T8 mpg

[Deman77]

Originally Posted by Mezza

Oops, I do about 30k a year mainly on the motorway.

It would still act as a hybrid when battery is drained. You will recover some kinetic energy from breaking. You can learn to drive it smart and can beat the petrol or even diesel I am sure. Read up on hypermiling techniques for hybrids . I could push my Prius from mid 40s to high 60s by consciously doing all those things with very little impact on travel times. It can be good fun trying to squeeze those extra mpg out of a hybrid.

I don't think draining half the battery in pure mode at the start of a long journey is optimal. You should be able to figure out a "pulsing" method whereby your high energy phases (acceleration and hill climbing) use petrol and on flat bits and steady speed you just keep nudging it with electric 5-7mph higher and then coast back down. With Prius you have to do it with zero sum as battery is low capacity. With PHEV you should be able to do it by slowly draining the battery since you have so much to start with and you have a lot more margin for error or it will negate the extra drag. I am certain you can really get this thing to high mpg if you set your mind on it.

Obviously you can do all the drafting behind lorries nonsense but that improves mpg on any car so it's cheating. It is a lot more efficient with hybrids though due to being able to keep engine shut down as each of your nudges lasts a lot longer due to lower drag.

[FooMan]

I was quite pleased with this recent trip as reported by the VoC Windows App...

T8 mpg.jpg

[apocz]

The economy on mine has been steadily improving. I've now done nearly 8000 miles and on my frequent 120 mile trip to Worcester (starting with a full battery) I'm now getting between 37 and 38.5mpg. (@75mph average)

If I push "harder" I generally end up with a minimum of 28.5mpg.

[adrien]

At the 2,000 mile mark we have achieved 51 mpg, or 61 in Imperial.

That's with charging every night, almost all short routes below 40 miles.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by FooMan

I was quite pleased with this recent trip as reported by the VoC Windows App...

Attachment 95999

If your VOC wore pants, the flames emanating from them would be visible from the moon.

[Polite]

Ive had my T8 since January. Certainly the whole hybrid thing is an education (i run a business with several hybrid cars on the fleet, and the experince is the same no matter which make or model it is). It suits a certain type of driver and travel circumstance. If you make a daily commute within 20 miles and can charge at home and at work, then it can be weeks before you have to splosh any fuel in the tank. I work 21 miles from home. 65% of that journey is on the motorway. I run the car in Pure mode which takes a bit of getting used to but does extend the battery charge. I also knock the gear knob into 'b', giving the charge on downhill and braking an extra boost as any trickle back into the battery is a good thing. What is most important is the speed and weight of acceleration you employ when driving. Previously I was a fast motorway driver but i have to say the preoccupation of getting the most miles out of my T8 has almost become a game now with a buzz for getting a high score! The knack is keeping the speed down so you keep the electrics engaged and only use the ICE when you really need it (accelerating onto the motorway, steep hills etc). If i have a couple of weeks in the office and general bimbling around from home and reset the clock i can elevate the mileage to about 100mpg (95-105 depending). More mixed local area driving gives me 65mpg over a longer period. But... If i then take a trundle down to Cornwall, that figure drops like a stone and the small tank suddenly need a lot of refilling!

Bottom line is, any plug-in hybrid is only going to show you running cost savings if you apply it to the type of use that suits it. High mileage, long distance drivers just aren't going to see any real benefit over a diesel (quite possibly the reverse). But if you have a relatively short commute, can charge at both ends, and long journeys are the exception, then hydrids can deliver in spades.

Personally i get a mixed bag but as its a company car, and we generate our own electricity too, its still a no brainer for me and the car itself is superb.