Not happy with mpg

[clummus]

Ok...maybe I'm jumping the gun, but 112 miles on it, and never any higher than 30 mpg:(..

[Guardian_Bob]

Yeah, a little early. You need at least 1000 miles to break in the engine, so says the owner's manual.

 

Check the coach in the MPG screen, what's it complaining about?

 

Also make sure you turn on Eco mode for cruise control, it helps a lot.

[clummus]

Where is the coach in mpg..haven't found him yet

[Guardian_Bob]

Go to MPG on the left hand screen (left, down to mpg and then right). Then use the up or down arrow to show a set of bar graphs, they'll show how you're doing on acceleration, braking and cruising.

 

Looks like:

Edited June 4, 2013 by Guardian_Bob

[kuzzi]

For perspective, when I rebuilt the engine on my bike and all the parts were not broken in yet, I was getting 20-25 mpg. After break-in of a thousand miles, I'm getting 45 mpg.

 

Larger engines need more time since the engine moves at slower rpm. Hybrid engine may need even longer since the engine isn't on all the time while driving.

[clummus]

Ok..I don't see an mpg as a choice..Just display mode, trip 1 & 2, fuel economy etc

[clummus]

I know, but acddi and others are getting on the 40 s right off. guess if anyone deserves it, it's him!

[Guardian_Bob]

My mistake, Fuel Economy, not MPG.

[clummus]

found it..

[Guardian_Bob]

found it..

 

And is it like mine or does it say anything needs work?

 

Oh and the MPG graph can be changed to be multiple minutes (up to 6), so you can capture up to 30 minutes of driving. You might be able to see some trends from that.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Guardian_Bob

[clummus]

the brake score is in the yellow..So do I need to brake more or less

[lolder]

Brake early and lightly so you almost coast to a stop. It may require whole new driving habits.

[jeff_h]

Brake early and lightly so you almost coast to a stop. It may require whole new driving habits.

 

I think it's safe to say that new driving habits need to be adopted if you want to drive for MPG. The first night driving home from the dealer I got 37 MPG... next morning driving to work I got 31 MPG... takes at least a couple thousand to break in and get better MPG so be patient, and be smooth like lolder noted. I had 4 trips today - 58 miles @ 55.2 MPG, 42 miles @ 59.2 MPG, 43 miles @ 61.9 MPG, and 59 miles @ 57.4 MPG -- which required 3 things: 1) weather was mild, only needed AC during last leg of the day; 2) drove smoothly meaning regen braking early and if a full stop is not needed before light turns green again that normally means better MPG; 3) your car only has 112 miles, mine will hit 15,000 next week so engine is now suited for best MPG.

[clummus]

thanks guys for your encouragement. I want acddi's numbers..Lol

[fusionTX]

I think it's safe to say that new driving habits need to be adopted if you want to drive for MPG. The first night driving home from the dealer I got 37 MPG... next morning driving to work I got 31 MPG... takes at least a couple thousand to break in and get better MPG so be patient, and be smooth like lolder noted. I had 4 trips today - 58 miles @ 55.2 MPG, 42 miles @ 59.2 MPG, 43 miles @ 61.9 MPG, and 59 miles @ 57.4 MPG -- which required 3 things: 1) weather was mild, only needed AC during last leg of the day; 2) drove smoothly meaning regen braking early and if a full stop is not needed before light turns green again that normally means better MPG; 3) your car only has 112 miles, mine will hit 15,000 next week so engine is now suited for best MPG.

Your are getting better mileage than the great majority of owners, and you seem to do it consistently.

Can you describe your commute on which you achieve these numbers?

Your either doing something really right or you have a very favorable commute or a little of both.

My commute is not as long as yours, and that may be part of where the difference comes in.

[jeff_h]

Your are getting better mileage than the great majority of owners, and you seem to do it consistently.

Can you describe your commute on which you achieve these numbers?

Your either doing something really right or you have a very favorable commute or a little of both.

My commute is not as long as yours, and that may be part of where the difference comes in.

 

Morning commute is 60 miles.... 3 miles through the burbs onto I-95, then 50 miles on that and the DC beltway... then 7 miles of 45-55 MPH roads. Afternoon commute is reversed... Then when I have to go to my client site (like today) it's that same 7 miles out to the beltway and then 30 miles the other way on beltway and I-95, then about 5 miles of 35-45 MPH roads and end up near Baltimore. That trip up there always tends to make for the best MPG, and today was 61.9... the only place I get better MPG is going to my mother-in-law's house and well I'll forgo the great MPG in that case!

 

Same behavior applies to the highway, I stay mostly in the right lane, and set the cruise at 62 so I am in EV over 50% of the time... that's probably too slow for many hot-rodders out there, but I just ease back in 'serenity now' mode and watch the candy chasers (the hyperactive kids racing for a candy bar) scramble and remember how I used to do that. On the 35-55 MPH roads they are rolling hills, and so I play roller coaster on them a bit, meaning I accelerate down the hills to run the ICE and charge the HVB without needing a lot of oomph to move the car... then gather speed and ease up the uphills. Not a huge amount of variance, maybe 10 MPH difference but it seems to help take advantage of gravity where possible.... and being as smooth as possible during gradual stops and starts, to keep from needing to stomp on the gas to get going.

[rjent]

I have about 1200 miles on now, and I am seeing over 50 on 55 MPH two lane highways. I am seeing 42 or so on the Interstates at 64 eco cruise. I want to try the 62 MPH trick on the Interstate. I think that may be where you are getting a lot of effeciency with your car.

 

Anyway, fabulous job! I know these cars are capable of very high numbers. You just have to "dial in" how to drive your particular terrain. I am in very mountainous country and I feel it is hindering me by 2 to 3 MPG, but with that said, using your technique (which I have not tried yet) may even that out.

 

Great info brother! :)

 

Morning commute is 60 miles.... 3 miles through the burbs onto I-95, then 50 miles on that and the DC beltway... then 7 miles of 45-55 MPH roads. Afternoon commute is reversed... Then when I have to go to my client site (like today) it's that same 7 miles out to the beltway and then 30 miles the other way on beltway and I-95, then about 5 miles of 35-45 MPH roads and end up near Baltimore. That trip up there always tends to make for the best MPG, and today was 61.9... the only place I get better MPG is going to my mother-in-law's house and well I'll forgo the great MPG in that case!

 

Same behavior applies to the highway, I stay mostly in the right lane, and set the cruise at 62 so I am in EV over 50% of the time... that's probably too slow for many hot-rodders out there, but I just ease back in 'serenity now' mode and watch the candy chasers (the hyperactive kids racing for a candy bar) scramble and remember how I used to do that. On the 35-55 MPH roads they are rolling hills, and so I play roller coaster on them a bit, meaning I accelerate down the hills to run the ICE and charge the HVB without needing a lot of oomph to move the car... then gather speed and ease up the uphills. Not a huge amount of variance, maybe 10 MPH difference but it seems to help take advantage of gravity where possible.... and being as smooth as possible during gradual stops and starts, to keep from needing to stomp on the gas to get going.

[expresspotato]

It will get better, although I'm not consistently seeing 47 MPG I am seeing around the 40 MPG mark which is much better than what is was in Winter at about 32 MPG.

 

My lifetime average is 16.6 KM/L converted to MPG is 39.05.

Not nearly as a good as claimed but just as good as a Camry Hybrid - a vehicle of similar size.

[rico567]

Up front (and setting aside the question of break-in), I will say I have no direct knowledge of these things because we don't yet own a FFH, but I've done a lot of reading about hybrid driving techniques on this and other hybrid car forums (and I DID stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night!). I can only reiterate what some people have already said in this thread: driving a hybrid is going to require a great sea-change in driving habits for most people to realize optimum mileage.

 

Numbers 1,2,3,4, & 5: Slow down; make friends with the right lane on Interstates and expressways, and use it. As someone mentioned, it's at speeds over 40 mph that air resistance starts to become a bigger factor in reduced mileage. For starters, I learned a number of years ago to just ask myself: "Am I traveling under the speed limit?" At lot of people don't. As highway speeds increase, the resistance from air friction decreases mileage exponentially, per this graph:

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sheldonbrown.com/rinard/aero/grafik2.gif&imgrefurl=http://sheldonbrown.com/rinard/aero/formulas.htm&h=345&w=530&sz=38&tbnid=E6eDbaiHqNORnM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__oWQmIHc5ZfTMEPn-Mvra7a0HTfw=&docid=i3-jD4RKMdKc6M&sa=X&ei=lxWvUfDnL5PUyQH15oDQBA&ved=0CIgBEPUBMAk&dur=701

 

If you're not at one with reading graphs, notice that toward the right hand side, the curve showing power requirements tends to become vertical. This is the "exponential" part, a word that, to quote Lewis Black, "I finally got to use exponential in a sentence. It means crappier and crappier and crappier."

 

6. When on the open road, use the technique described of gaining speed on the downhills and then using that speed to crest the next uphill. This is an example when Mr. Gravity can be your friend, in contradistinction to jumping out of a plane without a parachute.

 

7. In urban driving in particular, make effective use of regenerative braking. A hybrid driveline actually breaks down to two things that enable greater fuel efficiency. One is the efficient but rather anæmic Atkinson-cycle ICE (internal combustion engine) operating in conjunction with electric MGs (motor-generator sets). The second is a byproduct of that "G" in MG...that the electric motor that helps out the ICE when accelerating can turn into a generator when you ease on the brake pedal, recharging the HV (high voltage) battery pack. But- the driver must do their part in making this possible. Anticipating slowdowns and stops and making them gradual is the key= a light foot on the brake. This is going to give that regenerative part of the system more time to recharge the battery, thus enabling more EV driving.

[hybridbear]

the brake score is in the yellow..So do I need to brake more or less

It means you're doing a poor job of braking and this is causing your low mileage. Your acceleration is probably poor too if you're used to accelerating fast in your previous car. Instead of asking the same question that has already been asked many times, do some reading based on the information in the thread below. It is unproductive to ask ppl to explain everything to you again when the information is already out there

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6816-useful-information-for-all-new-forum-users/

Edited June 5, 2013 by hybridbear

[BradS7535]

 

Same behavior applies to the highway, I stay mostly in the right lane, and set the cruise at 62 so I am in EV over 50% of the time...

 

So does anyone have anything else to say about this? Many people say that keeping it OUT of EV mode and high state of charge will yield better MPG on freeways/interstates, yet jeff_h seems to be getting great numbers by letting EV/ICE cycle.

[hermans]

I have found my best highway mileage by traveling in ECO and at 62 MPH. But then others poo-poo that.

[fusionTX]

 

So does anyone have anything else to say about this? Many people say that keeping it OUT of EV mode and high state of charge will yield better MPG on freeways/interstates, yet jeff_h seems to be getting great numbers by letting EV/ICE cycle.

For Houston highways, this works best. The heavier the traffic, usually the better the MPG (within reason).

On a long trip, I would go crazy if I had to drive at 62, but on a city highway, it's no big deal as long as you stay out of the way on the right.

[clummus]

I am certainly not trying to be disrespectful

guardianbob was being helpful to me. You do not have to respond to my questions. it is rude of you to speak to me that way. I am directing this to hybridbear following his comment to me.

Edited June 5, 2013 by clummus

[Guardian_Bob]

I am certainly not trying to be disrespectful

guardianbob was being helpful to me. You do not have to respond to my questions. it is rude of you to speak to me that way. I am directing this to hybridbear following his comment to me.

 

I'd refrain from poking the bear...

 

He's just grumpy because someone ask similar questions earlier this week (or was it last) and was quite rude. He went though and made that post to try and address questions like yours, but it was lost in the shuffle.

 

The post is now pinned in the Welcome forum.