It seems that most threads here concern themselves with maximizing FE with the FEH/MMH. Understandable, given the capabilities of the Hybrids and the rising cost of fuel. Well, seeing as this site is called GREENHYBRID, I'd like opinions on the best way to drive my FEH in order to minimize environmental impact.

I've read many things here with regard to FE, and I do practice several of the popular "tricks" in order to increase my MPG. Considering the climate here in the Toronto area, I think I'm doing pretty well at 29 mpg.

I would assume that trying to stay in EV mode for as long as possible would be a good route to take if one was trying to minimize emissions. There's an excellent thread on this very subject. Then again, it's been said that the ICE has to work harder to regenerate the batteries as a result, somewhat negating the gain.

Is there anything else that I might do to reduce environmental impact as much as possible? Even at ther expense of (gasp!) fuel economy?

 

Interesting question. I would think that rather than fuel economy, worry about fuel use. Some of us would probably drive a different route that would give us 20% better FE, though it might also burn more fuel overall.

The FEH is built to meet "Super Ultra Low" and "Partial Zero" emmissions standards and is one of the cleanest vehicles on the road. One of the ways it achieves that may seem counterintuitive... the ICE has to run long enough to heat up the catalytic converter and keep it at optimum operating temperature. Burning some gas in order to keep the exhaust clean.

But just by driving it (as opposed to another "dirtier" vehicle) you are being greener. Then again, that leads me to another suggestion. By just NOT driving it unless absolutely necessary you'd be even greener. Take a bicycle and a backpack to the market if you can swing it...that sort of thing.

Plan errands together, farthest one first, and reduce overall driving/# of trips, while also increasing FE.

 

That's exactly why I started this thread in the first place. I've seen many excellent discussions about increasing FE, sometimes at the cost of increased emissions. One poster even talked about driving up and down the PCH in California just to compensate for the negative effect of his wife's driving on his MPG numbers. That's fine, but my intent is very different; My wife and I bought the FEH specifically for its low emissions (and its size as we have two large dogs). Fuel efficiency was a bonus.

I do minimize my use of the car, but seeing as I live in a semi-rural area, its use is necessary for any errand at all. Careful planning does reduce the impact, as you mentioned.

 

The vehicle is designed to be really very green without having to do anyting special, and that a lot of the hypermiling techniques are tricks to use less fuel, and burn less fuel, and therefore being greener. As said at the FEH Experience by the development team, it's so clean you could suck on the exhaust fumes, you're really very, very clean just by having the FEH, you're doing a lot by just having it instead of a conventional vehicle. But there are some things that you could probably do to be greener if you don't already and that's your concern.

1. Take it easy. Keep off the high revs, stay in the 2K range. Gentle acceleration can be the environments friend.

2. Use L or double tap the brakes a lot to keep the ICE off at and under 40 MPH as much as possible, especially when you're coming up to a stop.

3. Take the short routes when possible.

4. Combine errands. Do all your errands together so that you maximize that warm engine and ICE off times.

5. Don't dilly dally, don't start the engine until you're ready to go.

6. Spread the word about hybrids.

There's a lot of debate between utilizing the hybrid idea and the EV philosophy, I'm of the persuasion that you shouldn't try to be an EV as much as possible, but to use it when you can to your greatest advantage, and let the ICE also do some of the work when you're better off using the hybrid functions. Others argue that you should try to be an EV, and to use the ICE only to recharge the battery or at high speeds.

 

Here's the key as I see it.

Use EV as much as possible, BUT NOT FOR DRIVING!

Use EV as much as possible for slowing, not going!

Here's the key, number of MINUTES the ICE is off, not number of miles driven with battery used as propulsion.

Another member on here, Excel, gets better than Hybrid FE in a non-hybrid car, just by coasting in neutral, and turning his key to "off" at stoplights!

Excel loses fan and brakes and steering when his ICE goes off, 'cause he has no HV battery! Hybrids coast in neutral when coming to a stop, capture some regen, turn the engine off at a stop, and keep all the accessories ( and steering ) running at a stop, all automatically!

On another post, I just wrote that in 60 minutes of stop & go, covering 24 miles, my Engine was on for just 14 minutes!

I drove 4 miles out of 24 in EV mode.
I drove 20 miles out of 24 with ICE on.
But my ICE was off for 46 minutes out of an hour!!!
My fuel economy that trip, and for several other similar trips, was over 60 MPG!

Which was mostly responsible for my 60+ MPG?

Driving using the battery?
Or shutting the engine off at every stop, saving 46 minutes of fuel?

Do as I do. If a stop is a sure thing up ahead, use tricks to get your ICE off as soon as possible. Shutting it down 10 seconds sooner before a stopsign will save you tons over the years. Then don't worry so much when it comes back on after the stopsign.

-John