VonoreTn

You're not alone. I too am obsessed with trying to get the last mpg out of every trip. But I enjoy it, and love all the mpg feedback. If I had all this feedback on my Mustang, I would go nuts, because it would tell me what a hopeless gas guzzler it is. On the Mustang the only feedbacks I notice are rpm, mph, fuel pressure and manifold boost.

Never had a traction problem when we drove it Keystone, Co last winter for a week of skiing. It's a heavy car, with good weight on the front traction wheels. My only complaint was the mileage dropped to 35 in the sub-freezing weather instead of the usual 40 mpg we are used to. City driving if anything seems to improve the mpg, even with a lot of stop lights. Of course the FFH is not a 4WD truck, so if ground clearance and traction on steep snow covered hills are issues, you might want to consider a Ford Escape 4WD Hybrid. Much more storage space, better ground clearance, but mileage closer to 30 than 40 mpg. And be aware that you can't pull a trailer with an FFH.

But MG2 is part of the system, it is active, so it must be included in the functional description. MG2 changing rpm is what gives MG1 the broad range of rpm. Yeah, I think I have noticed the reduction of ICE rpm while accelerating. Agreed, neat stuff, and repeating, my understanding is superficial at this point.

Thanks for the background. I am not surprised by this story. A similar story is William Edwards Deming and his Statistical Process Control SPC concept which was started in the US but ignored here, then optimized in Japan and finally embraced and fully implemented in the USA in the 90's, about 5 years after Japan had benefited greatly from its contribution to quality control. As you say, Toyota deserves a lot of credit, for taking the risk of putting lots of development and manufacturing money into the idea, and you have to wonder about the detailed story of how and why TRW didn't see the potential of the concept. I know from experience that corporate patents cost corporations a lot of money to procure, so they should take the time to look at the merits/application of them very carefully. And Ford deserves credit for following a pattern that they have followed in the past, rather than play games try to engineer around the Toyota patents, or fight them in court, they treated Toyota with upfront professional respect, paid royalties and proceeded with the concept with Toyota's blessing.

I am starting to get it. MG1 is motor generator 1, which is connected to the sun gear. MG2 is the second motor generator set, which is connected to the ring gear, and the ICE is solidly connected to the planetary gear arm. And by varying the two MG's either as support of the ICE or load on it as it generates electricity, you can keep the ICE in an optimum state of RPM and load. The rpms are related by: [N sun X rpm sun + N ring X rpm ring] = [N ring +N sun] X rpm arm Where N is number of teeth in each gear. Given all this, the computer guys can go crazy optimizing ICE loads and support, with a goal of keeping the ICE in the maximum efficiency mode. While I only have a superficial grasp of this strategy, my FFH with 23K miles averaging 39+ mpg is a testimony to the success of this approach so far. That's not based on my FFH gauges, that's based on recording every ounce of fuel I have put in the vehicle. Also this strategy, basically initially invented/embraced by Toyota in their Prius offers a whole new world of FE potential for every car in the world, that is probably competitive with fuel cells and other previously proposed technologies for FE. While fuel cell cars are superior for electricity generation, they have large hurdles to catch up with this system, including weight, energy conversion from battery to motors, and the hydrogen supply infrastructure.

Wow Oman, You really understand this gear ratio thing, I'm a mechanical engineer and can't quit follow how you can change gear ratios with a planetary gear setup. Normally you would need some kind of variable speed device like a variable size pulley mechanism they use in motor scooters and some lawn mowers. I've been playing with the mg1, mg2 animation that Mort supplied (below), and starting to get the idea of how it works, but it is still confusing. http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

You mention drafting, let me tell you my experience. I think that there is no doubt that drafting improves mileage. And the closer to the truck you get, the better it works. 70 feet is better than 100 feet. I'm talking maybe 2-4 mpg better. But I learned my lesson in Missouri, where a truck for an instant went onto the shoulder, threw up some gravel, and cracked my windshield. So I recommend don't draft. Factor in the the cost of a new windshield when you do you your calculation for how much you will save in gas expense. Plus it requires too much focus as you can't take your eye off that truck for an instant. At 70 mph you are one second behind a truck at 103 feet. Not enough reaction time should something go wrong. Nor can you see the truck pass over a big chunk of truck retread on the road, which also can, in an instant, do hundreds of dollars of damage to your vehicle. I am still getting over 40 mpg on trips not drafting, going 70, with speed control and the AC on, which is plenty good enough for me. Last winter my mpg went significantly below 40 for a winter trip to Colorado. Then it improved after the dealer made the "brake sensitivity" free dealer campaign adjustment. But another variable was that it was the only really cold weather trip that we have made. Maybe it was the cold weather, I'll be watching it closely this winter.

That right there is very suspicious behavior, mine will shoot up to 60( 60+ on the "i" (information tab HEV)) if I let off the gas under any condition, even going up a hill. Practice this first in your garage: move the gear lever from drive to neutral (take care not to hit reverse, without looking, practice). Hitting reverse accidentally will not destroy the transmission in a FFH, but it is solidly not recommended to hit reverse while driving forward. Hitting reverse in a more conventional car while going forward could destroy the transmission, so be very careful with the concept. OK, now that you have this down, try it on a slight downgrade at any speed on the highway. the instantaneous mpg will definitely go to 60 in neutral. If you see a huge difference, like suddenly going from 30 mpg to 60 when you go to neutral, you may have some kind of driveline drag, similar to being in low gear. Don't tell the dealer I suggested any of this ;-) You are on your own. And it is only a test, not a driving strategy, since if your FFH is working right, it almost does the same thing automatically when you take your foot off the gas. Being able to put your car in neutral is a safety maneuver, since it is the recommended procedure should a generic car ever have a full throttle failure event while driving. So it is not heresy to recommend that drivers be familiar with the concept and procedure. If your FFH still doesn't hit 60 mpg in neutral going down a hill, you may have dragging brakes, or a very bad toe-in or toe-out wheel alignment condition.

Answering number 2 question only, there are 4 mpg feedbacks. I found the leaves rather useless, and changed them 2 minute MPG bar graphs the first day, using the steering wheel buttons on the left. That's the first mpg feedback. They can be every 1, 2 or 5 minutes per bar. (10 minutes, 20 minutes, or an hour for full width of ten bars). You set that up. The second is the resetable mpg, that displays in the information page, HEV tab, and above the bar graph on the dash. You have to reset it manually with the steering wheel buttons, I reset it at every gas fillup, or at the beginning of a trip. It will not reset itself. The third feedback is the long term mpg. It also will not reset itself, unless the battery is disconnected, or the computer shut down for some reason. You can reset that also with the steering wheel buttons, but it is harder to do, it's deep in the menu, and you definitely want to be stopped with a minute or so on your hands to do it. The long term mpg displays when you turn the engine off, but don't take the key out. And the 4th mpg feedback is when you turn the engine off, and wait a few seconds before taking the key out, you will get a summary of mileage for just the last trip from when the engine was started the last time. If you forget to look at it, (as we often do since we are in a hurry to do something whenever we stop), you can bring it up again by turning the key on, all the way to just before start, then back off one key position. Once you hit start again, you wipe out this 4th feedback. If you just got your car, and you have the 502A package, I bet you didn't notice that on the "i" (information) tab, it gives you the altitude above sea level. On mine it is in rather small type, too hard to see while driving, but as a passenger, I have found it interesting, especially on a trip. I now know which towns around me are higher and lower altitude, and this does impact my mpg going to and from them. I'll take a guess on your first question that your heated seats pull about 8 amps, and hence would have about the same impact as having your bright lights on versus no headlights. I think the impact of daytime sun load increasing your AC requirements in the summer would be a greater impact, since that would bring in a higher compressor load and more ventilation fan. But I am speculating and I wait to be corrected by some other forum members who might have the actual numbers.

Something is definitely wrong. Change your leaf screen to a bar graph, so you can start getting real feedback on your driving techniques. I have 23 thousand miles on my 2010 FFH and I keep full records based on every fill up. I can send you the Excel sheet with all that info. I never got under 35 and I am averaging 39 for the entire year. I usually get over 40 on trips.

Here's what it says in the FFH owners manual, page 205: TRAILER TOWING WARNING: Never tow a trailer with this vehicle. Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available through an authorized dealer.

Yeah, these days if you have plans to tow a trailer, you should be thinking about buying a cross-over or an SUV. I think the Lincoln Towncar would still pull a class 3 trailer as late as 1997, when they went to electric radiator cooling fans in 1998, which are better for cooling the AC condenser at idle, but worse for pulling a heavy trailer at low speeds. Ford figured if you were serious about pulling a 6000 lb trailer, you should probably be looking at an Explorer, Expedition, F150, or an E250.

Thanks for the heads up on the owner's manual warning. I kind of assumed that, and never had any intention of pulling a trailer. I have too many friends with pickups and trailers who owe me favors to ever consider using my FFH as a trailer hauler. I guess when I was describing the definition of a class one trailer hitch, I was thinking that other non-hybrid Fusion owners might benefit from my experience, and they might land at this topic in a general fordfusionforum search. Maybe this topic should be moved out of the hybrid section, I don't know how to do that at this point. The installation pictures are at: My link

If you want to get a more positive perspective on the Volt, go to: My link And then if you really want to study the situation of the Volt merits, read the 4 pages of comments. Keep in mind that the 127 mpg is for a short trip, a trip where the real gas savings is a couple of dollars, assuming they really did get 54 mpg for the after 40 mile portion of the trip (not substantiated by any other Volt testers). I know that I have saved over$1700 in gas in the one year I have been driving my FFH versus the car I would have been driving otherwise, and I haven't had to plug anything in at night.

I did not have to drill any holes. It used existing holes. And the way you get the bolts and washers inside the closed channel is really clever. Both bolts on each side go through the larger of the two existing holes. They send you special wires that attach to the bolt thread to accomplish this. You can get the muffler out of the way pretty quickly, it is just supported by two rubber hangers. (actually I probably made that sound too easy since there is a trick to that). Now that I know all the tricks I bet I could do a second one in 20 minutes. And if I had some help, like someone to hold the hitch in place as I get the nuts started, 15 minutes.

I just installed a class 1 etrailer hitch on my FFH. If anyone is interested, email me, I have installation pictures. It took me about 1 hour, and cost $141.47 including shipping. I installed it to mount a bicycle rack on the back. Per readers comments below, don't try to pull a trailer with it, the FFH Owners Manual forbids it.

I agree. They probably did it 2 years ago, but didn't tell anyone. But we have been hearing about the Volt for 4 years, and somehow the media missed the mechanical hookup until just last month. You are stating what was obvious to many of us here. GM did claim that the goal of it's engineers was 50 mpg after the first 40 miles. This was apparently wishful thinking, but a lot of people expected it. The point is that the Volt has been over-sold. It turns out to be a compromise that is not going to get a lot of buyers in my opinion. Look for high sales of the Volts in government fleets, and government subsidized industries.

News flash, Mirak and others...somehow I missed this (thanks Joey), the Volt no longer just uses the ICE to charge the battery. It is now linked directly to the drive-train, just like the FFH. GM claims that they hid this information from the public and press due to patent concerns, but I suspect they realized about the same time we did that their charging only mode for ICE was just not going to cut it, and they fundamentally changed their design. So now, after the first 40 miles, it faces off directly against the FFH, and it can't quite match the performance of the FFH, especially at lower speeds. Plus it is still a 4 seater versus a 5 seater, and still costs more. This does kind of address some other issues, like wouldn't the FFH be more efficient with lithium batteries? Apparently the lithium batteries are not a big factor in the total strategy to get the highest FE. My link

Thanks Mirak. The Volt doesn't even match the Fusion Hybrid for FE, much less the Prius, after the first 40 miles. The GM's engineer's goal of 50 mpg after the first 40 miles was probably not realistic, for the reasons I stated on this topic last July. Despite the positive spin by GM, it doesn't sound like going up the hill to Loveland Pass with the engine roaring all the way was a pleasant experience either, and I'm sure some customers might have some issues with the underpowered situation on road trips through mountains. My next prediction is that the government doctors the EPA fuel economy procedure such that the Volt looks like a clear winner to the majority of car buyers.

This is a whole new world of driving for me, the GPS, Satellite radio, 40 mpg, on regular gas. If I could afford it I would buy a second one. The only high volume car in the USA that is getting better mileage is the Toyota Prius, and I don't like the looks of the Prius, plus I will always only buy Ford products.

I have 21K miles on my 2010 FFH, no issues whatsoever. My mileage has been real close to 40 mpg since it was new. Keep us posted on what the dealer finds.

I saw a Milan at a stoplight and noticed the tail-lights didn't line up perfectly. I thought it must just be that one car. I guess the dies for the fender and the trunk weren't perfectly calculated. I like the looks of my FFH, including the grill. A MMH might cost you more to get body parts in the future, which might make insurance cost more. The two tone seats don't bother me, just a matter of taste.

If such a device were implemented in the manner you suggest, you would probably be surprised to see how little positive impact it had on the FFH mpg. But keep thinking. All great ideas start this way.

You hit the middle button on the top row, the one labeled "i", for information. Under the first screen "where am I", it is a little red number to the right below the city and state, giving feet above sea level. I wish it was bigger, because I like to monitor it as I drive. It gives a new dimension to driving. Also on the same line to the left is the exact GPS longitude and latitude coordinates, something useful to emergency if you are ever in an accident. A helicopter could find you within feet with that information, even in the middle of a wilderness.