Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Can anyone recommend some basic beginner tips to staying in the EV mode for the longest amount of time? I know easy acceleration tops the list. I am also not exactly sure what the "Fuel History" display actually indicates when it shows the twisting arrows (regeneration?) Thanks!

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Hi Hybridwill and Welcome,

Driving in EV mode is fun, and for short distances can help your milage, but emptying your charge then forcing your engine to run the car and recharge the battery actually lowers MPG. Your absolute best mileage comes when you are coasting in EV so that your KW meter is at zero or slightly in the blue. All other times it is much better to keep the car at a steady speed regardless of EV mode or not, because every time your KW meter is in the white, your electric motor is assisting the regular one, and you are benefitting from both. The key is to drive balanced (mixed driving)so that you always have charge.

That being said, the best times for long EV modes are: 1)after the 5 to 10 minutes of warm-up when you first start (short under 5 minute trips are bad for all hybrids. Always do your longest trips first.), 2)right before you know you are going to be on a long stretch of highway that will recharge you anyway, and 3) The last trip to your home so you can take advantage of the morning warm-up.

The best way to get to EV mode (after the warm-up) is to accelerate (using both engines) to about 45 then coast down to about 35 and lightly hold the accelerator at 35 for as long as possible. Trying to keep it up at 40 is possible, but risks turning the regular engine off and on which (as mentioned above) actually is more wasteful then keeping both engines at a steady 45 to 55 miles per hour.

Some folks also believe you get better results if you slightly over-inflate your tires, but I have not tried this yet.

Temperature is also a big factor as milage drops below 40 degrees (due to longer warm-up) or above 97 degrees (due to the safety heat sensor on the battery).

Best Wishes

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Staying in EV mode for the longest possible time, is really hard, and annoying, because the car (seems) to turn the ICE on at different accelerations, depending on the state of charge of the battery. So, if the ICE is charged up full, you can accelerate decently (up to 42mph, if you're careful, and flat). But as the battery charge goes down, it gets progressively harder to keep the ICE from turning on.

But with that said, if the reason for your question is to get the best mileage, then there is A LOT more to it. Simply running in EV for the longest you can, with the resulting recharge happening later, will not be the most efficient (unless you just happen to get a long downhill, just before the ICE kicks on to start recharging).

If it's mileage you want, it depends on the driving that you'll be doing. I'm guessing from your question that we're not talking about highway driving. 3 big things that have worked for me, is getting a scangauge, inflating the tires, and pulse-and-glide.

The scangauge will tell you actual numbers, so that you can know if what you're doing is working. Inflating the tires up to at least maximum helps hugely.

Pulse&glide works best on roads where you can do about 40mph, and when you don't have people behind you. It's where you accelerate up to 42 (the highest speed at which the ICE can stay off), and get off the pedal. Then put a VERY slight pressure on the pedal, so that the battery is not getting or giving any current - like you're in neutral. And coast for as long as you can stand it, slowly going down to some other speed. Then accelerating up to 42, and starting all over again. Done correctly, you should be able to keep the battery charged just by accelerating. I've been able to do 49.5mpg on one trip using this technique (on New England hilly/twisty/busy roads). And I've had a couple 42mpg tanks.

Using this technique, the acceleration is NOT slow. It is decent acceleration. I know it doesn't seem intuitive, but it works. It keeps the ICE off longer, but keeps the engine warm, and the cat hot enough, and etc... So, quick jumps up to 42, then easy coasts down to whatever.

Good luck,
-Gren

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Ian33 and GrendelKahn-Thank you very much for the welcome and detailed info. I've been riding in EV as long as I could and have noticed that the charge goes down rapidly...now Iunderstand. The Navigation display graph is quite helpful and I'll be studying that too.. I'll be utilizing your advice beginning tomorrow morning! Thanks so much!

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

No sweat, man. Let us know how it goes. And let us know if you have any questions.

-Gren

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Ya know it's funny, when I first got the car I was always watching the speedo and trying to keep it in EV as long as possible just because I could while screaming "take that you #$%^#@* oil hungry bastards".

Now, after 6 months I just drive the car as I would a regualr car and get the same mileage(35-37mpg). You just gotta drive like a sane person and let the computer do the rest. You may find some tricks to get a couple MPG's extra on a tank of gas but in the overall average, just drive the car!

The trick to good FE is to watch your rate of acceleration at any speed & keeping your highway speed down to 65-70mph, after that our cars suck, fuel....

The NAH was one (a very successful one) step in a stress reduction plan for me. I used to drive like a semi A-hole, now I just chill and cruise. That was hard to do having been a GearHead since I was in the cradle....

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Me too.

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Glen I just got my 2008 NAH on Friday, the engergy flow monitor, while looking similar to the Prius, does have a difference. How did you manage to shut down the engergy flow to both the battery and engine during the Gluide. I touch very easy and still get regen showing. Should should the display look all white or all dark when doing the glide? I can't seem to get it no matter how much I practice on no traffic roads.

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Thanks TimA: I just finished my first tank of gas and had a total of 542 miles. A bit less than I had hoped for, but for a brand new car with a "supposed break-in period" I think it's not too bad. I'll do the math soon and get a true mpg figure for a baseline. Thanks for your (and everypone's advice) it's really helpful. Okay so now where can I get a large trunk net without spending an arm and a leg?...

Re: Driving tips for the Altima hybrid
 

Mine with a net. Perhaps the dealer just added it as a bonus.