I took delivery of our new 08 FEH yesterday and decided to drive to my sister's place. As she lives in my subdivision a few blocks away the trip occurred in EV mode. I made it to a crosswalk and several families were meandering across, sloooowly.

One of the guys turned and saw an SUV a few feet from his back and freaked out. Then they got out of my way quickly... I silently puttered away.

I realized I had snuck up on the poor guy. Very satisfying . I'll grow out of it soon enough...

Cris

 

So does "took delivery" mean you ordered it from the factory rather than off the lot?

If so I'm just curious what your wait time was - I'm 4 weeks into my wait period for a factory ordered one.

 

I was driving my usual country/city trip to my perents house. On of the roads is a known country bike road. So as I turned down this road there was a bicyclist pedaling away infront of me so I took the oportunity to get some EV time, as I passed him he didnot see me untill I was next to him he almost lost it, stealth mode sun glasses on cruising @ 32 mph.

 

It took 7 weeks. Time to hunt down some cyclists!

 

I installed a Ford Model T type "ooohgahh" horn in my front grille.
I use this one, vs. the standard horn ( still there ) when I'm in parking lots, or in crowded pedestrian areas when I really want attention.

About one week ago, a came across an actual model T owner out for a Saturday drive. I came along side of him on a 4-lane road, and gave him a dose of "OooohGaaah". He about fell out of his seat, but soon smiled and gave me an "OooohGaaaOooohGaaah" back. The first of Ford next to the latest of Ford. Awesome.

-John

 

LOL, I still haven't outgrown the phase yet.

Recently I took my parents out to dinner, and pulling into the parking lot, there was a group talking in the lot; as I pulled in, one of the people took a step back as they were talking right in front of me, the person she was talking to reached out and told her to look out, she turned and leaped out of my way, all freaked out.

Last week, I left the FEH in EV mode, used the keypad to lock the doors, and ran into my Credit Union to cash a paycheck. I came back out, got back in, and put it in drive. Some guy walked right in front of me as I started forward, he nearly fell over from surprise, and told me he was sorry, he didn't know it was running!

Last summer, I was driving out with some friends, and we saw a lady with a baby stroller walking in the street for some reason, rather rather than the sidewalked, I stalked up on her and whooshed by in EV mode. My passenger remarked that I was going to hell for that. I retorted that I'd go to hell had I honked the horn, everyone had a good laugh at that.

It's amazing really how many people will just walk out in front of you. I don't know if it's because it doesn't make noise, or if they just assume you'll stop for them.

 

I get a kick out of sneaking up on people in my neighborhood. I live in an upper middle class neighborhood with wide streets but no sidewalks/streetlights, so people are always walking in the street.

There is very little traffic on my street, it is not a dead-end but it doesn't really go anywhere either so there is no reason to drive down it unless you live there (it is not unusual to stand out front for 20 minutes & not have a car go by). Because of this, people are sort of careless where they walk in the road & I can literally sneak right up behind them without them having any clue that I am there.

As I turn into the neighborhood while returning home, it is absolutely perfect conditions for the truck to go to EV mode & will easily stay that way all the way to my house (part of the distance is a very slight downgrade also).

I don't think I will EVER get tired of doing that, this is my 2nd FEH & I drove my first one to 34,000 miles.........

~John

 

This all seems like fun until someone gets hit and sues Ford or Toyota. Then Hybrids will have EV mode noisemakers.

Will they install a bell, Whistle, voice or a recording that sounds lke a truck? Any ideas?

 

I think you may have a point there, I have always wondered about the same thing.

I've always been a little surprised that the Hybrid manufacturers didn't build in some artificial sound just so you couldn't "sneak up on people"

~John

 

"Warning silent car approching" ------"Warning silent car approching" ------"Warning silent car approching" ------"Warning silent car approching" ------"Warning silent car approching" ------"Warning silent car approching"