Re: FEH Fuel Economy Issues
XCEL - I am glad you bring up these points and I concur with some such as stating you may get above EPA rating in multiple terrains (as I put in my previous post). However, what I was responding to GargG on is the statement in my fuel economy issues attached file under 'Commentary/Opinion' of: "There seem to be two schools of thought with respect to hybrid fuel economy driving. One is to attempt to stay in EV mode as long as possible; the other is to drive with ICE in the most efficient speed range as possible. Rationale includes that EV is most economical since it does not use fuel. The contrasting rational is that the majority of battery recharging is done by the ICE (not regenerative braking) such that using ICE as generator to create electrical power for charging battery has efficiency losses, so it would be more economical to run the ICE." I have seem many similar debates on this issue in the other hybrid areas and don’t feel it has been proven one way or the other, hence my putting it under “Opinion” section.
FEH may be a different situation than the other foreign hybrids, such as how do you explain the different emissions ratings or are there other hybrids with different emissions ratings as well? For example; the more stringent ATPZEV rating of FEH in California might have a system for controlling emissions better than another less regulated state and this difference probably will have effect on fuel efficiency (such as having ICE stay on longer for cleaner emission).
Also, unless you feel some people are being less than honest about consistent driving in EV mode at 35-40MPH speeds (or visa versa that others cannot), the only explanation is that some FEHs are performing differently - believe me when I say many of us have tried this unsuccessfully and don't think it may be written-off strictly as a driver technique.
I agree that some of the techniques such as coasting may be used daily and also put this in the attachment guide. However, I disagree that “99% of the time it is the person and his abilities” causing the differences in MPG average. Take my case for example; I have a 5-minute commute four times every day and most my errands are close by where the FEH never gets warmed-up to most fuel efficient condition. Is this situation a fair comparison to someone like GaryG who drives long commute everyday on 35MPH roads? I have no problem getting above EPA rating for long trips, where I got a 37MPG trip tank average driving alone and 34MPG on a family trip with FEH fully loaded. I believe driving conditions have just as much influence over database MPG average as the driver’s style does, although I don't think anyone may competently put a percentage to it.
What about answering the question on dealing with bogus database entries?
Last edited by Gillman : 09-14-2005 at 10:59 AM.
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