How do you get maximum regenerative braking?

[vangonebuy]

I thought the DC would be a be more powerful off the line.

Thanks for the education.

[corncobs]

I thought the DC would be a be more powerful off the line.

Thanks for the education.

 

Oh they are powerful and you can break a lot of things including the actual motor shaft.

I guess it all depends on the PMSM motor design and control in Ford's hybrid system they might apply the juice in stage making it easier on all components to deal with instant torque against a 3000# standing object.

 

I would love to know more about the concept in general.

Edited August 21, 2013 by corncobs

[acdii]

Oh they are powerful and you can break a lot of things including the actual motor shaft.

I guess it all depends on the DC motor design and control in Ford's hybrid system they might apply the juice in stage making it easier on all components to deal with instant torque against a 3000# standing object.

 

I would love to know more about the concept in general.

In the PPP(I still cant say it) the traction control kicks in quickly to prevent breakage due to this very fact. Unfortunately, if you were ever in the need for some get up and go and have a tire slip, it could account for some very scary moments, hence the reason I got rid of the one we had in under a year.

[MaineFusion]

In the PPP(I still cant say it) the traction control kicks in quickly to prevent breakage due to this very fact. Unfortunately, if you were ever in the need for some get up and go and have a tire slip, it could account for some very scary moments, hence the reason I got rid of the one we had in under a year.

What the heck is PPP? Pink plugin prius?

[Eddie Sessum]

I read that on the energi there is a mod you can do to make it give you full EV power. Similar to what the tesla's and many other EVs have. Where you can basicly burn the tires into the ground untill the battery dies.

[corncobs]

I corrected some of my previous posts I must have been drunk or something but I didn't have all my brain cells in order.

 

The hybrid system is using a Permanent Magnet AC Synchronous Motor or PMSM and the torque curve looks like the following

 

 

My comments about the torque of such a motor is still correct I just used the wrong terminology and it's still an AC motor driven by an inverter controlling the motor by converting the HVB DC to AC.

 

Sorry...

[majorleeslow]

Those are very interesting thoughts. Did you have a breakin period that was not as good mileage? Mine is only getting 32 mpg. I do have the 18" wheels and BF Goodrich tires and have heard that will give me worse mileage than stock 16" tires. I drive like a grandma and still only 32. I do only have 900 miles so far. You also say the weather doesn't make a difference? A lot of others say it does? Who do I believe?

Thanks,

I get over the epa almost 99% off the trips. the trick is to manipulate the physics to get better mpg. Look for the least traffic route under 50 mph , anticipate stop signs and coast a lot, do not use all the ev threshold, use blower at low speed instead of ac/ climate. dwb driving without brakes reduces the losses of conversion of energy from one form to other twice. on highway fools an suv or a truck at a safe distance. let them move the air for you. accelerate downhill and use that kinetic energy uphill. I use Empower mode to anticipate the level of juice in the battery pack. someone I can keep backing off as it shrinks to almost zero. No other screens show this and I love this feature in ffh. try these and if you don't see an improvement then there's something wrong in the car cvt slipping or alignment or tire air low or something. good luck.

[malibu3105]

Majorleeslow,

Those are great tips, but part of the point is the car get the good mileage and not the driver, at least to a point.

If I drove my Grand Prix that way I probably could have got 25 to 30 mpg.

 

Here in this part of California, you don't drive the freeways under 60 or you will get a ticket, or get shot, unless the traffic is bad which is a lot of the time.

Lots of speeding up, and slowing down with traffic. If you don't move with the person in front, the person behind will swerve around you, many times getting really close to make a point while honking.

 

My current issue is since the update for better mileage, my mileage has gone down. Less EV time for some reason.

Was coasting yesterday, in the afternoon so engine was warm, and it still was using ICE and mpg showed about 5.

Would not go EV until I used the break.

 

Maybe it needs to break in again as it got reset, or maybe something is wrong with my engine. It has over 6,000 miles on it.

 

They have called me in for a service / oil change. Strange since they originally told me 10,000 is when my oil gets changed.

Of course, that was before I purchased my car. Figures.

 

Well it's mine now so at least I am averaging between 39 and 40 mpg most of the time.

[majorleeslow]

Agreed I'd ask him to take a look at changing the gas station. for me I stay away from the no name gas stations that add way more ethanol and butane than mandated. On my recent long trip I had numbers from 10% higher to 15% lower from epa on my minivan. just measured on the tank fill and with scangage.

[majorleeslow]

just a thought that maybe the car is still fine the fuel maynot be.

[majorleeslow]

But malibu3105's issue seem closely tied to the update like mine. Sorry I might have overlooked that part.

I have a similar experience after the update and a few owners assured me that it will improve as the car learns your driving style.

[malibu3105]

Well, first, my mileage does seem to be improving now. So I am guessing, or assuming, that after the "Recall Update" the car needs to relearn in order to give great mileage.

So on that thought, I will give it a few more thousand miles. They do want me to go for service, Oil change etc. and it's free so I will go do that. Maybe they have a tweak they need to do and it's just easier to ask me to come for a free oil change then admit they need to tweak something.

 

But, interesting thoughts on Gas. I usually buy at Costco. Anyone have an opinion on Costco gas quality? I sometimes get it at an AM/PM Arco type place. Pretty run down actually, but it's cheap gas.

 

I also did the Sync update last Thursday, seems to have helped. Time will tell. :)

[MaineFusion]

But, interesting thoughts on Gas. I usually buy at Costco. Anyone have an opinion on Costco gas quality? I sometimes get it at an AM/PM Arco type place. Pretty run down actually, but it's cheap gas.

Regardless of who is selling it, most gas sold in a specific area comes from the same refinery. The only difference is the final blend of magic elixir that gets added to the fuel tanker before it gets delivered to the fueling stations. Those elixirs being ethanol and cleaning agents.

[majorleeslow]

No, I get all of that, but he alluded to the idea that if driven as EV that "Trying to drive the car like an electric vehicle, meaning leaving stop lights while staying in all electric gains you nothing and will lower your mpg numbers.". That is the part I don't get....

 

BTW, seeing any improvement in MPG?

I believe that's partially true. depends on SOC and road if you're stopped on top of a hill with decent SOC it's best to use all EV.