Consumer Reports MPG Result For 2013 Fusion & C-Max Hybrids!

What was the difference in mpg on a monday versus a friday?

 

I used a different approach, a thermistor hack on our NHW11. It shortened the time to Stage-4 hybrid mode to about two minutes versus a normal five-six minutes. For a 20 minute commute, it in effect made winter MPG look closer to summer MPG.

Bob Wilson

 

I thought about doing the hack on my gen III, Ken from Japan helped me figure out that its the warm up during hills and highway that kills my morning mpg. In the end I decided not to modify, just in case it really was greatly reducing emissions (but I doubt that).

 

The ZVW30 warms up so quickly, the hack wouldn't help. I found with the NHW11 the hack can not be used at coolant temperatures under 40C or the engine stalls (Ok, maybe 35C but that is too close.) Our ZVW30 coolant warm-up is awesome fast about 3 minutes or less.

We're just about out of the 'cold' season and sad to say, I didn't get a data recording, OBD scanner until just yesterday. But the ScanGauge II shows a rapid temperature rise to about ~55C and then a plateau as if the exhaust heating is cut-back. Still, within a minute we're over 70C and life is toasty.

Bob Wilson

 

No longer have the notes on the difference for the morning commute, but it was noticable between Monday and Tuesday. Where the economy stayed at for the rest of the week.

 

I've got to say clean mpg and now I can't find anything from the epa that says what these lawyers are claiming to fleece people into their class action lawsuit.

It will be very interesting if the EPA does find a problem, but my speculation is the car simply does really well on the test, much better than it does in cleanmpg's capable hands.

 

even if they made mistake of not following procedures to the letter, EPA will re-rate them as 45 MPG or something, like they did with Hyundai, because their cars are optimized for the test cycle, not real life.

 

They have not controlled for ambient and engine temp, or have they?

 

Hyundai changed the standard test protocol and this is a no-no. Having vehicles optimized for the standard test is not a problem as long as that same software is in the production vehicle.

Low hanging fruit would be inertial coasting when the foot is taken off the accelerator:

• add drag only if speed increases over the release speed
• inertial drag when below the foot-off-accelerator speed

Then have "ECO" allow a wider speed range in cruise control, moving toward keeping the engine in peak BSFC or low fuel consumption regions. No problem as long as it is in the production vehicle.

Bob Wilson

 

Thermo bottle raised the coolant temp by about 20 deg F in the winter when I tested.

Ford's strategy would speed up the warmup process but it will use more gas, hence more emission.

Recycling heat from the exhaust saves gas (less energy loss) and also speed up the warmup process. This also comes in handy for plugin version because the gas engine runs less often. The battery wear out less as well.

 

I still don't get how that little 3 liter thermos could save much gas or pollution warming the engine. I really don't know, but if it did a lot of good why didn't they use it in Europe or Japan? Maybe it was the different tests?


The new system at least I understand. The thermodynamics make sense. Cooled EGR can improve efficiency at low loads, by reducing waste heat, and improve efficiency at high power levels by allowing a leaner mix without harming pollution control hardware which may reduce NMOG. It decreases NOx by reducing peak combustion temperatures. The heat is free from the system, and can be used as a positive feedback on start up.

I would think the primary difference of emission would be the EGR system, but our tests are skewed to highlight start up. Either way the camry hybrid and fusion hybrid have similar aerodynamics and the ford has higher rollling resistance. Sure the fusion hybrid does worse in other tests than its epa ratings, but it doesn't under perform the camry hybrid. The cooled egr + ehr system should add to efficiency and lower pollution, but ford has other tricks up there sleave like active grill shutters.

I would think the system would save more gallons a year on a hybrid, than a phev You are right it may have more of an mpg effect on a plug in, but isn't the important thing gallons a year, for the extra cost of the system.

 

From what I have read, it was added in the US to achieve AT-PZEV emission rating. 20 deg F boost could cut down 20 seconds in warmup, assuming coolant temp raise is 1 deg per sec.

 

That makes sense, it was released a long time ago, and some of the new techniques weren't around.

Completely agree that Ford could improve with the cooled egr +ehr system.

 

Yup, the cooled EGR should greatly increase efficiency at partial load (@highway 65 mph) of the 2.0L ICE and prevent fuel enrichment at higher power load. EGR combined with EHR should enable the reflection of the realworld MPG and the EPA figures.

C-Max's 2.0L lowest power output while maintaining optimal efficiency is probably 20kW (27hp). Prius 1.8L, it can go as low as 10kW with the help of cooled EGR. The excess power has to be routed to the battery to recharge and then discharge later when ICE is off -- series hybrid route. Above 62mph, it is not possible for ICE to shutdown so it will be forced to run at inefficient lower power (10-15kW). Another option is to use that battery in stealth mode (if Ford has one). This will use the battery to propel the car (through MG2) while spinning the ICE without using gas (with MG1). In either case, it takes more conversion loss as more power is split into the series route.

 

Funny you should mention "cooled exhaust recirculation:"

This is roughly 1 second interval sampling rates recorded from my wife's 1.8L, ZVW30.

Bob Wilson

 

bob,
I don't really understand what I'm looking at here. THe main thing I look at for gen II versus gen III prius for power versus efficiency is bsfc, and I assume some of the partial power efficiency at each rpm is cooled egr.



I would expect the ford hybrids to have similar most efficient curves look like the gen II 1.5, with a smaller sweet spot. Hypermiling techinques can keep you closer to the sweet spot, but having a bigger efficient area allows the drivers behavior to drop mpg less.

The biggest difference between the prius and the c-max though has to be the required hp, both are extremely efficient. The prius has lower weight and smaller tire patches, reducing rolling resistance and a lower coefficient of drag as well as smaller frontal area, reducing drag. After that we get to things like the cooled egr + ehr.

 

Sorry, let me explain:

Earlier this week, I finally got my 'minVCI' to record engineering data, within limits, from my wife's ZVW30. Far from perfect, it is not fast enough and there are data size limits, this is the first graph and it shows the EGR usage in a cold morning commute to work.

Not shown is the ICE rpm and so far, I have not found a way to add MG1 torque, the reactive force from the ICE. But I am looking at most of what I need to measure BSFC with EGR.

I am headed that way even before the thread mentioned EGR.

Bob Wilson

 

Been scoping 2013 Fusion Hyb on fuelly ... 124 cars, 41.2 avg over 500k miles. Beating Camry Hybrid.

Not 47, but hey, over 41 really good, what I'd like to see in midsize hybrids.

Ford Fusion MPG Reports | Fuelly