I agree Steve, to run the A/C for 10 minutes at 60 degrees in the ECON mode and still have to turn the Temp setting to 78 degrees to finally go EV is crazy. This means I have to turn the heater on to go EV in the ECON mode. This happen the other night, I turned the A/C on and adjusted the A/C setting just above the outside temperature and still no EV. As I turned the temperature a little higher, the A/C started blowing hot air.

GaryG

 

Well, we must agree to disagree. I find the 2009 method intrusive, in that the owner has no choice in the matter - when the ECON switch is on, I expect the engine to shut off at stops and when slowing, etc. You can't fully control that on the 2009.

However I can see your point. I just prefer the 2008 method. I see why they put in the change, but I disagree that it is better.

A better implementation would have been to do their "new" programming some other way. How about reprogramming the A/C such that if ECON was NOT selected, the car would still go to EV if the cabin temperature was within, say, 5 degrees of the target setting, and then come back on if the temperature got to 10 degrees above the setting? That would allow the best of both worlds. Then you could force A/C by lowering the temperature, but force EV if desired. If people got too hot when the EV hit, they would automatically lower the temperature. This would mean that in full A/C mode, if the A/C wasn't needed, the engine could shut down (since the cabin temp indicates A/C is not needed) - more of a full automatic climate control mode than either the 2008 or the 2009.

Sweet and simple - it would require a note in the owner's manual. Speaking of which, is this 2009 ECON behavior documented in the owner's manual?

Any Ford engineers reading these posts?

 

Now that is an even better idea.

the 09 manual says:

Econ: Press to activate/deactivate economy air conditioning operation. Econ mode may provide improved fuel economy by allowing the gasoline engine to shut down even if air conditioning is requested.
When the gas engine turns off, the ac compressor does not operate to cool the cabin and comfort may be reduced.
In econ mode, when the gasoline engine is running, ac operates as normal. To prioritize cooling comfort over fuel economy, de-activate econ. Econ can not be selected in defrost of floor/defrost.

It also says under "tips"

If you find the comfort degredation too much during the gasoline engine off cycles when using a/c in econ mode, try leaving the system in econ mode and reducing the temperature setting one or two degrees at a time.

Can you confirm yours is the same steve?

 

Gary,

We have only had ours a week (less than). My wife has been using it for work all week and she actually drove it home from Apopka. I just got back from my first drive since we got it and it shut off at all my stops but one. On that one I had just been driving EV and the ice had kicked in because the battery was low (it's current low limit).. so when I stopped it stayed on for almost the full red light cycle.

I noticed the truck runs in EV at least TWICE as much as the 08, and it wont let the battery go as high or as low on the scale. (the batt stays between 1/2 and 3/4) I understand that it is still conditioning the new battery but I noticed that even sitting in the driveway playing with the radio, that it will start the ice when the battery drops just below half.

Could yours be running so much simply because it is using the battery more during driving and it is trying to charge it more than it will once broken in?
If you are force manipulating it to use more battery energy than it wants to, you could be running even in econ simply because it is trying to keep the battery at "still conditioning levels"

just a thought...

 

On my 2008, if I have ECON selected, the engine never runs, in my experience. I've had the engine stay off when it was 106 outside, probably 115 or so inside.