So I'm curious how many of you have hit 500 mile tanks? What about 550 or 600 tanks?

Right now, on my current tank I just got to "0 miles to empty" at 462 miles. I know, from reading GH, that I should have 1.3 gallons of petrol left in the tank, which should get me to 500ish. It actually works out kinda nice for me. I run 14 miles to and from work. So in another 1.5 trips (I'm already at work) I will be at 504 miles. I think I could get to the 500 mile tank but don't really want to risk it. I will drive a rental into work tomorrow and don't want the hybrid sitting around with no gas in it in case we have to go somewhere over the weekend.

So this time I think I will only make it to 475 miles, but how often are people hitting 500 mile tanks? I still think my FEH has a little more break-in to do. I've had it two months and it has 2200 miles... But if my wife doesn't drive it for a tank I am thinking I could press 550+ miles.

Just throwing the discussion out there. If it has been discussed MODs feel free to merge this into the other post.

 

Your vehicle is still not broken in yet. It can take 5000 miles to notice a difference. GaryG (look for a reply on this site) has posted a photo with 700 miles to empty. In the photo section, one can see others with 600 miles to empty. If you are located in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, the usual summer temperature may significantly hindering your mileage. Good Luck.

 

I sent a PM to GaryG asking him to provide details on his 715 MTE. Maybe doing a search in this forum would provide those details, but I can't find it.

As I mentioned to him, I suspect someone could really "game" the MTE by going to a gas station, filling-up, driving around a short distance in almost entirely electric mode, filling-up again, and the MTE would be astronomical -- even more than Gary's 715-MTE. I estimate GaryG averaged 52-MPG at the time he filled his FEH up (i.e., 52-MPG x 13.7-gallons = 715-MTE).

 

475 mlies is stlil a great tank! I only just hit my first 500 mile tank in my 2008 FEH 4WD (just over 20,000 miles total). I got about 501.4 miles on 14.1 gal. I was past the 0 MTE on the dash readout, even though my NAV displayed 35.6 mpg for the tank. I usually don't like to push past 0 MTE, which is one of the reasons why 500 was so elusive.

Interestingly, my NAV has been at/around 36.7 mpg in my current tank, but again: the dash readout will only put me at 508 MTE (when combining miles driven + MTE).

Anyways, I didn't get over 500 until I started adding a few minor hypermiling techniques. Coasting in neutral and using the L-gear advantage to recharge the battery worked great, and kept me more engaged in my drive. The temperatures have been hot with only occasional rain here in Chicago lately, and I'm sure that's helped as well.

The biggest challenge: I drive about 20-22 miles each way to/from work, and at least 15 miles of it is on the one highway around Chicago thats usually FLYING (there's minimal traffic on I-355 and boy do people take advantage of it). Letting off the accelerator (fake shifts) to drop my RPM and coast where possible helps me not lose any MPG while averaging 60-65 miles per hour.

The FEH is a blast to drive, as I'm sure you've found, and the folks on this site, CleanMPG.com, and others are the best source of information and tips. Good luck, and enjoy your new Escape!

 

This is on GaryG signature.



He did not "game" it. He has a lifetime average of around 45 mpg with his 2005 Escape Hybrid. Last summer he attended the Hybridfest in Madison, Wisconsin for the first time and drove Debbie Katz's FEH for the first time on an unseen course and averaged 60 mpg! Do a search on this website and cleanmpg to read about this individual.

 

Billyk,

I am aware that is on GaryG's signature.

I did not say GaryG "gamed" the MTE, nor was I implying it, so don't get defensive. I have read Gary's articles, etc. on this website, cleanmpg, and other websites, so I am aware of his skill of getting the best fuel economy from a FEH. He describes good "techniques" that I was already utilizing with previous/current vehicles, and new ones that I now use when driving my FEH, because they are unique to it (i.e., putting gear selector in L at just over 40-MPH so EV mode will kick in at 40-MPH while coasting). I am just saying one can "game" it and get even better MTE than GaryG. For example, a person may fill-up at a gas station at the top of a hill, travel in EV mode or coast down the hill to another gas station, and, if the computer indicates 70-MPG, it will indicate approximately 960-MTE after filling up at the second gas station.

 

trekwars,

Wow you're doing great! It took me 38 tanks until I finally made it to 500 miles on a tank. You are significantly ahead of that curve. Since then I've had many more, as I've learned how to drive it better and it's broken in completely. I only cracked 600 once*, although my MTE usually says 600-610 after filling up. I just don't have the cojones to drive for more than about 30 miles past 0 MTE.



* If you look at my mileage log I've actually gone over 600 a few times, but only one was on a natural tank of gas. Occasionally I'll add fuel from gas cans at home which results in total gallons used of well over the tank's capacity of 15.

 

Try it and see what happens. The computer is smarter than that. It bases the MTE on a certain number of data points, not by the last fillup.

It is possible to game the MTE by making sure your tank is more than what it considers full or by spending a day or a lot of miles doing high gas mileage driving.

I think Gary's documented mileage speaks for itself.

 

So I decided to fill up. I suspose I will beleive everyone and assume the car isn't broken in all the way yet... When I filled up the CPU said about 520 MTE so I am hoping the next tank we can get it.

The only problem is I only drive about 150 miles a week so it will take about 4 weeks before we see if I can get 500 again.

 

MTE is based upon a number of data points, less than a 1/2 tank of gas.