Found this article, supports ideas of driving for efficiency

[raadsel]

The article is mostly about the psychology of driving in heavy traffic but hits on a couple of ideas about how people overestimate the time saved by driving faster. For example, talking about going 60 mph instead of 70 on a 10 mile trip: "Going at 70mph, the drivers thought they’d arrive over seven minutes earlier. The actual time saving is just 86 seconds." Additionally, they cite a researcher that found, "a speed increase of 1km/h takes 26 seconds off your life expectancy."

 

There is little that is really groundbreaking in the article, and likely little that most of us haven't already learned, but interesting to see in print.

[hybridbear]

Good article.

[wab]

 I'm going to bump our eco cruse speed from 78 to 82 on our 680 mile compute to Colorado.

 

Before all the posted speed limits were bumped from 70 (eco cruse set at 73) to 75 it would take a little more than 11 hours.
With the new limits we do the commute in a little over 10 hrs.

 

Personally I'll take the MPG hit for the saved hour :thumbsup:

[kostby]

 I'm going to bump our eco cruse speed from 78 to 82 on our 680 mile compute to Colorado.

 

Before all the posted speed limits were bumped from 70 (eco cruse set at 73) to 75 it would take a little more than 11 hours.

With the new limits we do the commute in a little over 10 hrs.

 

Personally I'll take the MPG hit for the saved hour :thumbsup:

 

Don't forget to include that extra hour you'll waste at a local judge for "instant justice" when some local yokel making his quota gives you a ticket for 7 mph over, and makes you appear and pay a huge fine on the spot, because you might not come back for a court appearance.  ;)

 

Happened to my then-65-year-old mother years ago in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin which was a notorious speed trap at that time.

Edited October 28, 2015 by kostby

[Marc Smith]

also keep in mind that  you may have to make an extra stop for the extra fuel you are using  so the time savings of an hour  may end only being 30 minutes...

 

Its taken me nearly 20 years of driving to finally "slow down"  I used to run 8-10 mph over the limit  with only a couple speed tax payments to show for it.  With the hybrid  I've been running at most 5 over, and with my daughter now a student driver with a permit  I've gotta make better habits..

[scottwood2]

The chances of death from an accident go up too at higher speed.  They are looking at increasing speed from 70 to 80 MPH here.  I think it is too fast but many are going way faster than 80 now.   Same issue when it was 55 MPH here.   Avg speed just seems to keep climbing. 

[ptjones]

 I'm going to bump our eco cruse speed from 78 to 82 on our 680 mile compute to Colorado.

 

Before all the posted speed limits were bumped from 70 (eco cruse set at 73) to 75 it would take a little more than 11 hours.

With the new limits we do the commute in a little over 10 hrs.

 

Personally I'll take the MPG hit for the saved hour :thumbsup:

Curious as to what mpg's you get going that fast. My last 2K mi. trip I averaged 53mpg going 65-75mph. What kind of improvements have you done, 50psi, Premium, Grill Covers, wheel covers, etc.? :)

 

Paul

[wab]

I'm going to bump our eco cruse speed from 78 to 82 on our 680 mile compute to Colorado.

 

Before all the posted speed limits were bumped from 70 (eco cruse set at 73) to 75 it would take a little more than 11 hours.

With the new limits we do the commute in a little over 10 hrs.

 

Personally I'll take the MPG hit for the saved hour :thumbsup:

 

 

Curious as to what mpg's you get going that fast. My last 2K mi. trip I averaged 53mpg going 65-75mph. What kind of improvements have you done, 50psi, Premium, Grill Covers, wheel covers, etc.? :)

 

Paul

Our cmax is not normal, I just grit my teeth and live with it. First car we have ever had that didn’t get or beat the EPA.

Our 2015 Audi A3 beats the EPA 27/33... 28/34 with a high of 37.5 on a 680 mile return trip from CO with AC on

I put 50 lbs in for one 680 mile return trip from CO. Best highway mpg ever 37.3 with eco cruse set at 77 it was early spring so no AC.

Always use eco cruse our EV miles are usually in the high teens after a tank of highway only.

From day 1 its never been capable of getting the new new EPA mileage 42/37.

New it got in the low 31’s/low 31’s

RECAL 14B07 brought it up to mid 35’s/low 32’s

Last year the BCM was replaced and all new software installed got it to low 42’s/low 33’s

We usually get 42ish in town and almost always get 33ish 100% highway, even with eco cruse set at 70 (1 trip to Florida).

[stevedebi]

 

 

Our cmax is not normal, I just grit my teeth and live with it. First car we have ever had that didn’t get or beat the EPA.

Our 2015 Audi A3 beats the EPA 27/33... 28/34 with a high of 37.5 on a 680 mile return trip from CO with AC on

I put 50 lbs in for one 680 mile return trip from CO. Best highway mpg ever 37.3 with eco cruse set at 77 it was early spring so no AC.

Always use eco cruse our EV miles are usually in the high teens after a tank of highway only.

From day 1 its never been capable of getting the new new EPA mileage 42/37.

New it got in the low 31’s/low 31’s

RECAL 14B07 brought it up to mid 35’s/low 32’s

Last year the BCM was replaced and all new software installed got it to low 42’s/low 33’s

We usually get 42ish in town and almost always get 33ish 100% highway, even with eco cruse set at 70 (1 trip to Florida).

Wow, that is low. I ran flat out near 80 MPH going to Albuquerque from LA and still got a solid 36 MPG. Regularly get 40 at 70 MPH.

[ptjones]

 

 

Our cmax is not normal, I just grit my teeth and live with it. First car we have ever had that didn’t get or beat the EPA.

Our 2015 Audi A3 beats the EPA 27/33... 28/34 with a high of 37.5 on a 680 mile return trip from CO with AC on

I put 50 lbs in for one 680 mile return trip from CO. Best highway mpg ever 37.3 with eco cruse set at 77 it was early spring so no AC.

Always use eco cruse our EV miles are usually in the high teens after a tank of highway only.

From day 1 its never been capable of getting the new new EPA mileage 42/37.

New it got in the low 31’s/low 31’s

RECAL 14B07 brought it up to mid 35’s/low 32’s

Last year the BCM was replaced and all new software installed got it to low 42’s/low 33’s

We usually get 42ish in town and almost always get 33ish 100% highway, even with eco cruse set at 70 (1 trip to Florida).

It sounds like you aren't that concerned about you gas mileage or you would have made improvements on your CMAX like the ones suggested above  in Post#7.  The reality of this situation is the CMAX wasn't designed to go above 70mph.  That been said I believe that going 80mph with Mods I could get 45mpg.  I guess I'm getting old(LOL) but I find it alot less stressful going 65-70 mph and getting 50 mpg. IMO :)

 

Paul

[stevedebi]

It sounds like you aren't that concerned about you gas mileage or you would have made improvements on your CMAX like the ones suggested above  in Post#7.  The reality of this situation is the CMAX wasn't designed to go above 70mph.  That been said I believe that going 80mph with Mods I could get 45mpg.  I guess I'm getting old(LOL) but I find it alot less stressful going 65-70 mph and getting 50 mpg. IMO :)

 

Paul

Well, I can't disagree about the C-Max design, but apparently no one notified the highway department when they posted the speed limits, or other drivers on the road. So I go what is posted and safe to match other drivers...

[wab]

u

Our cmax is not normal, I just grit my teeth and live with it. First car we have ever had that didn’t get or beat the EPA.

Our 2015 Audi A3 beats the EPA 27/33... 28/34 with a high of 37.5 on a 680 mile return trip from CO with AC on

I put 50 lbs in for one 680 mile return trip from CO. Best highway mpg ever 37.3 with eco cruse set at 77 it was early spring so no AC.

Always use eco cruse our EV miles are usually in the high teens after a tank of highway only.

From day 1 its never been capable of getting the new new EPA mileage 42/37.

New it got in the low 31’s/low 31’s

RECAL 14B07 brought it up to mid 35’s/low 32’s

Last year the BCM was replaced and all new software installed got it to low 42’s/low 33’s

We usually get 42ish in town and almost always get 33ish 100% highway, even with eco cruse set at 70 (1 trip to Florida).

 

 

It sounds like you aren't that concerned about you gas mileage or you would have made improvements on your CMAX like the ones suggested above  in Post#7.  The reality of this situation is the CMAX wasn't designed to go above 70mph.  That been said I believe that going 80mph with Mods I could get 45mpg.  I guess I'm getting old(LOL) but I find it alot less stressful going 65-70 mph and getting 50 mpg. IMO :)

 

Paul

Lets reverse rolls and revisit the past for a couple of minutes.

 

It's May 2013 your 3 month old cmax can't even get 37 mpg much less 47 as advertised, your brake score is 98, you've added 5 lbs to the tires, you've tried "pulse and glide". You haven't been tailgating, you haven't added "Grill Covers" but you have thought about it (remember you're in my cmax reliving 2013). Nothing helps.

Moving forward to 13B07 WOW you're just about the only one on the forum who is happy with your almost 5 MPG gain.

Then you get the first check and a new EPA sticker :swear:.

Another check and another EPA sticker :rant2:

 

 And ANOTHER trip to the dealer for new hardware and software, time for another WOW another 4.? mpg gain which is pretty close to a total 33% MPG gain since new (low 30s to low 40s)...

 

Time to switch places.

 Here's a thought on improving MPG, go to a taller tire, Discount Tire has 5 in 225/65/17 that are fuel efficient, 2 are Mitchelin

[ptjones]

Well, I can't disagree about the C-Max design, but apparently no one notified the highway department when they posted the speed limits, or other drivers on the road. So I go what is posted and safe to match other drivers...

I was referring to FE in that it drops quickly going 70 mph and above. I have had MADMAX up to 90 mph and thought the car was fine. :)

 

Paul

[ptjones]

 

 

Lets reverse rolls and revisit the past for a couple of minutes.

 

It's May 2013 your 3 month old cmax can't even get 37 mpg much less 47 as advertised, your brake score is 98, you've added 5 lbs to the tires, you've tried "pulse and glide". You haven't been tailgating, you haven't added "Grill Covers" but you have thought about it (remember you're in my cmax reliving 2013). Nothing helps.

Moving forward to 13B07 WOW you're just about the only one on the forum who is happy with your almost 5 MPG gain.

Then you get the first check and a new EPA sticker :swear:.

Another check and another EPA sticker :rant2:

 

 And ANOTHER trip to the dealer for new hardware and software, time for another WOW another 4.? mpg gain which is pretty close to a total 33% MPG gain since new (low 30s to low 40s)...

 

Time to switch places.

 Here's a thought on improving MPG, go to a taller tire, Discount Tire has 5 in 225/65/17 that are fuel efficient, 2 are Mitchelin

I looked at 215/65-17" 28"dia., 225/65-17" 27.3"dia. and 225/50-17",25.9"dia. OE tire, there doesn't appear to be enough room(1/2" with wheel turned at front) for a bigger tire. I would recommend 50psi.  Grill Covers will make the biggest difference in FE of anything you can do. Wheel covers work good too.  :shift:  :)

 

Paul

[C-MaxSea]

Drove our 2013 off the lot January 2013, and been getting 45-50 mpg's since day one.  Rarely see 50-55 mpg's over significant distances, rarely see 40-45 mpg's over significant distances.  Saw no significant change with any recalls.  ECO Cruise the freeway 40-50 mpg all day, all year round (58-60 in 60 MPH zones, 65-68 in 70 MPH zones). They do make freeways with multiple lanes for several reasons.  My wife would not know a hypermile from a hypersmile.  No extra dingles or dongles, just safe driving (and yes we do have a general understanding of PE & KE management - i.e. don't use gas/battery when we don't need to).

  :bliss:    :bliss:

 

As I've said many times - so glad we got one of the magic ones !!!

 

Love our C-Max (former Ford hater),

Nick

 

(Yikes, Winter MPG blues around the corner)

Edited October 30, 2015 by C-MaxSea