Achieving ultimate fuel consumption

[sipaldi]

Hi All,
I am now 2 weeks in with my new to me PHEV.

I am wondering if I am obtaining the best MPG for my driving situation.

I work 2.5 miles from home so, as it has been below freezing recently, I start the car in "save mode" to defrost and heat the cab(petrol). Usually 5 minutes or so then into "normal mode" and leave for work. This is then electric all the way.


At weekends I tend to do 30-40 miles, usually around the hilly Northern Peak District. I tend to use "save" going up hills then "normal" going down and through villages. I try to use the paddles for braking down the hills.

I charge via the home charger as much as possible.

Am I using the vehicle to its maximum potential or can I get more from it?

 

[michael8554]

Everyone has their option on the best use of SAVE, CHRG, and the B paddles, but I would say you have it about right.

All I would add is that the car is fairly heavy so coasts well, you will be surprised how gentle a slope will maintain speed in B0.

Why coast in B0? Because using no battery at all is a bit more efficient than harvesting with Regen

Still regen down hills of course.

 

[BrianTheSnail]

Agree with the above about coasting where possible with B0.

The only other thing I would suggest is that forcing the ICE to run with 'save' mode just to warm the cabin is generally not necessary. Crank the heater if you need to and the car will start the engine itself if required and run it only enough to heat the cabin - no need to use 'save' to force this. If you really want to minimise fuel use then heat the cabin more slowly (set a lower target temperature) and the car will only use the electric heater and not start the engine at all. Given your trip to work is only 2.5 miles you can easily be 100% EV to and from work each day. Takes a little longer to warm up that way, but you can always start the process a little while before you're ready to leave in the morning.

 

[Regulo]

Did you get your app connected? Using pre-heat will allow you to never use the engine at all! Unless you're heavy on the throttle, of course.

 

[sipaldi]

Great info guys thanks.

I had noticed she freewheels in B0 rather than drive. I will use that more often and then its just a 2 second pull on the right paddle for D again I believe.
I will just hit the screen clear in the mornings then and leave the SAVE alone. I set the temp to 20C which I believe is optimum?

 

[michael8554]

So long as you brake gently in B0 you are Regening, too hard and the real brakes come on.

Some have managed 25% more range with coasting.

 

[greendwarf]

The OP doesn't say what year and model he has - if it is an older GX3h then he might not have an electric heater :idea:

 

[ThudnBlundr]

You can of course coast in any 'B' setting, so setting to B0 simply removes the option of using the regen to slow the car down if you wish without fiddling with the paddles. I set it to B5 on startup and then use the throttle pedal to allow me to coast if I wish or or to slow depending on the traffic conditions. No chance of coasting for long distances round here most of the time. BTW coasting does use some power to energise the motors, but it is small compared to normal power demands.

I'm not clear why the OP puts it into SAVE mode when he starts it. If it is warm, that will have no effect as the ICE will not start, just like normal. If it is cold, it will also have no effect, as the ICE would start anyway. As mentioned, try pre-heating in cold weather if you have the electric heater, as they could make the whole journey purely in EV.

Using SAVE on hills may be worse for consumption if the car runs in Series mode below 40mph. In that mode, the ICE runs the generator which then charges the battery and powers the electric motors. It's generally better to allow the car to charge in Parallel mode above 40mph, when the ICE is powering the front wheels directly and sending any excess power to the battery via the generator. The corollary is that it's better to use EV if possible when the car would run in Series mode.

Leaving the car in 'D' or SAVE will cause the ICE to run for a short time, and then it will run in EV for a short time. For peak efficiency, it's better to run the ICE for longer periods in CHRG so that it is thoroughly warm, followed by longer periods in EV. Obviously you need to tailor your usage depending on the terrain. Experiments have shown that this is fractionally more efficient on long runs. But try not to arrive at your next charge with any battery remaining.

 

[sipaldi]

Hi Regulo, nope, did not get the app connected. Its in the dealers friday as they think it needs flashing?

Greendwarf its a 2.4 2019y model.

I see electric heater mentioned but as this morning, when I start up it blows cold air for quite some time even though I have the heater set at 24 . Am I doing something wrong? I assumed the heat would be pretty instant with it having an electric heater?

Thudnblundr, on the steep hill leaving my house with a 30mph limit I am better not to use the save mode its around a 2 mile climb? Only use save mode above 42mph when the direct drive to the front wheels kicks in?

Thanks all, great info.

 

[Regulo]

Unless it's changed in later models, the electric heater is best thought of as kettle elements heating water. That's why it takes a while to blow warm!