I drove for 30 minutes in my town and got only 20mpg compared to the usual 50mpg.
Would using a radiator cover like the ones on diesel vehicles help? This might sound strange but I’m curious to know if it would work.
Your vehicle already has shutters on the front that automatically close. The issue is that the engine needs to run to heat the cabin, which is why your mpg is so low.
You can’t fix that unless you reduce heat usage.
@Sage
I’ve found the heated seats are a good choice. They don’t require the engine to run, and if I don’t need to heat the windshield, I usually only use the heated seat and steering wheel. Works great for shorter trips.
@Dev
Heated seats work well, but they use electricity which will eventually drain the battery and require the engine to recharge it. Still, it’s much more efficient than using the cabin heater.
Paris said:
@Dev
Heated seats work well, but they use electricity which will eventually drain the battery and require the engine to recharge it. Still, it’s much more efficient than using the cabin heater.
I use regenerative braking and hardly use the engine even in winter. I’m still getting 44.8mpg around town.
My wife keeps her seat heater on high most of the time.
Paris said:
@Dev
Heated seats work well, but they use electricity which will eventually drain the battery and require the engine to recharge it. Still, it’s much more efficient than using the cabin heater.
The electricity usage is minimal, it comes from the 12v battery, which is charged by the high-voltage battery. So, it only triggers the engine to charge the high-voltage battery a bit sooner. It’s more efficient than constantly cycling the engine on and off for heat.
@Sage
For me, I turn the climate control down until it’s in the low 30s outside. This helps prevent the engine from constantly running for heat. The heated seats and steering wheel give me enough warmth. But I have to turn the heat back on when I drive with my girlfriend though 
I’m new to hybrids. I thought the car would just keep itself warm. Guess it would lower mpg though.
Jesse said:
I’m new to hybrids. I thought the car would just keep itself warm. Guess it would lower mpg though.
It tries to stay warm, but also keep the mpg up. So, it ends up not doing either very well.
Edit: I think.
@Fane
I use heated seats and the steering wheel when it’s cold. This keeps the engine off more (don’t need to use the cabin heater), and my mpg doesn’t drop as much. I didn’t initially get the Luxury Pkg, but I changed my mind before the build date. Glad I did!
@Fane
There’s something in the controls to keep the coolant warm or maybe the catalyst temperature. It does use more fuel in the cold, but it’s still more efficient than a non-hybrid in cold conditions.
@Fane
That’s interesting. I know Ford’s BMS can do some pretty wild stuff in non-hybrids.
@Fane
Does this change depending on the driving mode? Like, in normal mode, does it keep the engine running to heat the cabin?
Sport mode keeps the engine from turning off and forces it to stay on. If it’s messing with your mpg, you could keep it in sport mode until it warms up, then switch to your preferred mode. It would be tough in snow though, and mpg would drop, but sounds like your mpg is already low.
@Noor
I’ve been doing that. It’s not that cold where I live yet, but I drove 10 miles in 40-degree weather and got about 35mpg in normal mode. The engine temp didn’t go past the first tick.
Next time, I kept it in sport mode until the engine warmed up, then switched to eco mode and got 43mpg on the same route.
I also think running in sport mode and charging up the battery helps keep it warm and gives more power when switching modes.
Silly question, but why would you need to keep the engine warm?
Electric engines don’t generate heat like a gas engine does (at least not nearly as much). If you’re worried about oil thickness, just switch to full synthetic and you’ll be fine.
@Pat
Yeah, that’s why the mpg drops. The vehicle uses the engine heat to warm up the cabin, so the engine has to run more often.
Merritt said:
@Pat
Yeah, that’s why the mpg drops. The vehicle uses the engine heat to warm up the cabin, so the engine has to run more often.
Now that it’s around freezing, I’ve been remote starting my truck more, turning on the heated seat and steering wheel. I hardly ever see ‘Electric Driving’ anymore. I expected this with a hybrid. Come spring, mileage should be much better.
@Pat
I usually just rely on the heated seats and steering wheel after warming it up with a remote start, only turning on the cabin heat for defrosting or clearing fog from the windshield.
@Pat
Electric engines do produce some heat. Thermodynamics say there’s always some energy loss, no matter what. I’m not sure how much heat it generates, but it’s there.