Only getting 17mpg

[bennettlo]

I like to use the MAX gauge to know how much throttle I can apply before the ICE kicks in. Generally anything below 1/3. Doing this, I find I can cruise on flat ground up to about 45-50 mph in EV mode until the computer wants to charge the battery.

WOW 45-50! I don't think I can do this in my commute with the typical traffic around me. They'd kill me for accelerating too slow.

 

[ultane]

I like to use the MAX gauge to know how much throttle I can apply before the ICE kicks in. Generally anything below 1/3. Doing this, I find I can cruise on flat ground up to about 45-50 mph in EV mode until the computer wants to charge the battery.

If my foot is on the gas pedal, at all, the ICE kicks in.

 

[JoT.]

I have a first edition LC on the Michellin ltx. I only use eco in city and never highway. I get up to 26 mpg going to work in traffic in so cal going up to 65. After 65 significant drop off. I usually cruise at 80 and I’m at 19 mpg.

Was wondering abt this. I’ve left it in ECO mode on highway and wondering today if I should’ve changed to normal driving mode

 

[JoT.]

Has anyone been able to get their battery meter above 4-5 bars?

I have two or three different times but today, no .. i watched it my whole trip today and I was in the car basically for three hours and couldn’t get it above three. Was slightly off put because I had been getting it to the near full bars. Now, it I cannot tell you how I did that so don’t ask, couldnt seem to replicate it today -

 

[JoT.]

The areas that I struggle with:

* 5-10 minute drives within city (stop signs, lights, 15-25mph speeds). If i hypermile and basically coast the whole time, I'm lucky to break 15mpg total over the short trip. I imagine the engine needs some time to "warm up", which is unfortunate when my drive is shorter than the warm up.

* 0-35 MPH acceleration. No matter how soft I am on the gas, any acceleration under 35 MPH drops the current MPG bar down to 10 or lower. And I'm keeping RPMs well below 2000. This goes for any acceleration in this range, not just from a full stop.

(and I do have a soft hybrid-aware driving foot from a decade of driving traditional Toyota hybrids, where it was always easy to exceed the EPA ratings)

It just seems like this hybrid system is just not tuned at all for actual city driving (maybe the methodology for determining "city" rating is actually biased toward more 35+mph suburban roadway driving?). I'm getting about what I would expect from the ICE engine alone (for city driving, specifically).

I get the same thing

 

[bennettlo]

If my foot is on the gas pedal, at all, the ICE kicks in.

Yeah, this is interesting. I'm able to maintain the EV at maybe 1/20th throttle. I can't effectively drive around with it because the acceleration is so slow that I'd interfere with other traffic. I wonder if there are adjustments (somewhere) that can help.

 

[mayonayze]

Its like a video game, mastering driving in battery mode

Huge reason why this thing can be fun to drive, if you want

I think lvl 10 is staying on battery through a chicane while gaining 2mph

 

[APIOQM]

WOW 45-50! I don't think I can do this in my commute with the typical traffic around me. They'd kill me for accelerating too slow.

To clarify, I use the ICE to get up to cruising speed.

 

[BigMF]

My Tahoe had the same issue. I am beginning to think Waze is off. MPG is definitely a struggle with even the stock 20s package.

I checked this again with a different app and was getting similar results to Waze. I'll play around some more with different apps and different speeds to see if the variance is consistent or changes as the speed goes up.

 

[Tripod1404]

My MPG keeps improving. Below is my latest 28 MPG, over mostly highway driving on hilly western Wisconsin county roads (speed limit 60 MPH). This is with a tank of 93 octane fuel.

 

[JoT.]

My MPG keeps improving. Below is my latest 28 MPG, over mostly highway driving on hilly western Wisconsin county roads (speed limit 60 MPH). This is with a tank of 93 octane fuel.

Mine was at 17 forever but then at 19 and now 20- so I’m seeing increase with 91- 93 octane and 1500 miles on it now

 

[DD214]

So does driving in normal mode on the highway = better mileage? I also have never seen my battery over 5 bars and I have 2650 miles on it.

 

[jambo]

So does driving in normal mode on the highway = better mileage? I also have never seen my battery over 5 bars and I have 2650 miles on it.

If you don't see a full battery that is a good thing in my view. That means you are using more battery and less gas as it is intended. No point having full battery all the time cause you are using gas to keep it charged. I know some are after getting the battery charged full but this is not tesla.

 

[DD214]

If you don't see a full battery that is a good thing in my view. That means you are using more battery and less gas as it is intended. No point having full battery all the time cause you are using gas to keep it charged. I know some are after getting the battery charged full but this is not tesla.

Maybe, but I look at the Max gauge and I don’t see it engage much and I cannot get any battery to stay on at any speed above 35MPH no matter how steady my foot on the gas pedal. Also, if I am on a straight away with little or no altitude change why does the battery not kick in?

 

[DenisLM]

So does driving in normal mode on the highway = better mileage? I also have never seen my battery over 5 bars and I have 2650 miles on it.

You may see the full battery after long descents.

Living in the PNW, there's plenty of hills on my way to work.

 

[DD214]

You may see the full battery after long descents.

Living in the PNW, there's plenty of hills on my way to work.

I too have long descents as well in New England as well. 3-5 bars is all I see.

 

[TheBat]

Maybe, but I look at the Max gauge and I don’t see it engage much and I cannot get any battery to stay on at any speed above 35MPH no matter how steady my foot on the gas pedal. Also, if I am on a straight away with little or no altitude change why does the battery not kick in?

Because other than at very low speed the electric motor is used as a power adder, it does not have an EV mode at least partly because the battery is too small for that. I see the Max gauge register during acceleration mostly and during slow speed 1% throttle situations (rare).

 

[bluebullet]

Damn!

I’ve got the same tires and I’m getting 21.1 mpg combined city/highway in normal mode.

Mine seems stuck on 21.1 as well on premium.

 

[DenisLM]

I too have long descents as well in New England as well. 3-5 bars is all I see.

Try to lightly keep your foot on the brake.
Too much and the "real" brakes will kick in.

Would be nice to have a gauge to show that too.

Today I went to work "rushing" and my MPG went down to 19 (from 26 last week)
Any small driving variations results in a huge MPG swing...

 

[ironswifty]

Im at around 1100 miles and driving like a grandma and cruising to red lights or rolling as much as possible and still 18-22 avg. 24 is my high. Hopefully things will get better.