My Ford Mobile is destroying my life!!!

[Griff]

My Ford Mobile used to be a nice way to track how much fuel you were saving and give you an idea of how economically you drove. It had the side effect of making a better driver out of people who previously were "lane swervers", "peddle mashers", "tail gaters (not the football kind)", "hard stoppers", and "speeders". I welcomed the effect it has had on my driving. Until....... MY COMMUNITY!!!! 

 

 I have noticed in the MY Community section of My Ford Mobile (MFM) that you are ranked on not using gas, regenerating miles from braking, average driving score, and average ratio of electric:gas. I am at a disadvantage of getting some of the highest rankings due to my average daily travel ( >22 miles), average speed on highways (>55 mph), and the unpredictable madness of stop n go rush hour traffic braking. So, to make up for those disadvantages, I try to get the best scores possible when not in those situations. 

 

I didn't think I had a problem until today. First, I used the "Gas Buddy" app to find the least expensive gas in my area. Then I calculated if driving a further distance to get cheaper gas would make sense. (It did.)  I had a full big battery and set out on my 16.2 mile round-trip to buy gas that was .08/gallon cheaper. The trip would cost me approximately $0.70. The savings would be $0.96. I set off on my trip.This is when the madness began.

 

Pulled out of my drive to head out of my development. Hit a small grade, started braking and the engine comes on. NOOOOO!!!!!!!   :drop: this will drop my score due to the engine running. Maybe I can recover. It ran for less than 15 seconds. Maybe the computer won't notice. I continue on my trip out of town. It's gonna be mostly uphill for this trip so I can't expect a really high 3 digit MPGe score. Oh well. Advanced Cruise Control is set for 49 mph (50mph zone). I'm cruising.  :shift:  I see a traffic signal ahead. No one is around. It should stay green for me. 500 yards...400 yards...300 yards....200 yards... YELLOW....Can I make it....RED! You sonuvab!@$&!!!! Brake score 67%.... Made it to the gas station with few other surprises. Braking score-89% EV 100% (Whew!! It didn't notice)  Driving score-90. 129 MPGe. Not bad. I wanted almost perfect to increase my ranking.

 

Now it's time for the trip back. Mostly downhill. This should be cake!! Wrong....... Heading on my way home. Got the cruise control going. Dude behind me is pissed. He thinks I should be going 70 in a 50. Goes around me, gets in front and slams on the brakes. That ain't good for my braking score. Continue on. Road-rage-sunday-driver leaves me in his dust. Good for him. Hey remember that traffic light I talked about earlier? Yeah. It got me again. I wanted to slow down proactively on approach, but I didn't think that would go over well for the cars behind me. Braking score- 56%  :banghead:  The only thing I had going for me on the return trip was the amount of downhill stretches. This allowed me to get more regen miles and offset the 2 crappy braking scores. 100% EV, 91% Braking Score, 168 MPGe Driving Score.........85??!! I can get that driving score on I-95!!!!  

 

I found myself actually getting mad when I didn't brake better or when I couldn't be as efficient as I liked. WTH is that all about?!??!? The MY COMMUNITY aspect makes me even crazier about driving economically than I should otherwise be. 

 

Anyone else?

[Marc]

I do find myself driving like a little old lady now a days but I like it. It's like playing a video game when I commute to and from work now as I try to keep my coacing bars at full at all times. I find myself looking for routes that have more traffic so I can keep my speed below 40 and stay in the most efficient electric modes. I'm keeping a hand on the EV mode button so I can move the car to EV Later anytime I'm about to get over 45MPH to ensure I'll have enough electric to get through the lower speed sections of my commute home.

 

Strangely enough, this is the most fun I've had driving a car and my last car was a 3 series!

 

I have a 22 mile commute each day and I manage to do about 16 miles in electric with 2.5 to 3 miles of regen each way. It is a hoot to see how far I can get on electric each day!

[Russael]

I've noticed that it has made me exceedingly conservative... even more than I already was.  With my other vehicles before this one, on the freeway the speed limit is 70, I don't go faster than 65.  I used to drive 5 over the speed limit on surface streets, but after hearing that the fuzz was getting ants in their pants about handing out tickets, I brought it back to maybe 2 over.  I accelerated 'normally' and would just keep up with traffic, braking never mattered a whole lot, but I started coasting more after watching some hypermiling videos.

 

But with the Fusion... It's taken the dial from maybe a 6 and totally broke it past the 10 limit.  :)

 

I'm a competitive person, especially against myself.  Like Griff, I now get annoyed if I don't get 100% braking score.  I find myself doing the speed limit or under now (under if no other traffic is around).  I try to keep speeds 40mph or less... I accelerate slowly and smoothly.  Watching those coach bars has really made me anal about keeping them full.  I do what I can to try to keep myself at the top of the Renaissance Man category.  I was at the top of EV ratio too but I managed to get the car to mess up it's upload by powercycling it a second time within 10 seconds of turning it off.

 

BUT, I find it satisfying knowing that I'm getting all I can out of the car.  I've relearned how to drive and surprisingly, not a lot of people seem to race around me as I expected.  I utilize the navigation system's Eco route even for established routes (to see if it can find a more conservative route... and it has).  It's fun.

 

Bottom line is I bought a car designed for economical driving... so why not drive it the way it's intended? :)

[shaggy314]

It's a nice system, except for the BS about how long since you got gas part... Mine's been stuck on 40 miles for a couple of weeks after being stuck on 35 or so. I've put gas in my car twice, in 4 months, and I have 5100 miles. How in the F*CK have I only gone 40 miles without putting gas in, I've done that much on electric in a day... I hate My Community just for that.

 

Fuelly also hates me in that it refuses to track my mileage since clearly I'm lying about getting 215 and 235 mpg (of gas) on my first two tanks. So far they have track 0 miles of my 5150 driven.

[SD Diver]

I feel your pain...  My other ride is an Infiniti G35.  Driving it on our SoCal freeways, I tend to be aggressive.  Woe to the driver in the fast lane of the freeway who is not doing at least 85.  Stuck behind him, I get ticked!  Well, yesterday I am driving from San Diego to Anaheim in the Energi.  drive 3 miles to I-5.  Oh no - now that I am on the freeway, I had better save my battery for my destination - time to switch to EV Later.  Started the trip with a 84.5 lifetime mpg (from the left info display).  Crap!  My numbers are falling - 50 miles in and I'm down below 80 mpg lifetime.  Time to take the carpool lane.  Use the ECO cruise control and inch it up to 70 while watching my gas use increase.  Traffic is building up behind me.  Inch it up to 75 - cringing on the result the whole time.  Then it dawns on me - I'm cringing because I'm only getting 40 mpg?  In the Infiniti, I'd be at 85-90 and feeling good about getting 20 mpg.  What is happening to me?  Have I aged 30 years in the 3+ weeks I've had this car?  Decided to drive the Infiniti today to get back some of my lost youth.  Part of me wants to just ignore MFM and drive like I'd like, but my competitive nature won't allow it...  So, am I a better drive now?  Certainly when I drive my Energi...    :)

 

Does anyone else feel that we not so much drive these cars as pilot them?

:idea:

[Fat Fusion]

Haha it's just a different kind of fun.  This is my other car and my goal is to pretty much use as much gas as possible!  It ranges from 5.9 at Laguna Seca to about 25 driving like a senile grandmother.

 

[SD Diver]

Beautiful!  

[markb]

Agree, it's buggy.  I've  driven over 400 miles since I picked up my car and have used ZERO gas.  MyFordMobile shows 40 miles without adding gas.  Go figure!

[Griff]

I feel your pain...  My other ride is an Infiniti G35.  Driving it on our SoCal freeways, I tend to be aggressive.  Woe to the driver in the fast lane of the freeway who is not doing at least 85.  Stuck behind him, I get ticked!  Well, yesterday I am driving from San Diego to Anaheim in the Energi.  drive 3 miles to I-5.  Oh no - now that I am on the freeway, I had better save my battery for my destination - time to switch to EV Later.  Started the trip with a 84.5 lifetime mpg (from the left info display).  Crap!  My numbers are falling - 50 miles in and I'm down below 80 mpg lifetime.  Time to take the carpool lane.  Use the ECO cruise control and inch it up to 70 while watching my gas use increase.  Traffic is building up behind me.  Inch it up to 75 - cringing on the result the whole time.  Then it dawns on me - I'm cringing because I'm only getting 40 mpg?  In the Infiniti, I'd be at 85-90 and feeling good about getting 20 mpg.  What is happening to me?  Have I aged 30 years in the 3+ weeks I've had this car?  Decided to drive the Infiniti today to get back some of my lost youth.  Part of me wants to just ignore MFM and drive like I'd like, but my competitive nature won't allow it...  So, am I a better drive now?  Certainly when I drive my Energi...    :)

 

Does anyone else feel that we not so much drive these cars as pilot them?

:idea:

Ah yes! A kindred spirit. It's great to know I am not alone.  :salute:

[Dag]

Today I coasted up to a stop light. In the lane next to me a fully loaded tractor trailer. I looked at the traffic lights in the other lanes, they went from green to yellow then red!

 

I let my foot off the brake.

 

Our light turned green!

 

Green, Green Green!!

 

It was a race off the line, the tractor trailer lunged forward, I saw the truck bounce around as the driver quickly shifted gears! We are halfway through the intersection, the truck jolts forward again as the driver is fighting with all his might to get power to that 50,000lb load he was hauling.

 

Finally we are through the intersection, I'm trailing behind slightly, the speed limit sign is clearly marked at 45, and before I know it, he's gone. I can't keep up. I concede the race and look down at my acceleration score, phew, I have a full bar still.

 

I win!

Edited October 12, 2013 at 01:09 AM by Dag

[Griff]

Today I coasted up to a stop light. In the lane next to me a fully loaded tractor trailer. I looked at the traffic lights in the other lanes, they went from green to yellow then red!

 

I let my foot off the break.

 

Our light turned green!

 

Green, Green Green!!

 

It was a race off the line, the tractor trailer lunged forward, I saw the truck bounce around as the driver quickly shifted gears! We are halfway through the intersection, the truck jolts forward again as the driver is fighting with all his might to get power to that 50,000lb load he was hauling.

 

Finally we are through the intersection, I'm trailing behind slightly, the speed limit sign is clearly marked at 45, and before I know it, he's gone. I can't keep up. I concede the race and look down at my acceleration score, phew, I have a full bar still.

 

I win!

:banvictory:  :banvictory:  :headspin:  :headspin:  :hi5:

[CombsAuthor]

Today I coasted up to a stop light. In the lane next to me a fully loaded tractor trailer. I looked at the traffic lights in the other lanes, they went from green to yellow then red!

I let my foot off the break.

Our light turned green!

Green, Green Green!!

It was a race off the line, the tractor trailer lunged forward, I saw the truck bounce around as the driver quickly shifted gears! We are halfway through the intersection, the truck jolts forward again as the driver is fighting with all his might to get power to that 50,000lb load he was hauling.

Finally we are through the intersection, I'm trailing behind slightly, the speed limit sign is clearly marked at 45, and before I know it, he's gone. I can't keep up. I concede the race and look down at my acceleration score, phew, I have a full bar still.

I win!

This is a great post ;-)

[CombsAuthor]

Agree, it's buggy.  I've  driven over 400 miles since I picked up my car and have used ZERO gas.  MyFordMobile shows 40 miles without adding gas.  Go figure!

I agree with that ---

 

I've gone 1,950 miles without filling up...but it says that I've gone 12.

[murphy]

It appears to be displaying the longest trip in the previous 30 days.  Mine has been at 11 miles forever.  That is the longest trip that I normally make.  Yesterday I went to a destination 35 miles away for a total of 70 miles.  It is now displaying 35 miles for me. 

 

So until proven wrong I think it is displaying the longest trip segment in the last 30 days.

If that is the case it is a worthless metric.

[SD Diver]

I believe you are right. I drove from San Diego to Anaheim last weekend and mine went from 40 to 83. Makes sense now. Guess I need to find a several hundred mile stretch of freeway that is all downhill and not make any stops...

[CombsAuthor]

It appears to be displaying the longest trip in the previous 30 days.  Mine has been at 11 miles forever.  That is the longest trip that I normally make.  Yesterday I went to a destination 35 miles away for a total of 70 miles.  It is now displaying 35 miles for me. 

 

So until proven wrong I think it is displaying the longest trip segment in the last 30 days.

If that is the case it is a worthless metric.

Murphy I think you're right, most of our trips are 10 - 15 miles as well. This ranking removes the competitive nature as it only encourages you to drive farther which seems to diminish one of the primary purposes of buying a PHEV, (saving resources).

[Fat Fusion]

Haha you think someone would really start driving further and further just to see some result on their screen?  It is a little weird that it only displays the longest trip.

[SD Diver]

Going on a long road trip over the holidays.  Looks like the best option to boost this number is to not turn off the car until I have come to as close to exhausting the range as possible.  Better tell my wife to not drink any water - bio breaks will affect my results!   ;)

 

I doubt that I'll be able to get much past 600 though.  Freeway driving at 75 mph will not help my score unless I have a large downhill grade and can drag the brakes - but that will gain me what, 25 miles at most?  Part of me wants to delete the MFM bookmark and just enjoy the car!

[obakare]

 

I've actually found I drive more aggressively in my other car as a result of being so obsessively efficient in my Energi.

 

I just hope I won't get any tickets anytime soon!  ;)

[Dag]

 

 

I've actually found I drive more aggressively in my other car as a result of being so obsessively efficient in my Energi.

 

I just hope I won't get any tickets anytime soon!  ;)

 

If you get tickets in that thing, it's cause you were too nice and pulled over....  - just sayin...

[obakare]

Haha... I try to confine my high speed escapades to the track!

[Fat Fusion]

Haha... I try to confine my high speed escapades to the track!

 

 

THREAD HI-JACKED!!

 

What are you driving at the track?

 

Here's a recent vid from Laguna Seca in my Boss 302 with a bunch of other Mustangs.

 

[obakare]

Sorry for the thread-jack!

 

I used to drive my V8 powered R8 on the track, but next season the V10 will heading there as well.

Alternately, I plan to convince my friend to let me drive his Stohr F1000 soon!

 

By the way, I just checked my app, and I'm fully charged! Time to head out for a little drive soon :)

[jeff_h]

This stuff doesn't have anything to do with MyFordMobile, feel free to start an off topic post and show off the hot rods, gravedigger, whatever... but how about keeping this thread related to MFM, thanks.

[Fat Fusion]

OK, back on topic.  MFM still doesn't work for me over a week later.  So much for "escalating" my issue.