Real Maverick]

How can you tell? That isn't reported by the truck anywhere, at least not on my 24 XLT.

Years of experience.
But it should tell you individual trips automatically every time you turn the truck off. Lariats keep a running long-term total.

 

[MavMeister25]

Lariats keep a running long-term total.

Really? I didn’t know there were differences in display features between the models. Is this true for 2025 models?

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Years of experience.
But it should tell you individual trips automatically every time you turn the truck off. Lariats keep a running long-term total.

I sometimes have "This Trip Only" selected for display.

 

[sprubs]

Cold air is denser, this requires more fuel to be injected to keep the correct 14:1 air/fuel ratio.
Cold air is denser, this means slightly more drag on your brick shaped truck.
You're running the cabin heater and the only heat source is the engine, so you'll have the engine running just to produce heat even when it would be off in moderate temperatures. The majority of heat from combustion in an ICE engine goes out the tailpipe, so most of this extra gasoline burned for heat is wasted, with possibly 20% going into the engine coolant and then into the greater core and then the cabin air.
You're running seat/steering wheel/windshield wiper heaters (if equipped), and those all require the engine to run more to recharge the batteries that power them.
You're probably driving in the dark more and that requires more lights to be on, which also use more battery energy.
Your tires are stiffer from cold, and the pressure might drop a couple pounds overnight, this robbs energy from the engine requiring more engine power to go the same speed.
The winter time gasoline mix usually has the highest percentage of ethanol in it, and ethanol has less energy per gallon than gasoline. This means that possibly 10% of what you pump into your tank has less energy in it, and this of course requires more fuel to be burned.

a heat pump would have helped in a lot of scenarios but that would have added to the cost. my other vehicle (plug in hybrid) can operate full electric with the heat on as long as it isn't really cold (<10F or somewhere around there).

 

[inline_five]

Here's where I ended up. I came back and it was 40°-45° and I went 70 mph vs 74 mph. Averaged about 33 mpg coming back home, so still less than what I have been getting, but round trip was just about 30 mpg. Definitely a learning experience.

 

[Master Blaster]

Here's where I ended up. I came back and it was 40°-45° and I went 70 mph vs 74 mph. Averaged about 33 mpg coming back home, so still less than what I have been getting, but round trip was just about 30 mpg. Definitely a learning experience.

Urrggg. That's terrible mileage. I'm in Canada at probably an average of 20 degrees temperature less than your location. I average 5L/100km or 47mpg in Merican right now in January with ice tires and winter gasoline and the heater on a lot, and it drops to an average of 3.9L/100km or 60mpg in the summer with the stock tires and summer gasoline. Do you have a stuck brake or something?

 

[Captain DUB1]

In New Jersey they blend fuel differently for winter. I remember around November my avg MPG went from 27.5 to 25mpg in one week. No difference in driving or commutes to work. Still the same now in January 2025.

 

[JohnCondren1933]

I just got mine & only cold driving thought I was going crazy got a lemon.
Not just the ICE runs worse mpg when cold, the battery must be operating temperture to recharge & provide current to drive-assist motor.

Maverick LI traction battery under vehicle uses exhaust heat to warm up the battery, it does not have a heating blanket or electric heating coils or something to warm it up to operating temperature. To me that means more gas used for stop & go driving to heat up the exhaust -> battery

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I just got mine & only cold driving thought I was going crazy got a lemon.
Not just the ICE runs worse mpg when cold, the battery must be operating temperture to recharge & provide current to drive-assist motor.

Maverick LI traction battery under vehicle uses exhaust heat to warm up the battery, it does not have a heating blanket or electric heating coils or something to warm it up to operating temperature. To me that means more gas used for stop & go driving to heat up the exhaust -> battery

The exhaust heater helps to get the HVB warmer faster than just waiting for the radiator coolant to warm up.

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