Today I had the pleasure of riding in my first Prius, courtesy of Paul, who attended a Hybrid Lovers Rally in LA. You must
understand that in the remote area in which I live I know of only one or two other Prius drivers I see on the road, so I know little first-hand about this beautiful car.

Riding for just a few minutes really opened my eyes and expanded my understanding. I still think both the FEH and Prius are outstanding cars but in many ways they are totally different animals.

The Prius (2004 I think) is much roomier than I thought both in the front and back seats. The keyless entry and starting is nice but I would have a hard time getting used to and I see why Ford chose to stay with the old turn-the-key thing. The visibility is great but I think the FEH is better. The dash and the recessed speed display is neat but so futuristic. I see what people mean when they say the FEH Nav display is small. The one in the Prius is about twice as large but that may be distracting. The display of wheels turning is fun but
I could do without it. The price is much better than the FEH but
since I wanted only the attributes of a medium sized SUV with
all-weather traction and towing I would still pay the extra $6,000 or so and give up the 15 MPG.

What really impressed me was how Paul drove his car! He drove it aggressively just like it was a normal car and still got 48-50 MPG on the display. I may be wrong but it looked like the display reset everytime the power was turned off.

We are now almost finished with our 3rd tank of gas at 32-34 MPG. Our car has about 4500 miles after two months. All of these tanks include mostly highway and freeway and only the first was under the warmer,
dry weather. The last two were 30-55 degrees and rain and wind. Speeds usually here at home at 4,000 feet are under 60 MPH but today in going from home to LA and back we were at freeway speeds most of the time and still got over 32 down and back. Impressive and getting better.

Back to Paul. He drove his car like I used to drive my Mustang,
partly I am sure, to show off the great acceleration and handling. A comparison might be that he drove it like a grandfather might play with a four year old child. Kinda rough and tumble.

Me, in comparison? I have learned to maximize my mileage by driving like I am playing with a week-old baby. Gently gently. Easy on the starts more like a continuous light-footed nudge, braking gently and coasting after anticipation, and sometimes (whoops!) rolling through stop signs to keep momentum. I don't mind losing some MPH on uphills and don't increase power until I just have to. It has been a constant embrace of me and car and it has responded with probably the best
mileage anyone has reported, even better than EPA, and wait until it breaks in and warm weather comes.

I know someone will say they have no love for driving like this but I do do it safely and I do enjoy the game and understand most people may not want to do this. But I hope this explains why I am getting these results. I really am not lying! And I think, over a year's time and all weather, your own MPG will average out (with normal driving habits) to be figures closer to what Ford said they would.

Mike

 

Hi Sdctcher:

___There is not anyone that would think you are lying in the least. What I want you to realize is that your Escape HEV is worth so much more then the lowly EPA estimates you are just beginning to see now. You don’t know how much I wish I had one to play with for just 5 tanks as I know they are worth at least low level Prius I/II like FE in warmer temps but you really do need to practice patience and to hone your own hypermiling skills. You have the 4WD model, right? If so, that one is hamstrung by a small amount but it is still easily worth > 40 mpg in warmer temps if setup and driven properly. I have already pointed you in the right direction, now it is time for you to pull the tools out of the toolbox use them to shove your Escape HEV into levels only the Prius II and HCH’s have seen. Stop using the EV mode as much as you have. The ICE drain on recharge is a killer let alone the incremental damage you are doing to your pack with the heavy cycling. You have no SoC meter to go by but just believe both what I have seen of the Prius II and said with Hybrid’s and non-Hybrids alike. Get that ICE started up and keep a low load/low RPM strategy in force as your Atkinsonized 2.3 is worth some truly spectacular FE if you would just let it.

___Do not forget to update your tanks. It has been a while since you posted tank #2.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

Thanks Wayne for the nudge and the info. I will update the data right now.

I am being advised to be more aggressive (ie. less EV, less slow starts) but living here in hilly country I previously found it to be an MPG killer. But that said I will try again and report back. I agree that the 4WD (I do have) is not really that big a factor unless I am in deep sand. I do think I can get this car closer to 40 MPG once weather conditions and my own experience gets better.

Mike

 

Hi Sdctcher:

___When I say more aggressive, I am speaking of just enough acceleration to get you moving in EV mode and then the ICE should kick in to take over. Once the ICE kicks in, keep it accelerating just fast enough to leave the ICE running. While climbing, you do not want to accelerate at all. Hit a minimum target speed and hold it in the far right lane while waiting for the climb to subside. On the regen side of the fence, engine braking might be helping you bring the pack back up but regen can be detrimental in the FE dept as well. Again, I have not driven the Escape HEV just yet but their should be a point with a very small accelerator angle that you are not really using the ICE (coasting w/ ICE on or off) and regen has yet to be engaged. This allows for maximum coasting distance with a minimum amount of fuel consumed. Ford probably removed the SoC meter because like those in the Prius II’s, it reaches a certain point and the ICE is force charging no matter what conditions you might be in at the time. Let the Ford SW take care of the charging and you take care of figuring out where the EV and Regen points are to maximize FE.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

OK. Thanks Wayne. Let me pass something by you (and any others that want to post) and maybe it might become fodder for a new thread at some point:

I am trying to edit a short driving tutorial for the Escape Hybrid using advice passed on by all hybrid drivers. I am not sure as yet whether everything applies totally to the FEH but it is worth the experimentation. The goal here is the best possible mileage efficiency since we have no way to monitor whether these strategies are best for the environment and emissions. I would like input from experience and theory. I will then take the input and put it into practice. I am already getting pretty high numbers despite having 4WD, living at high hilly altitude, and cool temperatures.

FEH Driving Guide

Garaging:
Try to garage your car from cool temperatures. Time required to get up to maximum efficiency may decrease becasue of the amount of heat needed to get the batteries and exhaust elements up to best operating temperature.

Vehicle Weight:
This is not a critical issue. At a FEH Curb Weight (excluding gasoline) of about 3150 lbs. the weight of a full tank (94-98 lbs.) of gas is only 3% so carrying 1/2 tank will save only 1% of weight. Passenger and Cargo weight is more important (125 - 500 lbs. or 4 - 15%) so leave at home anything or anyone you do not need to haul around.

Fuel Type:
Buy the cheapest gasoline that meets minimum octane standards. Higher octane will not increase efficiency measurably. Ethenol blends (corn-based or alcohol additives) required in some areas will decrease efficiency and you may have to buy the next highest grade to get better mileage (from my experiences).

Use of Accessories:
Limit the use of accessories, especially those that are indicated by red settings. Anything drawing power requires that power be generated by ICE. Drive with as clean a profile as possible, including windows up and no flags or other appendages flapping in the wind.

Start-Up:
After start-up get the car moving as soon as possible and let the warm up be on the road.

First Few Minutes:
The EV will not kick in for at least 3-5 minutes after a cold start so do not even think about it. Accelerate the ICE up to your target speed gently keeping the RPMs in a range from 1500-2500. (We need a curve to find the sweet spot when the engine is cold). If the engine is warm from a previous drive use the electric as aggressively as possible to accelerate to where the ICE kicks in.

Low Speeds:
The EV is best for gas mileage to boost quicker acceleration, coasting downhill if not charging, and while stopped. Try to use just the ICE at low RPMs as much as possible. Do not try to set a record for staying in EV because minute in EV without ICE means at least a minute later of the ICE working harder to recharge the batteries. At 20-30 MPH over an extended distance with few stops I have maintained over 50 MPG by using quick acceleration to ICE, then a light foot to maintain desired speed. Try it in a deserted shopping center parking lot as an experiment.

Stop and Go:
Start aggressively on EV and then keep ICE RPMs low and coast as much as possible. Use the brakes as much as possible, even heavily, because this gives a higher and faster charge than coasting. Time the lights and other obstructions to try to maintain forward movement. Energy to restart movement from a dead stop kills mileage whether in ICE or EV.

High Speeds:
You should get your best mileage with the RPMs as low as possible. 1000 - 1500 is great but for cruising on level road try to stay 1500 -2500. I maintain that Hybrid Drive (drawing on both Engine and Motor for drive) is most efficient if the battery level is receiving a dump of excess energy off and on during the process. Try not to get into a position where heavy acceleration is needed, like getting on the freeway or passing. Try to gauge conditions ahead and accelerate smoothly at lower RPMs.

Uneven Terrain:
On extreme upgrades you may have to boost RPMs to the 4000 - 5000 range to maintain desired speed but do it as little as possible. Anticipate the crests of hills and coast up near the top bleeding off some speed before the coast down. Use heavy-foot braking going down while maintaining desired speed. Most of all, do not use automatic speed controls or try to stay in a narrow range. Set a speed range in your head of 10-15 MPH with the bottom range the minimum speed legally allowable for this road. Most of the time people will pass but at other times you may have to sacrifice your efficiency for their impatience. Remember. You are buying your gas, not them. On longer downhills use your excess momentum to reach the highest possible speed to coast up the next grade. If there is a choice of routes (short, steep upgrade vs. longer, less steep upgrade) take the road less travelled for best mileage. This also applies to freeway vs. surface street routes if time is not a critical factor.

 

Hi Sdctcher:

___You have a nice start here and about all I want to add is the following.

___Since the Escape HEV lacks an Instantaneous, you can create one from the average by resetting the averaging FCD at predetermined points to get a clue as to what your actuals are. For example, you have that nasty climb out every day. Why not begin every day using a slightly different technique of pure EV to short interval EV and slow rpm ICE afterwards. I cannot guarantee that the slow rpm run of the ICE will provide the best FE but I will bet that it does. The physics that the hybrid and non-hybrid alike have to overcome still lead me to believe that a slower running ICE without electric assist or charging is the proper method given the losses in conversion as well as storage. Just keep resetting the averaging FCD during different phases of your commute to find out what does provide the best FE. Once out on the highway, the low RPM ICE will accomplish the highest FE of all. The Ranger is proof of point.

___In terms of taking off, once that ICE turns over in colder temps, you had better begin moving. Not revving fast mind you, just enough for the car to be moving in what you might describe as a higher gear idle. In both the Ranger and the Insight, it is not uncommon for me to be idling in third gear at 15 - 20 + mph on a very a cold day from a dead start. The FE at this fast idle is in the mid 50’s/mid 60’s in the Insight and this is in below freezing temps.

___Accessories? Why bother. Where your coat, hat, and gloves until well into your commute when the ICE is well warmed up to save your average FE.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

I have a question related to a difference between the H-Escape and the Prius that I have not been able to answer. It concerns the operation of the Cabin Climate Control. In the Prius there is no A/C clutch attached to the engine as opposed to the Escape. This means that in the Escape ICE must either be in operation or turn on whenever A/C or Defrost is selected.

I understand the mechanics of how this works from my manual but not why the scheme was chosen by Ford. It seems the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) commands the A/C clutch to connect also for use of the Auxillary Climate Control for the batteries. My only answer is that both climate systems were built under-powered for some reason and therefore you cannot run either Defrost or A/C without degrading protection to the batteries and that is why control of both is tethered together through the PCM.

Anyone with an engineering brain have a better answer?

 

I don't want to appear stupid, but I don't quite understand the question you are asking, so I'll try to give an overview of how things have been done in the past with regard to A/C and hybrids, from a Prius perspective, since that seems to be our point of reference right now.

Does the Escape Hybrid have auto climate? Yes? Then what I write below is probably correct.

Prius I had the A/C connected directly to the engine like the Escape. Automatic climate control interfaced with the rest of the onboard computers, just like it does today in current shipping Prii, in order to efficiently run the car and keep the interior to the driver's preference. So, this scenario should explain how it all is tied together.

It's summer. It's warm out. The a/c is set to 72, not that an exact temp is meaningful in my example, but it shows that the system will be working to keep the cabin cool. The Prius driver has his car at a stop and the vehicle has gone into auto-stop. There is residual "cool", for lack of a better description, in the ductwork and the coils that during a short stop at a light or stop sign that the cabin might not warm up beyond the thermostat set point. So at a short light auto-stop would work correctly and the engine and a/c would turn off. There wouldn't be enough time for solar energy to warm up the cabin before the car would be moving again and the ICE would be used for propulsion and the A/C compressor could make up for lost time.

However, if that light were long, then it is likely that solar energy would warm the cabin above the set point. That is when the climate control system would kick in and ask the hybrid control system to engage the engine and the a/c compressor would subsequently engage. The engine-a/c combination would run only until the cabin had been brought below the set point and then turn off.

I understand that in the HCH there is an econ switch which basically bars the auto climate system from calling on the engine while in auto stop to run the a/c compressor, since I believe it is also connected to the engine. That is Honda's way of keeping a/c from making the engine compartment its slave.

Prius II comes along and Toyota has separated the a/c compressor from the engine, running it on high voltage electricity. Brilliant! So, you can be at a stop light and the auto climate system may call on the a/c compressor, but it won't require the engine to start up. In theory, between natural generation while the cruising and regenerative breaking, the power the a/c compressor uses should be regenerated in a short period of time after the stop. This also means no econ switch to keep the auto climate from calling on the engine to run the compressor. All in all this is more of what people mean by no compromises hybrid. Everything in the car works all the time without compromises, such as running ICE to run a/c.

Now, onto battery cooling. A comfortable ambient cabin temp should be air cool enough to provide effective cooling power to the battery. There are fans on the Prius battery which draw in cabin air and expel warmer battery air outside of the vehicle. Thus, operating a/c normally during the summer even at warmer temperatures say above 75 degrees should still provide air cool enough to assist the battery.

I am confused about your comment regarding "under-powered" air conditioning. Could you clarify? What are you experiencing now?

Also a question for you, where is the location of the air inlet to the Escape's battery? That will answer more questions about how Ford is choosing to cool their battery.

 

What gave you this impression? If the Nav system is ordered the graph view has an instantaneous readout on the left-hand side in the form of a vertical bar just like on Prius I.

 

Escape has manual climate control. However, when active the A/C does cycle the compressor unless MAX or DEFROST settings are selected.


Escape is similar. However the climate control is not thermostatically set...so the set points are a mystery to the driver. There's also the issue of the battery evaporator. If it commands cooling the engine will start regardless of the position of the HVAC selector switch.

Ford chose to use outside air. My suspicion is they were being conservative and worried about having any ductwork connecting the interior of the battery pack with the passenger space.