Better mpg?

[MrEnergyCzar]

On highway trips you put it in MM before it gets to 1 mile remaining. Then you put it in normal battery mode when going up hills. Back to MM on flats or downhills so the engine doesn't rev that much... I thought that was the official consensus awhile back?

MrEnergyCzar

[MrEnergyCzar]

...and i have to ad that there's nothing sadder than *not* using mountain mode, going up a big hill, and having the car slow way down and display the 'power is reduced' message, which might as well be a dunce cap.

how fast can you go in this limp mode?

MrEnergyCzar

[saghost]

100 mph, we think. On flat ground... PPR warns that the battery buffer is gone, and leaves you with only the engine output. (though it also sets when the engine is unavailable.) How fast you can go depends on the hill you are dealing with. Most of the reports here have mentioned 60 or 65. The auto journalist Scott was quoting yesterday in another thread said 35. Basically, I think it is whatever you can achieve with 55-60kW of power - you'll have to assess the slopes you deal with.

[1tuberider]

Thanks for all the insight.

To leave the area I have to drive thru mountains. MM is where I park it when climbing and building my reserve.
Since I am in the mountains I should have it in MM anyway. Then when I get to a community or flats I will use my reserve and then since I am near mountains I put it back in MM. I use it again to fill my reserve and drive thru the mountains and back to normal when I am nearing the community. Once my shopping is done and reserve about gone and am on the freeway heading to the mountains I go back to MM and build my reserve and do the same routine again.

My logic about why it improves mileage for me is that since the motor is running anyway I use it to build my reserve and then the motor turns off when in normal. I have less motor running time overall on the trip. Why leave it in normal and not have the engine build the reserve. I have not seen revs be that great other than when stopping for the bug inspection at the state line the motor is running around 1200 rpm. Then I am back to climbing a steep hill and the motor does not seem to rev to high. At the top of this steep hill with the battery having a charge I can drive mostly in normal mode a distance of around 25 miles. When going down a steep hill I have been able to pick up 10 miles of range. To slow down to the speed limit, or for safe cornering speed or for traffic I toss it in low and it not only slows down but seems to also add more to the battery. Maybe another benefit for my MPG.

My trips to Eureka, a distance of 80 miles one way and nearly a full battery I seem to average around 39 or 40 mpg just leaving it in MM and not taking advantage of the charge. On my trip to Medford where I employed this driving technique my MPG went up to 46 and its a 120 mile one way.

I usually drive in normal mode around town. The only time I use gas is when I leave town. I was at over 250 mpg average but after these trips it dropped to 207. Makes me want to use another car but not if I can get over 40 MPG and still haul my purchases and people. EEEEHAWWW I love this car.

[Slapshot28]

Indeed I think that judicious MM "gaming" can beat normal CS operation in terms of operating efficiency, and other considerations like driver comfort.

As a human "gamer" you can anticipate your route (e.g., especially when EV operation might be more ideal) and focus on operating the ICE only when it will run at efficient/higher revs. In contrast, the Volt's computer has other considerations to consider in normal CS operation (e.g., running quietly to mimize cabin noise). Under certain conditions, the computer may be forced to operate the ICE at inefficient/low revs.

This is a prime example of when a human can out-smart a computer: when the human has more information than the computer has. In this case, you know your route, and the computer does not. You are more intelligent than the computer. High five!

P.S. I hear teeth-grinding from those who yearn for Hold Mode...