Finally got my 09' after 7 month wait. First drive home went well, over 300 miles home, got 27mgp calculated, had it in cruise most of the way. Surprised at home much EV can do under 40mpg on a new battery...I've heard people say they can't get in EV in test drives etc...not in this 09', EV right off the lot.
First question...well first is a silly one...dashbaord icon, lower right hand corner, a car with arrow under it...suppose to be on all the time? I thought the manual said that meant the car was ready to drive...seems like a waste of an icon but whatever

Driving question....driving down the highway at highway speeds...take my foot off the gas expecting to just coast..but I see the charge/assist meter swing to charge for a bit...seems like to charge I would need some resistance but at that point I don't want any..just want to coast...what's up with the charge at that time?

 

Did you release the pedal quickly? If so, the computer is thinking that you want to decelerate a bit (engine brake). If you let off gentle, you will not see the charge come on.

 

hmmm hadn't thought of that...I figured if I wanted to tell the car I wanted to decelarate I'd use the brake I'll have to try easing off slower...

 

Hey Slick, congratulations on your new FEH.

Both of your questions come down to one issue. Driver experience. When Ford created the FEH, they wanted it to be as easy to operate and familiar/similar to a standard vehicle as possible.

Ford did a very in depth look at how to integrate EV into the FEH without compromising the end user driving experience wherever possible. I think they did a great job but I often wish they had an expert mode that you could put the computer in that was a little more EV oriented for those who understand the differences the technology brings.

The green ready light will always stay on (when the vehicle is ready to move) as an indicator to the driver, otherwise; a "new to hybrids" driver might freak out the first time the engine cut off going into EV mode. I agree that once you get familiar with the FEH you don't need this indicator but Ford had to add it for those who aren't familiar.

As for the charge/regen when you let off the gas, this was programmed in to mimic the standard compression braking that you would feel on a normal car. In the 05-08 model, you could get even more charge/regen/deceleration by shifting into L. As you get more comfortable with your FEH you'll find that letting off the go pedal a little less can get you into that coasting zone you're looking for. Completely letting off the gas will continue to work like a standard car and result in deceleration. (If you want to get a little more technical, I believe that the quick initial swing to charge after letting off the gas, is the computer's way of bleeding off the excess engine RPM instead of transmitting it to the drive-line.)

Another item that's programmed into the FEH to make it more like a standard vehicle is "creep". Notice that when you are at a stop and let off the brake the EV system will engage ever so slightly and propel the vehicle forward. In reality, on an EV system like a golf cart for example, on level ground when you let off the brake the cart will remain stationary. But, since many drivers have become accustomed to the creep in an standard automatic, Ford added "creep". This creep also helps to keep the FEH from rolling backwards when stopped on an incline (although I think Ford could have handled this scenario without using creep).

 

More good info thanks...and yes the creep was another question I had....I meant to ask why it feels like my fuel injuection is pushing me forward when the engine is off at a light..your creep explanation covers that I guess sometimes to much info makes for confusion..like you said this stuff is to make it feel like a "normal" car but I guess I have just enough info to be dangerous as they didn't make sense to me knowing a bit of what's going on under the hood so to speak Makes sense now though...

 

If you want to coast "freely", not incur the "cost" of regenerative braking, you must shift into neutral when the gas pedal is fully released.

I have always thought that this might be a really good option "feature", automatically shift into neutral during driver intentional coastdowns.

 

[quote=MyPart;190437

Another item that's programmed into the FEH to make it more like a standard vehicle is [B]"creep".[/B] Notice that when you are at a stop and let off the brake the EV system will engage ever so slightly and propel the vehicle forward. In reality, on an EV system like a golf cart for example, on level ground when you let off the brake the cart will remain stationary. But, since many drivers have become accustomed to the creep in an standard automatic, Ford added "creep". This creep also helps to keep the FEH from rolling backwards when stopped on an incline (although I think Ford could have handled this scenario without using creep).[/quote]

I'm adding this statement and probably will get "noise" from other posters but "I have experienced rolling backwards when stopped on an incline more than once". Gpsman1 has also reported on this experience. Your right foot is your friend in this situation.

 

You'll get no static from me, I've had rollback too. In the FEH's defense, you can experience rollback on a automatic transmission car if the incline is steep enough.

Like I said, I think Ford could have programmed this differently (like monitoring EV motor RPM to detect unwanted backward movement and added EV torque to match).

Of course, I agree that the brake pedal is a wonderful solution as well.

 

A conventional engine has engine drag... when you let off the gas quickly the engine itself will drag down your speed. The energy is usually wasted. To make the FEH seem like a normal vehicle (and to make it safer braking wise because good braking relies on engine drag to prevent brakes from overheating on hills) they simulate engine braking by charging the EV battery... and they save the energy as well.

 

We've experience rollback on steep inclines and rollforward while backing up a steep driveway. Hadn't experience rollforward in our 04 Santa Fe when backing up this hill. Was a bit disconcerting the first time it happened.