I recently just bought a 2009 Silverado 1500 4x4 Hybrid for my wife and I love it. But I have a question about the hybrid mode. Outside temp is around 60* and the engine is warmed up and anytime I go above 10mph the gas engine cuts on even though the gas pedal is barely pushed down. I'm taking off slow but it always kicks on. I thought it was supposed to go alot higher than 10mph with electric?

Is there a way to get into the ecu and adjust the settings to increase the electric output to say 30mph?

 

Daniel: if you drive it easy enough you can get to over 25 mph with the engine off. "Barely pushed" for the pedal can be a relative term. The percent pedal position and even the rate that you push will trigger the start of the engine. Next are other power loads on the HV battery. Air conditioning, and high 12V loads will force a sooner start. But it is mostly a pedal position and the rate at which you push to get there.

If you get a chance find a slight down hill road with about a 35 mph speed limit. Slowly allow the vehicle to roll in Auto-Stop. At just above 27 mph the engine will always start.

In any of the many hybrids I have experienced including Prius and Lexus, the traffic behind you will become impatient if you try to keep the engine off.

And sadly no, you can't get it re-programmed.

 

Marty is correct. The Hybrid takes a gentle foot and the more long distance driving you do the further you can go in EV mode. Traffic is an issue which I have very little of in the area I live. Traveled 200KM yesterday and saw 2 logging trucks, 2cows, a goat, one mose which does not like Fords, and a cat.

 

I drove the Fusion Hybrid (2009 version) and it took a MUCH lighter foot to stay in pure EV mode than in the Tahoe.

 

Hi Daniel and welcome to the forum. I too have the '09 Silverado Hybrid 4x4. I love this truck. AND...I love it more now that I have more miles and about 3 or 4 months of driving it. I have logged every mile, gallon, and penny for my gas since new. I have had to almost do foot exercises to lighten my foot pedal control to take advantage of the efficiency and to my delight, I have discovered it is a waste of time.

I have ranged between 17.92 and 20.2 mpg over about 12 fill-ups. That is a variance of only 2.1 mpg's. And get this...my heavy foot does not make as much difference as the outside temperature or wind does. This is a great truck and gets great mileage without driving any different than just "driving it like ya stole it!"...well, maybe not, but you don't have to be ultra sensitive and try to keep it in EV. I can tell you that trying to keep it in Autostop will burn more gas than just driving the truck like a truck...within reason. If you drive over 70mph, then you will notice a greater fuel burn but even still, it is not less than 2.08 mpg less than the EPA estimate for the vehicle. This vehicle returns closer to those estimates than any previous car I have had. We also have a Prius, the EPA estimate is 60mpg on it, and we get 45mpg...see my point?

So all of this is kind of off topic I guess since the topic was EV vs ICE above 10mph. Yes, you can be ultra light on the accelerator and keep it in EV and do so for quite some distance, but you won't gain much and will eventually just drive it, that was the point I was making.

 

I can drive my tahoe on Ev mode up to 30 mph easily on a flat or downhill roads.
The ice goes on one tic above 30 mph. Very accurate.

 

Guss you have the touch. On a bigger hill at a higher speed you can modulate the electric boost going down. The tachometer will indicate engine spinning but watch DIC instant FE. 99mpg or 0L/100km will indicate "fuel off"

Now in a fuel off just barely push the pedal and feel the electric come in. Even at 60 mph!

 

Marty,
yes I have noticed that, and was wondering about it.
Today I took a 120 km trip mainly highway going down to the lowest point on earth (the dead sea)i drove down from 950 meters above sea level to -420meters below sea level.
So on my way down I hardly used the gas pedal, I was going down on momentum and gravity. Temperature was 18 c in the city and 26 c in the valley.
On my way back, I had to go up the mountains zigzag roads back to 950 meters.
My average consumption before I left was 15 l/ 100 km (with 180 km of city driving). When I reached the dead sea the avg dropped to 13 l/100km.
By the time I got back home, it had climbed back up to 13.5 l100km (17.4 mpg)
I just thought to share this info with you.

 

Cool. It's getting better. I hear that bouyancy is great in the Dead Sea. Did you go swimming? That elevation is a pretty good climb. More than a climb from North Carolina coast up and over to Atlanta.

I wonder if you did that round trip every day... would you get to 12L / 100km or better?

My work commute is 120 km round trip. I'm a steady 12L / 100 km. 3 C and sunny right now. -5 C at night.

 

Marty,
I didn't go swimming this time, but yes the bouyancy is great. You can float on your back and read a newspaper in the dead sea
If I did that everyday, I would defenitly be able to get 12 l/100 km but that would be considered more of highway driving rather than city.
Mileage is getting better for sure with warmer weather, but still I am far off the 21/22 mpg rating.

In Jordan you can drop from 950 meters altitude to -420 in less than 25 mins drive