ECO Cruise

[jcg1005]

So this evening will complete week 1 with my HyTi. Some of you who had 2010/11 FFH will agree with me that tweaking the MPGs on this car is different that doing it with the older version.

 

My commute each day, one way, is 36.8 miles. It is VERY flat and the vast majority of it is 55MPH with two small sections of 45 and 65. In my 2011, I would set the cruise at the speed limit and use the pedal in the 45 to keep it on battery as much as I could. The 45 section has some slight hills, so you could time it to get good battery use on flat/downhill and charge on uphill.

 

I figured ECO cruise would do quite well, but I am sure I can vastly improve by not using it as mentioned elsewhere here about the ICE running a lot to charge the battery. I think ECO Cruise does well for accelerating, but I don't think it does a very good job being the brain of getting outstanding MPG's when cruising below 62 MPH. The tricks I used to use in the 2011 work great (dropping 1 mph on the cruise when on a slight downgrade to kick the ICE off)

 

Suggestions? I am convinced I can achieve more the EPA on my commute most of the time. Today there was some traffic that slowed me, and I got 46.1. The other work days have been reliably low 42.somethings. (Which isn't bad)

 

I just filled up last night and the long term and Fuelly matched at 41.9. Not bad considering all the sitting around I did playing with the toys.

 

 

[LostPuma]

In my experience eco cruise will definitely get you better mileage but not as fuel efficient as when I take the time to monitor the speed and account for elevation myself. I use the eco cruise when I am on flat roads and when there isn't anyone behind me.

 

edit: I should also mention that now that I am getting "better" at driving the hybrid and now that the weather is warming up my car is getting 38-39 mpg's even though my lifetime fuel efficiency is showing ~34 as seen below.

Edited May 8, 2013 by LostPuma

[acdii]

EcoCruise is good for Hybrid Newbs, then as they learn the techniques on besting the numbers, they will find using the CC less and less as they can most of the time do better by foot. I think I can count the number of times I used CC in my 10 on one hand, When I first got the Flex I used the cruise on it, it has the adaptive cruise, and learned its little quirks that way, now I dont even turn it on and have been getting great MPG using my foot and moderate acceleration.

 

My wife is driving the 10 for a while, we had to stop car pooling for a bit due to an unfortunate incident last week, so I dont know what the MPG is like in it at the moment, but when I last drove it it was right around 43 MPG.

[jcg1005]

Thanks for the reply!

 

In my '11 FFH, I found that I could beat the EPA estimates very easily on highway with the cruise set at the speed limit. When the speed limit was 45 or below, I never used cruise because I was always tweaking it to max the mileage. My summer time tank fulls were usually just shy of 43 mpg for regular commuting.

 

I have a lot to learn on this car compared to the 11. This morning I was playing around some and got 42.9 on my 36 mile commute. I will not be satisfied until I exceed EPA!!

[dalesky]

So this evening will complete week 1 with my HyTi. Some of you who had 2010/11 FFH will agree with me that tweaking the MPGs on this car is different that doing it with the older version.

 

My commute each day, one way, is 36.8 miles. It is VERY flat and the vast majority of it is 55MPH with two small sections of 45 and 65. In my 2011, I would set the cruise at the speed limit and use the pedal in the 45 to keep it on battery as much as I could. The 45 section has some slight hills, so you could time it to get good battery use on flat/downhill and charge on uphill.

 

I figured ECO cruise would do quite well, but I am sure I can vastly improve by not using it as mentioned elsewhere here about the ICE running a lot to charge the battery. I think ECO Cruise does well for accelerating, but I don't think it does a very good job being the brain of getting outstanding MPG's when cruising below 62 MPH. The tricks I used to use in the 2011 work great (dropping 1 mph on the cruise when on a slight downgrade to kick the ICE off)

 

Suggestions? I am convinced I can achieve more the EPA on my commute most of the time. Today there was some traffic that slowed me, and I got 46.1. The other work days have been reliably low 42.somethings. (Which isn't bad)

 

I just filled up last night and the long term and Fuelly matched at 41.9. Not bad considering all the sitting around I did playing with the toys.

 

OK, stop playing with the toys! Man, that is hard to do. Better to play when stopped tho. Love all the info and adjustments!!

[expresspotato]

Eco Cruise is one of the first things I enabled on the car - I notice not only does take longer to get up to speed, especially on a hill but it will also slow down a little bit less using adaptive cruise.

[dalesky]

Eco Cruise is one of the first things I enabled on the car - I notice not only does take longer to get up to speed, especially on a hill but it will also slow down a little bit less using adaptive cruise.

I only use Eco cruise, and the fact that it has a leisurely response is all part pf the driving smarter not harder for me.