Journey to 800+ Miles on a single tank in a C-Max Hybrid

[Jus-A-CMax]

  :happy feet: :happy feet:  FINAL MILES :happy feet: :happy feet:

 

 

660.4 EV (79%) of the 833.8 miles was EV - Gotta :wub2: that.

 

 

That's 0.06c per miles with this tank. This tank was topped off by about $1.25 since I missed the $55.00 mark.

 

BIG SHOUT out to :worship:  Matt aka Recumpence, the 1st dude to push the 700 Mile Limit and show whats possible and

everyone whos cheered me on - this one is for  :worship:  YOU guys & :rockon: Adair !

 

=============================================================================

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

"You are NUTZ" claimed by wife when I told her I was going to try to get 800 miles in a single tank in my Cmax. This was just after I got the 764.5 miles, in which I left gas in the tank.
 
...but that's what happens when you get the MPG bug in a car that was never released before with a hybrid drivesystem.
 
We (the 600+ Miles CMax Club) just want to know how far this car can really go. Right?
 
We use to think the 600 was King, and both ptjones and I broke that on the same day. Matt aka Recumpence was the first to break the 650 mark and the first to break the sky-high 700 mark. The 750 mark was mine and now the HOLY GRAIL of 800 seems achievable for a non-Energi C-Max. Funny enough our thoughts was that this mark was only possible with low 20s mph and no start-stop driving...lets see if this true? :drool:
 
Does this even mean we dare DREAM that the CMax can go even further....to 850 or 900 miles a tank?

Only time will tell to see what the upper limit is and who will drive it there.
 
Does it matter? Not to me, as long as someone gets there in their CMax. Competition is healthy, the winner is YOU as more drivers break the marks, it becomes the new "NORM". Look what happened to the 600 mile mark.
 
So I thought I would start a thread here just to document my own journey in my 16,500+ CMax that I have OWNED since December 6 2012. Its my own money that paid for the car,  gas and the insurance. I get nothing from Ford or Galpin but I do enjoy dropping the screen shots of the ridiculous MPGs and miles per tank to my sales guy - Miguel Lopez and his boss Brandon Boeckman. Hey, its fun to do things people haven't done before ;)
 

So lets begin....around the 100 mile mark for the tank..

 
Around the 200 mile mark...

 
Around the 300 mile mark...

 
Around the 400 mile mark...

 

06/21/2013 The 500 mark...

 

06/23/2013 Steady Eddy at the 600 mark

Edited June 29, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Jus-A-CMax]

Continued from Post #1

 

06/25/2013 Hit the 700 mile mark today.

 

 

800 miles....

 

DONE.... :drool:

 

 

I told you all this is slower than watching grass grow. LOL.
 
 
The interesting thing is watching the Avg MPG fluctuate in the 1st quarter tank but about almost 1/2 tank, its very much stabilized and the 0.1 is now worth ALOT to keep or lose. last quarter tank it hardly fluctuates 0.1 or 0.2 at most.

 

Where do I drive? How do I drive?
I drive this car to work, to the golf course, to lunch and not necessarily in that order (I WISH) and I do around the speed limit, typically +/- 5mph around the speed limit to pulse/regen. To work, I get about 74 to 77 MPGs over 21.5 miles. Coming back from work, its a more earthly 54-57MPGs. Day trip averages 64MPG.

 

Valley, surface streets with major arterials. Speed limits some 35, mostly 40 and 45 mph.
 
We shall see....

Edited June 28, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Jus-A-CMax]

reserved

[Adair]

Cheese Louise!!! Look at those EV miles!!! Too early for the math, but man, that's HIGH!!! This'll be fun to watch. Do you mind if I send it to MY dealership too? They already have the link to the 600 mile club.

 

Also, pretty clever to think of reserving the next coupla post spots  :salute:

[frbill]

Gee whiz, Jus I am just now getting towards 700 and now you want 800! Give a guy a break :)

I look forward to your achievement o great fuel saver! Good luck and food terrain!

[Recumpence]

62mpg is what is needed to reach 800 miles on one tank. That is what you are achieving. So, assuming you do not have any major problems or need to go on a long expressway trip that would kill your MPG, you will make it on this tank, easily.

 

It is cool to do this kind of thing for the same reason auto manufacturers race. Those pusing the extremes show what is possible for the rest of the vehicles out there.   :)

 

Matt

[SnitGTS]

You must be keeping it under 40 at all times, since I've caught the bug I've been accelerating extremely slow and keeping it under 50 and I am only getting about 65% EV, you're at 80% EV!!!   :superhero:  

 

I'm clinging to 52 mpg and you're at 63!?!?   :confused:

[Jus-A-CMax]

Nope, not true. +/-3 mph around the posted speed limit, 35, 40 and 45. Also, you are forgetting the breakin my car and Matt's car has, its definitely added to the MPGs. Also, driving style, I don't subscribe to the "slow" is better either, that will p*ss off the drivers in the rear and I do drive the car at the peak hours in the morning and evening when I return home, just gotta be street & terrain smart. Also, my accel is shocking according to the coach...but FUNNY enough, I will EV from zero to 10MPH or 15MPH (if no one is behind me or if the car infront is slow) and then kick in the ICE. I don't subscribe to using ICE straight off and reserve the EV for the cruise....but hey, whadda-hell-do-i-know ;)

 

This morning, I got my best ever work run...(same as posted in the 50+ MPG thread as well)

 

 

This one was 5 MPGs more than what I normally get but I can't recall anything special this morning.

 

I am telling all of you - this car is SPECIAL and I am no long term hypermiler either - this is my first hybrid and you guys know when I bought my car.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[salsaguy]

2 things though Jus.

1) we know the fuel mpg meter is off in the cmax (claims higher than actual) so you need to reduce the number by a bit.

2) do you get better mpg with a full tank when the weight is more or when it's half of below when the weight is less?

[Jus-A-CMax]

2 things though Jus.

1) we know the fuel mpg meter is off in the cmax (claims higher than actual) so you need to reduce the number by a bit.

2) do you get better mpg with a full tank when the weight is more or when it's half of below when the weight is less?

 

1) Some people do that but I don't bother. Even the gas pumps are not accurate so while try to we strive for perfection, it doesn't exist. My belief is that using the same gauge in my car presents the least inconsistency. Yeah, you can adjust for the tire thread for the odo as well and carry on and on and on...but thats too much work and I am not that an*l...so I present what I use. Plus no one else is compensating for this or that, we all just show the Trip and thats good enough standard ;)

 

2) You would think so...but in the overall picture, the weight of the gas is not a big factor, based on what I am seeing. Right now, I am carrying my 5,7 and 9 and PW Ping irons, my putter, and my 60 ball golf shagbag, 2 pairs of golf shoes, my gym bag, my GoRun Skecher (Adair!!! Get this for Asia!), I think I made up for the missing gas weight...hell I could have broken 80 if I removed my junk...lol. Conversely, if you carry 300lbs of gear like Matt, then thats a different story.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Adair]

 GoRun Skecher (Adair!!! Get this for Asia!),

I'll look it up......thanks!!

[salsaguy]

But Matt's gear has special magic pixie dust that makes whatever great he has in his CMax weigh nothing at all, so that doesn't really count, right? :)

Edited June 21, 2013 by salsaguy

[Adair]

It would seem so, SalsaGuy!

[Jus-A-CMax]

I'll look it up......thanks!!

they're on Series3 now.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Got to work, no trail blazing 79, jus 77...one too many squirt of gas. So I decided to check the miles to E...373. If that holds, guys...this is going to be a 850+ :drool: tank and I didn't factor in the additional 10 miles in zero red zone. 

 

That is insane.. :drop: ..., photos later. 

:)

[SnowStorm]

Go Jus!  Now really though, we all know you have a great car and you're a great driver but secretly we think you've simply found an M. C. Escher route that's always downhill!

 

Seriously, I'm still predicting that 1000 miles is possible.  At 79 mpg that's only 12.7 gallons.  It might take a special run with everything optimized but - who will do it first???

[Jus-A-CMax]

Yeah 1000 is possible, under SUSTAINED right conditions, terrain and driving skills and good luck with it cause it's no cakewalk to keep these high MPGs and not PO the traffic, real world driving.  

 

Now if you find a loop with no stop signs or traffic lights or cars, feel free to loop it for 40+ hours at 30 mph. That's a show in itself...and the 1000 is for the taking. However, this may be fun to do with another hypermiler like Matt. Who knows...maybe our Cmaxs will breakin even more, just a wishful thought. 

 

As for my high MPGs, I selected my route that I know intimately to use the terrain to the max but as long as I get home or work or to lunch in a reasonable time but not stupid. The San Fernando valley is flat predominantly but as we know the Cmax is ubber sensitive to changes and I pick up on this....so I know the best roads and how to manage the drive....if that's a secret...guilty as charged.

 

:)

[Jus-A-CMax]

Almost..2 miles short of 500. I'll hit it tomorrow morning Still in the 63MPG Avg range :yahoo:

[catsailor]

Jus, is somebody from Ford checking up on you and Matt cause u guys are freaks of nature, I mean it. You guys must know how to follow a tail wind and have a feathery light touch on your accellerators :)

 

Best of luck on 800 but I think at this rate it will be easy for you.

[Recumpence]

I know Jus stays in touch with Galpin Ford and I have a friend in the design studio at Ford. So, yes, they know we are here. :)

 

Matt

[SnitGTS]

Jus, when you P&G, do you go up to the 3rd bar when you pulse at all speeds or is that only for 65 mph?  You really only glide for 3 seconds?  (I just read your review, can you tell?)  Seems very aggressive (for a hyper-miler) to go up to the 3rd bar and only getting a few seconds of glide before you pulse again.

 

I don't typically P&G yet, I do in some places like hills (pulse up and start the glide right before I reach the peak), but not on flat ground.  I've only ever gone to the 2nd bar to pulse and then my glides are typically a lot longer, maybe 5-15 seconds depending on terain.  I'm not always in re-gen mode when I'm gliding, I try to keep it in EV mode.

 

In my day to day work commute I never top 50 mph so maybe your 3rd bar P&G technique isn't for me.

Edited June 22, 2013 by SnitGTS

[Jus-A-CMax]

Jus, is somebody from Ford checking up on you and Matt cause u guys are freaks of nature, I mean it. You guys must know how to follow a tail wind and have a feathery light touch on your accellerators :)

 

Best of luck on 800 but I think at this rate it will be easy for you.

Thanks catsailor.

 

I know Jus stays in touch with Galpin Ford and I have a friend in the design studio at Ford. So, yes, they know we are here. :)

 

Matt

Cool, I have no connection with Ford. I only email my 2 guys at Galpin when I get something. Not sure if they use it or not but hey, they have their biz to run. The question here is whether "ordinary" drivers will get this and I believe they would once they get to know their car and chaneg their drive mentality...the latter is the toughest for any driver to accept since this is Los Angeles and its hoon city, even the Priiis here get lots of speeding tickets. LOL.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Jus, when you P&G, do you go up to the 3rd bar when you pulse at all speeds or is that only for 65 mph?  You really only glide for 3 seconds?  (I just read your review, can you tell?)  Seems very aggressive (for a hyper-miler) to go up to the 3rd bar and only getting a few seconds of glide before you pulse again.

 

I don't typically P&G yet, I do in some places like hills (pulse up and start the glide right before I reach the peak), but not on flat ground.  I've only ever gone to the 2nd bar to pulse and then my glides are typically a lot longer, maybe 5-15 seconds depending on terain.  I'm not always in re-gen mode when I'm gliding, I try to keep it in EV mode.

 

In my day to day work commute I never top 50 mph so maybe your 3rd bar P&G technique isn't for me.

It depends on what you want to do with the ICE. Here's the deal,the Atkinson is best under heavy load so you want instant power - punch the engine to 3 bars and you get to your speed that you want for wee gas and you glide down. If you want to regen cause your batts are low, keep it at 2 bars (or maybe 1 pixel above). I have used both methods depending on my SOC and also road/traffic. Its all about managing your drive.

 

I clearly need to re-write my review when I am done with my tank. My thought is that freeway (> 50%) its a different strategy cause your batts gets used far quicker than surface street driving where your batts can last far longer. So its a battery management issue. Also, unlike the old adage of hypermilers - don't use EV or forgetaboutit, I truly believe the CMax larger battery and higher EV has totally killed that way of thinking as the old way of thinking mught be applicable to the Prii due to is lower EV threshold and batts, but hey we're flying a Corsair now, not a wooden Zero (so to speak...but I like Stealth Bomber reference better).

Edited June 22, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[salsaguy]

yes with the lithium ion battery in the cmax, it won't be the same as driving in a prius with their old tech nimh battery. CMax also has the highest mph threshold to stay in EV where prius gets out of EV at a pretty low number. it's all about knowing your tool/car and maximizing it for what it can do and minimizing the areas where it is weak.

[Recumpence]

I have found the best strategy seems to be;

 

#1 -Above 45mph, it is good to keep the battery level high. So, forcing the engine to run a bit more than you normally would is best.

#2 -Under 45mph on level ground, use EV to your advantage as much as possible.

#3 -35mph and under (again, on level ground), use P&G by punching up to speed anywhere from 2 to 3 bars depending on certain variables, and generally do your best to read the road conditions to glide as long as possible.

 

These three principals are my current driving style. This has brought my average MPG up from 55-56mpg consistantly up to 57-58mpg.

 

Oh, lastly, if you can do all of your driving under 35mph, that is best. Of course, that is not possible for most of us.  :)

 

Matt

 

Jus has us pretty much left in his dust at this point. I am excited to see just how high this current tank takes him!

Edited June 23, 2013 by Recumpence