My 2c: EV driving

[Kunari]

I use EcoCruise in the city, but still basically do what you say here -- I pay attention to the road ahead of me and if I need to accelerate, cruise or brake, I can just cancel the EcoCruise and take control. I'd rather do that than feather the pedal all day. I guess I do not aspire to be a C-Max Master  :worship:  :lol:

 

I do the same thing, I've always used my CC in the city though, it's not new for me.  I've always gotten better MPG in all my cars by doing this. 

[nsteblay]

I've been getting great mileage this summer.  I've learned it isn't feathering as much you need to  know when to go into EV and know when to use the ICE (I think there is a Kenny Rogers song in there somewhere).  It's the act of letting up on the gas to get into EV and then riding it as long as possible. When outside of EV I'll accelerate and use the gas engine aggressively to maintain speed.  I've been right around 50 MPG all summer with no compromise on speed. As a kid and young adult I rode bikes for my transportation.  I got good at knowing when to exert energy and when to coast.  It's the same principal with the C-Max.  By letting up briefly on the gas I can almost always kick the car into EV mode.  I pay attention to grade, traffic, battery charge and EV threshold to determine when to use ICE and when to use EV.  It's become second nature now.  

 

The other day I tried to drive using my old habits to see what difference it made regarding MPG.  I dropped at least 5 MPG so driving technique does make a difference.

Edited September 27, 2014 by nsteblay

[C-MaxSea]

+1   (for us the 'feathering' is about letting up on the pedal and dropping out of ICE, & braking gently)

Edited September 27, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[Jus-A-CMax]

Feathering is the control of the pedal - to control how much ICE or EV to use, depending on what you want the CMax to do. imho ....feathering is MORE important as engine mode selection, don't feather and you kick in the ICE.

 

Patience grasshoppers ;)

Edited September 27, 2014 by Jus-A-CMax

[scottwood2]

I've been getting great mileage this summer.  I've learned it isn't feathering as much you need to  know when to go into EV and know when to use the ICE (I think there is a Kenny Rogers song in there somewhere).  It's the act of letting up on the gas to get into EV and then riding it as long as possible. When outside of EV I'll accelerate and use the gas engine aggressively to maintain speed.  I've been right around 50 MPG all summer with no compromise on speed. As a kid and young adult I rode bikes for my transportation.  I got good at knowing when to exert energy and when to coast.  It's the same principal with the C-Max.  By letting up briefly on the gas I can almost always kick the car into EV mode.  I pay attention to grade, traffic, battery charge and EV threshold to determine when to use ICE and when to use EV.  It's become second nature now.  

 

The other day I tried to drive using my old habits to see what difference it made regarding MPG.  I dropped at least 5 MPG so driving technique does make a difference.

Agree 100%.  Also if I am on the same route, knowing what portions of the route to build up battery charge also helps.  I don't know if it makes a difference but I also like to keep the ICE on for a while if I can vs. getting a little charge, go into EV mode and repeat.  For example, I have a section of road that has a few hills.  I am usually a little low on charge at this point on my route so I go down and up the first hill on ICE.  Then I have a better charge state and I can finish the next hill (down and up) and the rest of the 1 mile stretch on EV.  I could use EV to go down both hills and ICE to go up both but this way the ICE only runs once for a longer time.  I can get 50 to 60 MPG most of the time now in the city.  Probably 54 is about average.  

 

I still have a hard time on the freeway.  Maybe get mid 40's at best.  Still trying different things.  

Edited September 27, 2014 by scottwood2

[shinytop]

Except for one tank with maybe 20 highway I normally drive to work and back and errands.  Every tank (3) since my first has been 600 plus.  Daily trips to work are 52-62 depending on lights and traffic pulling out slowly in front of me on the two lane stretch.  Before the Cmax I usually stayed at about 5 over the limit, now I drive closer to the limit.  What I love about the Max is that I can drive for mileage but still get plenty of punch when I need it.  And all this with great seating position, great visibility and good sound.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Ah...the joys of discovering the CMax and what she is capable of ;)  It never gets old, jus when you thought you know the Gong...oh theres another Gong there..... :victory:

 

Keep on Maxing guys... :shift:

[MomsHugs]

Brother Gus... errr, Jus ~ You crack me up!! ~~ "Keep on Maxing" sounds like one of the 60s' songs about surfing. Hey, maybe we're really "surfing" our pedals.... :rockon:   ~ We need Kelleytoons to write a song & animate it. Where is that boy who shivers in mildly cold weather?  :arrive_alive: 

[C-MaxSea]

Brother Gus... errr, Jus ~ You crack me up!! ~~ "Keep on Maxing" sounds like one of the 60s' songs about surfing. Hey, maybe we're really "surfing" our pedals.... :rockon:   ~ We need Kelleytoons to write a song & animate it. Where is that boy who shivers in mildly cold weather?  :arrive_alive: 

 

I don't know if it really 'works', but I love that vernacular - Surfing in our C-Max ! 

 

(Brrrr, time to book our flight to the California beaches, oh that is right, we already have  :skateboard: :dance: :skateboard: )

Edited September 29, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[kostby]

No beach songs yet, but, I have written the full lyrics for 'High-bread Preee-usss', a parody to the tune of 'Hot Rod Lincoln. (Still working on a C-MAX parody song).

 

High-bread (as in expensive) Preee-usss (rhymes with ‘Free Us!’)

 

To the tune of ‘Hot Rod Lincoln’, with apologies to Charlie Ryan, Commander Cody, Asleep At The Wheel, the Japanese, residents of San Francisco, and high-bread drivers everywhere….

 

My pappy said "Son, your Mama gonna leave us

If you don't stop drivin’ that high-bread Preee-usss.”

 

Have you heard the story of the high-bread car?

That ‘ol Preee-usss is really settin' the bar!

That story is true I'm here to say

I was drivin' a Preee-usss that very day.

 

Built ’n Ja-pan and it's really green

High-bread logo makes it look so keen.

Got four cylinders, barely uses 'em, ever

Got echo drive, it’s just so clever.

 

In electric mode there’s no exhaust

With out any NAV you can really get lost

Got air bags, so I ain't scared

The brakes are great; the tires hold air.

 

Pulled into ‘Frisco late one night

And the moon and the stars were shining bright

We was drivin' up some great big hill

Passin' gas stations like they’z standing still

 

All of a sudden, in the wink of an eye

A non-high-bread car passed us by

I said, "Boys, that's a mark for me!"

By then the tail lights was all you could see

 

Now the fellas ribbed me for being behind

So tried to make that Preee-usss unwind

Took my foot off the gas and, man alive,

I switched it on down, out of echo drive!

 

Wound it up ‘bout forty-and-then

My passengers thought that I’d hit top end

My foot was glued, like lead, to the floor

That's all there is and there ain't no more

 

Now the boys all thought I'd lost my sense

The picket fence looked like, well, a picket fence

They said "Slow down, I see spots!"

(A dalmation ran past.) Those id-i-ots!

 

Took a corner, side-swiped some tricycles

Crossed my fingers, they were cold as icicles.

My display was showin’ my MPG’s toast.

The guy beside me was white as a ghost

 

Somethin' was coming from outta of the back

Am I burnin’ up my battery pack?

Knew I could catch him, I thought I could pass

Don't ya know by then we'd be burnin’ gas!

 

Lotta noise comin' from under the hood

Feel the power, man! (That can’t be good!)

I said "Look out boys, I've got a license to try"

That non-hybrid pulled over and let us by!

 

Now all of a sudden Preee-usss started to knockin'

And up that hill she started to rockin'

I tried to slow down, but a cop did see us

Now he was after my high-bread Preee-usss!

 

They arrested me and they put me in jail

And called my pappy jus’ to throw my bail

He said "Son I tol’ ya, your Mama gonna leave us,

If you don't stop racin’ her high-bread Preee-usss!”

 

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Edited September 29, 2014 by kostby