[bostonniroowner]

I have a 2018 PHEV and noticing that when in Hybrid mode (charge depleted, between 10-15% battery), I get very poor city mileage unless I drive long enough to really let the engine warm up and let MPG climb. I am close to 70% eco, 30% normal driving, occasionally 1% aggressive and I know how to pulse my brake to get EV mode, climb slowly, cruise, and drive very economically. By city driving, I mean lots of traffic lights for stop/start, top speed probably 35-40mph.

The problem seems to be that it just takes very long for the car to get to efficiency. Right now temps around 50 degrees, if I take a city trip thats 6 miles and 20 mins, it takes about that time to get close to 40mpg. The ride obviously starts around 10-20mpg, and slowly climbs, but it takes forever to get into the 40s. Does anyone else experience this? It seems like I wont ever get to rated MPGs in the city unless my trips are at least 20-30 mins which feels pretty crazy to me. It means that the real city mileage for what is typical city driving is much closer to high 30s.. .and this is with me driving like a turtle, not using AC, and the temperatures not being that cold yet. Ive had the car for 1000 miles and have only hit 48mpg city on one trip.

 

[Griswald]

I drive a few hundred feet to get out of my housing plan. I get around 17mpg on that ride.
The next step is 1.5 miles at 55 mph, by the time I get to the end of that road, I'm generally at 28mpg.
The rest of my commute is at 62 mph on a divided highway. It takes around 4 miles to get over 40mpg and around 15 to hit 48mpg. I generally hit right at 50 by the 30 mile mark, but that is after slowing down and being in EV for the last mile or so.



I do not accelerate slowly, I pass when necessary, I keep up with traffic if it is moving all around me etc. I use sport mode from a stop to about 40 mph every time I drive. In other words, I do not turtle drive it. I really think turtle driving is worse for efficiency.

 

[jmurphEV]

I've noticed the same thing on my PHEV. in the afternoon when I leave work it's all ICE all the time. The MPG at the start is pretty dismal, but as I drive it rises steadily until it settles in the mid 50's by the time I get home.

I suspect the issue is how the car computes MPG, rather than an actual increase in efficiency as you drive. I suspect that on startup, if the battery is depleted and the ICE on, the car starts with a very low estimate for MPG. It's the reverse of how it works in EV mode. When on the battery the MPG display starts at 999. It might be as simple as the algorithm starting at 0 or some other low value when the battery is depleted and the ICE running from the beginning. Either way it doesn't bother me, my tank to tank average is in the high 70's so clearly I'm getting pretty good MPG.

 

[bostonniroowner]

Sounds like your results are pretty similar to mine then, though I don't do highway trips very often. What temperature is it where you are?

I have similar feelings about turtle driving but haven't tried to accelerate faster. Ive just noticed that no matter how slowly you accelerate, when the ICE is on its at very low MPG so its just painful to do that acceleration slowly, not to mention the ICE engine feels and sounds terrible.

 

[Griswald]

This is why all of you need an Ultragauge.

Mine tells me exactly how many gallons have been used to go a distance. There is NO "estimate" of mpgs, only pure data. https://photos.app.goo.gl/jvquKTXqRMw9nzrX6. This shows a trip from the Lowes to my house about 2 weeks ago. First it shows 0.02 gallons to go 1.95 miles at 104.6 mpgs. Thats at the first red light. The second is in my driveway, 7.23 miles at 0.13 gallons at a total of 54.7 mpg.

Not bad for a Touring model!

 

[djs]

I just bought mine at a dealer and drove about 350 miles home. After leaving the the major highway to the country roads we got it from about 48 to 52.2 by the time we got home. It is a 2018 Silver LX, not many options but we love it already. For reference we traded a 2018 Sportage EX, beautiful car, I just couldn't abide the poor gas mileage.

 

[yticolev]

Right now temps around 50 degrees, if I take a city trip thats 6 miles and 20 mins, it takes about that time to get close to 40mpg.

What the car is doing is completely normal. EPA ratings are not based on 6 mile trips in a cold car.

What you are doing is rather odd. The whole point of a PHEV is to take those short trips in EV mode where the efficiency of a PHEV really shines. Why on earth would you be doing that in HEV mode?

Granted, if you need to heat the cabin, the engine will be running. But for a twenty minute ride, consider using warm clothing and the heated seats for a big efficiency jump.

 

[Griswald]

Sounds like your results are pretty similar to mine then, though I don't do highway trips very often. What temperature is it where you are?

I have similar feelings about turtle driving but haven't tried to accelerate faster. Ive just noticed that no matter how slowly you accelerate, when the ICE is on its at very low MPG so its just painful to do that acceleration slowly, not to mention the ICE engine feels and sounds terrible.

Temperature doesnt make that much of a difference after about 4 miles of driving. Once everything is up to operating temp, it all evens back out.
The biggest drop in mpg's that I see is rain. Suprising how much additional drag a couple of pounds of water puts on a vehicle.

 

[yticolev]

It is not just hitting the rain drops that causes drag, it is the wet roads. Takes energy for the tires to push the water out of the way, and if you look at other cars driving in the rain, you can see the stream of water coming off the tires in the back. Lifting that water and spraying it also uses a significant amount of energy. Some tires are better than others and every once in a while you will see a car that is lifting a lot of water. From what I observe in wet weather, semi tires appear to be less efficient than most car tires in this regard.

Looking at the side mirrors in the rain, it looks like the stock tires are pretty good in wet conditions, at least I cannot see a fish tail of spray.