how in the world does ECO score work?

I wouldn't try to read too much into the Eco Score. As Yul Brynner, the "King of Siam" once said, "It is a puzzlement".



It seems to place equal weight on the acceleration and stopping phases, even if they are a tiny percentage of a long run. And I've seen the display show 5 bars for "Start", "Cruise" and "Stop" and still not shown 100%. In fact I don't think I've ever seen 100% the entire time I've owned the car.

 

I've hit 100% all the time on my starts

 

Here's what I've figured out about ECO score:

Start. If you stay out of the power zone when you accelerate, you should get 5 bars. However, if you have a hill in front of you, don't even try to do this. Also, in consideration of other cars behind me, I'm not usually trying for 5 bars.

Cruise. This is the hardest category to do well in. Basically, you are being rated for keeping the same pressure on the gas pedal. Good luck with that if you are in traffic, there are traffic lights or stop signs, or if your drive isn't flat.

Stop. Slow, smooth stops will score the best. If a traffic signal turns yellow at a bad time, you have no (legal and safe) chance to score well.

Also, the number of bars you get is rounded to the nearest number of bars based on 20 percent per bar. So if you get three bars, your actual score for that category could be anywhere from 50-70 percent. However, one bar could indicate anything from zero to 29 or 30 percent.

Note: If anyone has a better feel for the break points for number of bars, please share!

 

I personally think the ECO score indicator is for entertainment purposes only; The Start is maybe reasonable, but I never get more than 3 bars on Cruise, even when the mpg indicator is above 80 mpg. Which makes the rating irrelevant.

 

Start: Pause before accelerating after you take your foot off the break, this idle will give you a small but efficient push off. Light pressure on the gas at first, before you move it to full throttle/energy. Then drive normally. Score.


Cruise: You can gradually go into the power zone if needed but generally it needs building up. No sudden surges like you are raising a jet to altitude. Slow and steady wins the score. And for maintaining speed, use light pressure on the pedal to maintain pace or use cruise control.

 

Well, precisely: you are describing the techniques that will "win the (Cruise) score", but have very little to do with the actual fuel efficiency.

Today I drove about 38 miles at 50-60 mph, clocking 62.8 mpg and - get this - two bars on the Cruise score scale.

A few hours later I drove 46 miles, also at 50-60 mph, getting only 58.2 mpg, but three bars on the Cruise score scale.

Conclusion: ECO Score does not follow the actual fuel economy, and therefore is useless.

 

You seem to be comparing the score to instances it is not useful for and declaring it useless. The score is how to have the greatest efficiency when in city streets, at and around stop signs and traffic signals. These are potentially the most consuming times. The surge rather than gradual builds burns more fuel, at that particular moment; not as an average. When using the score and having a higher efficiency use later (gliding on the freeway) the average can be higher. I have no reason to criticize a feature provided by engineers to help things. It costs nothing for our use of it and was highly thoughtful of them to provide a visible means of control.

Is it the only way to have efficiency? Of course not. But those city streets where the car is meant to have its highest efficiency, has it when we do not act counter-productively to its design. I get high grades sometimes without even thinking about it. And I do not mind saving the fuel and using the EV when I can. The highest scores come with the highest engagement of EV. There is no EV as such on the freeway but pay attention to the way that the battery does pitch in.

 

Maybe cruise would help with that?

 

Since cruise control attempts to keep the speed constant (as opposed to the gas pedal), it would probably hurt your cruise score unless you were on a flat surface. Furthermore, I believe scoring for ECO cruise score is disabled while cruise control is on.

 

If you really watch the scores you may notice it indicates how you did rather than how you are doing. The Start score registers once the first time you release the accelerator after starting. The Stopping score registers after reaching full stop. i do not know when the cruise score registers but I will try to observe it. I do believe that it measures our actions rather than the car's automated actions. And I do not believe it is a changing score during motion but shows the result of a period of action.

 

I take the eco score two ways. One, it's an encouraging mentor trying help you get the most out of your driving or two, it's a nagging spouse telling you how bad you drive. I take my score at face value.

 

I've seen the same thing, I can beat my score if I drive like I do in a normal car but when I mosey around getting 60+ MPG it gives me like a 32/100. I think it's pretty bipolar

 

It seems to me to assume that you're on a flat, level road taking off and gradually reaching some max speed and staying there, then braking gradually. It does not adjust for hills. I'd like to reprogram it really. I barely rely on it when I go up a hill, so I gradually accelerate and get a start score of 6/100

 

My wife is a high achiever type of personality, and for her 22 mile commute one way every day, is flummoxed trying to achieve anything over a 70 / 100. After experimenting for months, I finally told her that the test is rigged, because they have never given her enough information to know what to do to get a 100 for any significant drive. My last text to her was: The eco driving score system was designed by a neurotic cubicle-enslaved old fart engineer without a life who revels in the thought of making millions of drivers attempt to achieve an unattainable holy grail perfect score. Perhaps it is time to change the display, throw caution to the wind, and forget all about the eco mode to live a happier life in your high economy vehicle, no matter your driving habits.

 

I hit the button two more times so that I get to the savings screen.