I'm starting to see more and more people on here in the Colorado and Rocky Mountain Region. Anyone want to have a Fall get together?

I started a thread elsewhere with the idea of a meeting place in Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, or Garden of the Gods area. But it could be anywhere consensus feels is best. I'd be willing to drive ~200 miles for such a get together and make a day trip, Fall Colors, sight-seeing day out of it. It could be fun for the whole family, not just the driver of the Hybrid. And any/all hybrids would be welcomed! Not just Fords. Heck, even if by some rare unfortunate chance your hybrid is in the shop ( or being "borrowed" ) on the event day, show up by plane, train, or bus! ( or another car would do, I guess.... )

If we choose to have a "driving challege route" for MPG results, that would be cool, but not a requirement for attendees. I could "borrow" a couple ScanGauges from friends if you do not have one, and you could check them out first hand. I may be able to have a laptop with software to scan the car's computer bus ( called CAN bus ) so you can see what's going on inside the car's brain if you wish.

Ideas? Comments? Questions? Dates? Likelyhood you would attend?
It just sounds fun to me!
I know you want to get out this Fall and see the tress, now don't ya?!
Why not do it with a convoy of pals with Hybrids?
-John

see also:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...d-rally-14635/

 

Hi John, looked at your other thread & some of the comments are pretty interesting. Guess you can tell who has actually driven to the top of Pikes Peak before. I guess for those people they could take the Cog Railway & meet everyone at the top!

It’s not that scary & just don’t ride your breaks down. I would be curious though how the CVT transmission would work on the way down as you can’t really “gear down”.

A drive up Mt. Evans would also be fun looking at the marmots coming up their little holes in the pavement! (just hope you don't get ramed by a goat )

As I am still waiting on mine to arrive (guessing by mid next month), I would not be able to comment or commit to attending anything yet. Also on the weekends I don’t think my wife & kidlets would be too interested in this type of event.

I would be interested in a local after work or something for a meet & greet. It would be nice to meet yourself, Terry & some of the others, but with the way we are all sprayed over the front range here, who know how practical that would be either.

 

Theoretically at least thats what "L" is for. "gearing down--or at least having a similiar effect" At least thats what the manual implies from what I remember.

 

True, but I think that only works until the HV is fully charged. The similar effect is done by engaging the regen.

 

So I guess the next question is what does L do after the HV is fully charged and you are still doing down that 12 degree grade? (coming from someone that does not even have their MMH yet!)

Does the ICE then become engaged & spin up to provide engine braking?

 

Yup, you're exactly right.

Say you're coming down Golden Gate Canyon, for example. Speed limit 35. Under 40 in 'L' the ICE is off going down. After a time, about 2 miles depending on the grade, the controller decides the battery is getting too much charge or getting it too fast or whatever. ICE comes on and takes over braking duties by revving up to (I think) about 2200 RPM at 35-40 MPH.

Take it out of 'L' and begin braking with your foot and the ICE will go back off. It will stay off for almost the entire descent. Mine comes on once or twice for 60-90 seconds. I assume it does this to heat up the catalyst, as it seems to me it would stay on longer or rev more if it was spinning off excess charge. Not sure all the details, but that's what 've observed.

 

Right but as mentioned elsewhere after that the engine will come on to provide engine braking. Someone has tested it for that and proved that it does spin up. So at least you are still safe because the brakes aren't the ONLY thing slowing the car down... which is dangerous becuase they can overheat.

 

Thanks TeeSter. Getting back to the suggestion of driving up & down Pikes Peak. Don't know if they still do that or not, but there used to be a check station part of the way down looking for people that "rode" their brakes down overheating them and suggesting that they wait there for a while so the brakes could cool enough to be safe going the rest of the way down & also educating them about engine braking.

I would hate to be stuck in a car in this situation that only had brakes as an option .

Guess I can start to tell it may take a bit to get used to the hybrid & CVT over standard or automatic transmissions.

 

I love how a discussion that started out as an idea for a picnic and scenic drive turned into a technical discussion about brakes.

The FEH/MMH has "electromagnetic brakes" the regen, that normal cars do not have at all.
The car has 4 wheel DISC brakes. Most cars have 2 wheel disc brakes.
As a last resort, the FEH/MMH will use engine compression braking.

So as I see it, this Hybrid has at least twice the stopping power of any other car on Pikes Peak, or any other peak. And when I was there 5 years ago, they still had a park ranger who would touch your rims at the half-way down point to see if they were "hot".

Now, how about that get together? Are you coming?
-John

 

It would be a long drive from BC to meet up.