Fuel habits
My son bought a plug-in hybrid (Chevrolet Volt) a few months ago and isn’t realizing the fuel savings he expected. I hadn’t really thought about this, but I suppose there are probably some driving modifications that, just as with gas-powered cars, can make these vehicles live up to their full potential. No one talks about that. They just tell you how much money you’ll save by not having to buy much gas. Can you help?
You are correct that there are some driving styles and habits that will reduce the efficiency of these vehicles, and there are modifications that will make them perform better.
The website fueleconomy.gov offers some tips, and I share some of them here.
He should carefully read the owner’s manual. Because vehicles differ greatly, the strategies that the owner of a Toyota Prius uses might not be as effective with a Kia Niro.
Many such vehicles have something called “economy mode” that will improve fuel economy (though it will probably reduce acceleration rate, so he’ll have to learn to correctly assess when it’s smart to shift to this mode).
He shouldn’t be stomping on the brakes as a routine way of slowing down/stopping. Braking gently or moderately causes the regenerative braking system to recover energy from the forward motion and store it as electricity.
Using the heating system, air conditioning and sound system will use a lot of the stored electricity and therefore lower fuel economy. Many people pre-cool or pre-heat the cabin of the vehicle while it’s plugged in.
I work a lot, am truly forgetful and I live in fear that I’m going to make the horrid error other parents have made and leave my baby (due in two months) in the back seat some terrible day. Someone said there’s a car that signals you if you do that, but I can’t find out what that is. Do you know?
The one that I know of is the Buick Regal TourX wagon, Essence trim package. If something has been placed in the back seat, when you park and turn off the car, a chime sounds and a message pops up on the drivers screen: “Rear seat reminder. Look in the rear seat.”