Battery usage while going 72mph on cruise

[Checkers]

Hello!

 

Today I took one of my first longer drives and noticed that when driving with cruise set at 72mph I never saw the car go into EV mode, even if for a short period. I did see it assist the ICE a few times, but never run fully on EV mode. My Kia Optima Hybrid would do this about once every couple of minutes or so as the battery was mostly charged. I did see in the Fusion Hybrid forum that there was a TSB for this for them, did it apply to Energi's as well? When not using cruise I can make it go into EV mode, but only at 60mph or less.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[blars]

Sounds like you have it in auto instead of EV Now.

[Eric4539]

Hi Checkers!

 

I take at least 1 long drive a month and when I get onto the highway I switch to EV Later.  I set my Adaptive Cruise Control and the car will go into EV for short periods as it maintains the distance from the car in front of me.  When I'm going downhill the car will go into EV.  But high speed will use the ICE if you are in EV Auto or EV Later.  Once the HVB is depleted and I'm in Hybrid mode I can drive in EV at speeds of up 40 mph or so but it does take a very light foot to avoid the ICE kicking in.

 

If you use EV Now and drive at 72 mph your HVB would deplete very quickly.

[Checkers]

If I am on the highway, I would want it on auto I thought, as EV Now would exhaust the battery in no time. Am I wrong in this thinking?

[Checkers]

Eric4539, what am not seeing is it going into EV at all when on the highway. This is also Adaptive Cruise and climate off.me this is what confuses me. I was hoping to see at least some EV while using cruise on the highway.

[Eric4539]

What do you have your left screen in your instrument panel set to?  I use Engage which shows when you're using battery, the engine or both.  I'm sure at some point you're using EV, not for very long, but the car is smart and uses EV whenever possible.

[Checkers]

I do have it in Engage but not once did ii see it use EV only, been for Jura short period of tome. Mutha t's why I was wondering if there is anTSB like for the hybrids that raised the mph that EV would kick in. I I lower cruise to 60mph I see it happen, but it never happened at 70mph. My car is a n early production Energi, that is why I was wondering if maybe there was a TSB like the hybrids that in part addressed this among other things that effect mpg.

[murphy]

What is the build date for your Energi?  All job 2 Energi's should be capable of EV at up to 85 mph.  Job 2 production started in March 2013 I think.

[Checkers]

Sorry for the poor typing in the earlier post.

 

I am in engage so I can see both the engine and EV energy usage. My Energi is a very very early build it was first registered in 12/12 to Ford. I bought it used. Is there a TSB to enable the EV usage upto 85mph? I see there one for the hybrids, but could fund anything on the Energi's.

 

Today I drove 300 highway miles and again I did not see the engine shut off once while using ACC. It was set between 70 and 75. When I set it for 60mph and cruise I do see the engine shut off and go EV, even if for a short time.

 

Thanksmfor the help!

[murphy]

Charge the battery.

Run in EV Later until you get on a freeway.

When you are at 55 mph switch to EV Now (push the button twice) and see if it will go up to 70 mph.  The engine should not come on although you may get a pop up in the left screen telling you to push OK to enable the engine.  Ignore it.  Do not floor it as that will force the engine on.

[Russael]

I believe the Fusion Energi was always programmed to go up to 85MPH in EV mode - they had that as part of their ad campaign.  The Fusion Hybrid used to be limited to 62, but they have since raised it to 85 (which to me is pointless since the battery is so small).

 

If you want to run on the freeway in an EV mode, you'll need to do it in EV Now or EV Auto so long as it has miles left.  If you're driving on flat ground in either EV later or hybrid mode, you will not switch to an EV mode.  I can even make that happen going 45MPH on surface streets and hitting green lights in a row.  It's more efficient for fuel economy for the ICE to float the battery charge than to constantly change back and forth.  It costs the car more energy to have the ICE recharge the battery.

 

Ideally, if you're in hybrid or EV Later, you car CAN flip over to an EV mode if you start slowing down/coasting, going downhill, or having the car do something where it can put energy back in to the battery.  But if you start using the battery exclusively to propel the vehicle, it sucks it down pretty fast, and then when the motor does kick back on, it not only has to propel the vehicle, but also put some charge back in to the battery.  You'll notice that while in hybrid mode, the charge likes to stay around 80% of Hybrid mode, and the ICE will solely propel the vehicle.  That leaves room for energy to go back in to the battery, and also has some energy for charge assist/EV modes.  If you watch your instant fuel economy, if you're just coming out of EV mode, the economy is downright bad (around 20MPG), but you'll see it start improving as the charge approaches 80%.  Once you see no charge or discharging happening, your economy will be 40 or above.

[jeff_h]

If you want to run on the freeway in an EV mode, you'll need to do it in EV Now or EV Auto so long as it has miles left.  If you're driving on flat ground in either EV later or hybrid mode, you will not switch to an EV mode.  I can even make that happen going 45MPH on surface streets and hitting green lights in a row.  It's more efficient for fuel economy for the ICE to float the battery charge than to constantly change back and forth.  It costs the car more energy to have the ICE recharge the battery.

 

I've found that temperature seems to be a big factor here, as when it is 70 degrees outside, the car will jump into EV as easily as it jumps out of EV when it's 20 degrees.  The terrain (flat, uphill, downhill) is of course the primary factor, but it seems to me that the outside temps (and accompanying HVAC use, I expect) also play a big role.

[Checkers]

Thank you everyone for the info, VERY helpful!

 

Although, I did not read it anywhere I was under the impression that once the battery was changed while in hybrid mode, the battery would kick in at highway speeds and the engine would shut off for a short, short time, then the engine would charge up the battery (at least portion used for hybrid mode) and then repeat, over and over.  This was the experience for the last hybrid I drove and assumed the Energi would do the same.  I just have not seen this yet.

 

I did try to drive on a fully charged battery at 75mph and it in deed did work at that speed. 

 

Yesterday I saw only 30mpg at 72mph over 80 miles (reset trip).  I was less than happy about that, and did not see the engine shut off once.  What I did notice was ever so slight EV assistance to the ICE at times, but not often and not full EV.  I was in EV later mode, I wonder if in AUTO mode it might kick on/in and run on EV for short times with engine shut off?   Thoughts?

 

I want so much to get the most out of my car.

 

Again - all help and suggestion welcome!

 

I have learned so much since I purchased my Energi, and I thought I knew a lot before I made the decision to purchase one.

 

Mike

[Russael]

... Isn't there a TSB in regards to engine reprogramming to get more economy out of it or was that hybrid only too? 

 

Edit:  Found it... it was hybrid only.

 

• • Date Reported AUGUST 01 2013
  • NHTSA Reference #10052832
  • TSB Reference #CSP-13B07

  Description: FORD: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVEMENT, POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE CALIBRATION WHEN UPDATING PCM AND MODULES SOBDM-C AND IDS SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED, THEN R86.01 NEEDS UPDATING. MODELS 2013 C-MAX, FUSION, MKZ HYBRID.

  Repair Information for NHTSA #10052832

Edited April 5, 2014 at 12:15 PM by Russael

[SteveEnergi]

You most likely won't get 43 mpg driving at 72 MPH.  You probably need to be around 60mph to get the 43mpg.  If you can handle it, and the traffic around you, drive at 55mph.  That'll get you even better fuel economy.

[viajero]

Although, I did not read it anywhere I was under the impression that once the battery was changed while in hybrid mode, the battery would kick in at highway speeds and the engine would shut off for a short, short time, then the engine would charge up the battery (at least portion used for hybrid mode) and then repeat, over and over.  This was the experience for the last hybrid I drove and assumed the Energi would do the same.  I just have not seen this yet.

 

In my C-Max Energi, the ICE turns on and off during highway driving on flat ground up to speeds in the mid 60s.  At 70 mph or more, the ICE just runs continuously, with a very slight charge or discharge from time to time, just as you described.

 

My theory is that at this speed the engine is operating near its most efficient operating point, and there's nothing to be gained by using the hybrid system.  Google "Brake Specific Fuel Consumption" (BSFC).

[viajero]

Yesterday I saw only 30mpg at 72mph over 80 miles (reset trip).  I was less than happy about that, and did not see the engine shut off once.  What I did notice was ever so slight EV assistance to the ICE at times, but not often and not full EV.  I was in EV later mode, I wonder if in AUTO mode it might kick on/in and run on EV for short times with engine shut off?   Thoughts?

 

I've never seen mpg that low, unless going uphill and/or in a strong wind.  I usually get mid 30s at 75 mph.  Make sure to measure mpg on a round trip where you come back to the same starting point where you reset the trip meter.  Even a seemingly small uphill can make a big difference in miles per gallon.  Also check the SOC when you start and finish.  Sometimes EV Later likes to add a bit of charge from where it starts, which will affect your mpg.

[shaggy314]

Also, with adaptive Cruise enabled, DRAFTING will help a lot. I've gotten behind large trucks while set to 1 bar and gotten some fairly good mileage going 70.

 

I think mythbusters was talking something in the neighborhood of -25% gas usage at 50 feet (they did 3 distances and I forget the suicide distance (20 feet maybe)).

[Russael]

I saw that episode.  You could also texture your car like a golf ball and get a good 10% boost in economy too. :)

[Gigi]

Yesterday I saw only 30mpg at 72mph over 80 miles (reset trip).  I was less than happy about that, and did not see the engine shut off once.

Checkers, I'm with you.  I think that 30 mpg is on the low side.  The worst mpg I have gotten on a long trip on the highway at 70-75 mph speeds has been 37 mpg and that was with 4 people and luggage.  Take it to the dealer and see if the PCM needs an update.

 

I have seen what you describe, the engine running constantly at highway speed without shutting off.  This has been on a long trip with the battery depleted or driving in EV Later mode while driving on flat terrain with the cruise control on and very little variation in elevation or speed.  The car will settle into a constant rpm and just stay that way until there is some relief (slowing or downhill) when the engine will shut down and EV will kick in.

 

Driving on the highway in Auto or EV Now mode at 70+ mph with a fully charged battery, my car will stay in EV without the engine coming on, but that's good for only 15 miles or so.  Generally, whenever I head down an entrance ramp to a freeway, I put the car in EV Later mode since using the engine is more efficient at highway speeds than the electric motor.

[KPerino]

Hi all,

I'm a new 2014 Energi owner and new to the forum. Sorry to ask a basic question, but I thought this group would have the real world experience to answer. I drive about 40 miles one way to work, mostly highway, at speeds up to 70+. I charge over night, and at work, so I have a full charge on each leg of my commute. Can you suggest the best way to set the EV mode to be most efficient? Should I stay in "Auto", or in "EV Only" until the battery runs out, or some combination? Any other tips you can think of for this long of a commute? Thanks so much for you help,

Ken

[meyersnole]

Knowing a little more about your route might help.

 

Are there sections of your trip that are consistently congested, or where the speed limit is 50 or below? At 70+ mph you will burn through your battery rather rapidly. For my car the magic number seems to be 64 mph. I was driving the other day on the freeway and decided to go from EV later to EV Now with the cruise set to 65. The car put up a nice msg telling me no, for performance reasons it was going to continue to run the ICE. Knock the speed down 1 mph and it happily complied.

 

I do not do much freeway driving, except on long trips, so my experience is limited here.

 

I would think that if you are running in EV Auto above 65mph that it will primarily stay in hybrid mode, but I always like to actively manage it. In areas of congestion (45 or less) I would drop into EV now. I would also try and save some battery for the secondary roads where the speed limits are lower.

 

It will probably take some experimentation to figure out how to manage your battery so that you have exhausted it by the time you get to work, but if you can find a way to use the battery where it is most efficient then it will pay off.

 

Also, if you leave the house just 10 mins earlier you could slow down to 64 and really push your efficiency numbers higher.

 

You might find these topics interesting:

 

Anyone taken a long road trip yet?

 

Real world mpg

 

Ev miles

[Rexracer]

Exactly what meyersnole said.

If your drive truely is freeway all the way both ways, then just set it in auto and let it do its thing. But generally there are times off the highway that you can use the battery more effectively. 

Like my typical drive, 1 mile to the freeway, get on the freeway, go 1 mile get off the freeway, go 1 mile on surface streets to work. I just leave it in auto, it uses only battery, and with such a short distance I often have left over battery at the end of the day. Times I'm going farther on the freeway I will save the battery for driving around at slower speeds in town, but if I know its all freeway, I will just let the car use the battery up.

 

If I know I am going on the freway up hills, I will do EV later, since hills really kill the battery. Then I have battery to regen coming down the hills and use on flatter sections where its more efficent.