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Could Ford Hybrids Be Better Than Most EVs?

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evs hybrids
3K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  2b2 
#1 ·
When most people think about a hybrid, they think of a gasoline engine running with a little help from the battery through break regeneration to increase the mpg about 10% to 30%. But with the new generation of Ford hybrids, with more efficient lithium batteries and most importantly, better software to manage the battery use and efficiency, the 'outcome' when driving a hybrid, starts to look a lot like driving a plug-in hybrid or EV with a range extender.

Here is an example from FordCMAXHybridForum.com with real world numbers that may take a minute to get your brain around. The vehicle is a 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The EPA is 47 City, 47 Hwy, 47 Combined. But the actual mpg for many owners can be better, and for this one owner, and owners like him, it gets much, much better.

Total Miles Driven: 833.8

Total EV Miles Driven: 660.4

Total Gasoline MPG: 64.0

Total Gallons of Fuel Used: 13.02

As you can see, the fuel efficiency of this Hybrid, is like driving an EV with a range not available yet, with over 600 mile range in EV mode, with a 170+ mile range extender that gets 64mpg, without ever having to plug it in. And it costs just $25,200.

To get anywhere close to this, it would have to be the Tesla Model S with two 300EV mile battery pack, a Focus Electric or Leaf with 7 battery packs, a Volt with 12 battery packs or the new BMW i3 with 6 battery packs.

But the C-MAX Hybrid does it with one small 1.4kWh Lithium Battery + Engine and Break Regeneration.

Clearly to achieve fuel economy like this has everything to do with how you drive the hybrid, and if your goal is better fuel effeciency. But that does not mean you have to drive slowly, but it's all about learning 'how' you drive a hybrid that can offer tremendous fuel economy, which begins to blur the concept that a plug is required to obtain the most EV range from an 'electrified' vehicle. It's about changing driving habits, that EV owners must do to get the most range from their EV anyway.

Here is a link at FordCMAXHybridForum.com where the driver explains just how he does it, day after day, with more screen shots.

The point is that how we get to the most efficient mobility and using more electricity, may not be as we generally think. And with battery, software and hybrid advancements offered by Ford today, that allow for more efficient use of available battery power, we may need to expand our idea of what is possible in the near future.

Because it's really available Today!
 
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#3 ·
Nice, Bloggin

first time afaik that the situtation has been stated so clearly!
tho imho
this still has a lot to do with pure EVs just not being ready for prime time.

I remember when I saw the GM EV1 at an autoshow, they had a questionaire which included, "How many miles range would this have to get for you to consider owning one?"
my answer at the time:
500 miles

&
got a question about:
...Total Gasoline MPG: 64.0
Total Gallons of Fuel Used: 13.02
doesn't that indicate it only got less than 5mpg?!?
...
actually I think the "Total EV Miles Driven: 660.4" doesn't QUITE mean what it implies
 
#4 ·
Nice, Bloggin

first time afaik that the situtation has been stated so clearly!
tho imho
this still has a lot to do with pure EVs just not being ready for prime time.

I remember when I saw the GM EV1 at an autoshow, they had a questionaire which included, "How many miles range would this have to get for you to consider owning one?"
my answer at the time:
500 miles

&
got a question about:
doesn't that indicate it only got less than 5mpg?!?
...
actually I think the "Total EV Miles Driven: 660.4" doesn't QUITE mean what it implies
Good point! It actually works out to 13.3 mpg, when we deduct the gasoline used by the engine recharging the battery. 173 gasoline miles divided by 13.02 gallons. The 64mpg is based on what it costs to travel the total 833 miles using 13.02 gallons of gasoline, taking into account break regen and engine regen.

Another way to look at this is that it costs about $1.22 in electricity to equate the cost of 1 gallon of gasoline/eGallon for 40 EV miles of travel. So for a pure EV to travel the same 660 EV miles, it would take 16.5 eGallons to do so. The additional 173 gasoline miles at 4.3 eGallons. For a total of 20.8 eGallons($25.37) for an EV to travel the same distance as the Ford C-MAX Hybrid to travel 13.02($15.88) Gallons/eGallons.

Using 7.78 less eGallons of fuel, the C-MAX Hybrid has a 311.2 mile advantage, along with a $9.49 savings based on equal distance.

ok...enough math for now...:sleeping:
 
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