Icebreaka Report post Posted December 7, 2009 Okay so it does seem to vary a decent amount amongst us. I'm still very much on the low side though at 33.1 currently which is disturbing. I drive as cautiously as I am able to without annoying too many people stuck behind me. I have found that ever since I took it in for the issue with my sync taking too much of a battery draw it hasn't been able to go into EV mode as easily in the past. I have seen some times before the car warms up where I can be stopped at a stop light, foot on the brake, meanwhile the ICE starts up and drives my MPG rating into the dirt while I sit idle. After driving for 5 or 10 minutes I can get it to go into EV mode but even that seems to be harder to hold than it did in the past. I'm almost due for my first checkup at the dealership so I'm going to mention my concerns and see if I can learn anything new. I am going to try bumping my tires up to high 30s PSI. I heard someone say they did 41 PSI with good results but I'm scared of damaging the tires. I think we all do agree that temperature does play a big factor no matter what but some people's cars seem to be sticking in EV mode a lot easier than others. I am almost wondering what would happen if I threw caution to the wind completley and drove like a normal car. I have to expect I'd get only high 20s for MPG which would be pretty lame for a car that is designed to really save on fuel. I'm still loving my Fusion but I'm eager to get the 40MPG range that others are seeing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stupac2 Report post Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) I got my Fusion back at the tail end of July, and was reliably getting 38-41 on every trip. The past month and a half that number has been more like 33-36. Temperature didn't occur to me as an explanation because in Northern California it doesn't get that cold, but apparently 50 is enough to cause the drops. I also have the (apparent) disadvantage of a short commute, which I chose partly because it meant I had the option of biking in (which I have yet to do, lazy lazy...). This isn't always an issue, as I've had my trip mileage be as high as 50 before (seeing that number was awesome), but with something like 8 stop lights and 3 stop signs, I'm doing too much accelerating for my taste. My natural temperament is pretty well-suited for mileage, it seems. I've had no problems with accelerating slowly and steadily, breaking slowly and steadily, driving at reasonable speeds, and coasting as often as possible. I only have trouble sticking with it when people are behind me and unable to pass, I know how much I hate being behind a slowpoke (which, driving like this, takes a real slowpoke), and I dislike inflicting that upon others. One thing that I'm really interested in, and haven't been able to answer myself, is how best to use the EV. I've been tending to use it to accelerate, since seeing the instant MPG reader nose-dive kills me, but it seems that might not be the best. The physicist in me thinks it wouldn't make too much of a difference (energy is energy), but I doubt in the messy real world that's the case. Hilariously I forgot to report my lifetime average, it's 34.6 right now. Edited December 8, 2009 by stupac2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lrymal Report post Posted December 8, 2009 ...Hilariously I forgot to report my lifetime average, it's 34.6 right now.That is still roughly 10 mpg more than the typical gas mileage of an ICE only mid-sized car. This is the way I look at it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bdrool Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Cold weather is definately taking a toll on my milage. The other day it was around 20F, I drove the back roads home about 8 miles. The electronics didn't get warm enough to go EV until about 5 miles and then is cooled off quick so EV mode was sporatic. I was around 41 mpg and have dropped to 38, and counting, in these cold months. However, all reports say the average is around 34 mpg so I count my blessings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lolder Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Most of us are going into the first winter with a hybrid. We forget that the car it replaced probably went from 19 mpg. in summer to 15 mpg. in winter. That's much worse. I think Ford recommends that you don't try to accelerate in EV mode; go with the traffic flow. At 20-40mph speeds, "feather" the accelerator to pop into the EV mode until The ICE comes back on. Anticipate stop lights and signs as best you can if traffic permits and accelerate modestly and brake modestly and EARLY. Keep accelerator pressure as steady as possible as that lets the computer settle into the best economy. Don't pulse the peddle to keep close behind the vehicle in front of you. Yes, someone will often dart in ahead. Breaking hard at the end of the stop is the worst. These techniques work in any car. Punch the AC button off below 70 F. OAT unless you need it for defogging. The auto mode calls for it more often. Wet roads, headwinds and cold weather cannot be helped. The reason they have such big effects is that the fuel flows are so much lower at 40 mpg. The added energy required for these effects is the same in any vehicle, it just is more noticeable in a hybrid. Lee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flavius Report post Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) ..One thing that I'm really interested in, and haven't been able to answer myself, is how best to use the EV...Hilariously I forgot to report my lifetime average, it's 34.6 right now.I've taken home my FFH three weeks or 1500 miles ago. My avg is about the same as yours, maybe a little higher. Here's what I've learned so far. I grew up on the autobahn where the measure of efficiency used to be like how fast you managed to get from A to B with that car. After moving to the US a long time ago, I would still occasionally use my car as it was designed, make use of it's capabilities and enjoy them without regret. You can actually do some of that with the FFH, as I did, but you're bound to regret it, since at some point you'll have to realize the US has a speed limit. I never understood why Porsche and the like are selling any cars in the US, since you can't use them over here - use them as we used to use them. However, about a week ago, I made a choice to change my driving habits yet again, and the impact on my AVG was dramatic - I now try to use the EV on level terrain or down hill as much as I can - with minimal acceleration as long as I can without annoying my fellow citizens. Equilibrium, that's what you strive for. You do the best you can with what you have and that's good enough. What that really means is you don't use the car to it's full potential, you optimize it's use. Ford has manged to make that a whole lot of fun. Edited December 8, 2009 by flavius Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ace43 Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Cold weather will have its effects, but even those will be better in the FFH than in conventional automobiles, as someone else here has pointed out. While the FFH will run in EV mode below 47 mph, that doesn't necessarily mean it should always be used alone to accelerate. I've gotten better results, and avoided ticking off those behind me, by accelerating slowly in ICE to cruising speed, then backing off on the throttle to get back into EV mode and use that as much as possible to increase mileage. It does work better on downhills and flat terrain, but for every uphill there will eventually be a downhill. When it comes, go into EV mode and use it to your and your wallet's benefit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites