Hi everybody,

Thanks for the welcomes and the replies.

Gary: My car is still under 200 miles, so it is pretty new, but it seems to be easy to go into EV mode -- the 'double tap' works, but generally it just drops into EV mode pretty much every time I slow down to a stop and stays there below 25 MPH, if I go easy on the gas pedal. It doesn't seem to be triggered by letting off the gas pedal, but seems to happen a second or two after that, if the speed is dropping. I'll do a lot more experimenting in the future!

I've had it almost to 40 in EV when going coasting down a long hill, but generally on level ground it will start the ICE just around 20 MPH unless I press it harder.

I haven't noticed any hesitation with acceleration, but I've been going easy, just trying to see how long I can stay in EV.

Also the crossbars were installed and I got the Ford 'Cargo Tray' which basically is a more rigid, rubber/plastic backed tray with an extra heavy pile carpet surface that 'sticks' to these "L-shaped" plastic blocks with a velcro like bottom. The idea is that you place the four blocks around an object and it keeps the object from sliding around. Kinda dinky -- I use a rubbermaid bin!