Which report on real life MPG

[rgilyead]

Article in The Guardian this morning (although not online yet) that Which magazine has tested cars for real-life MPG. Average discrepancy with official figure is 13% worse but PHEV wins the prize for biggest difference, 136%, with an implied £459 in "unexpected fuel costs per annum". Which got 67.3mpg in their own tests compared to the 148mpg official figure. They admit that this is still a good result for a large car.

 

[anko]

Article in The Guardian this morning (although not online yet) that Which magazine has tested cars for real-life MPG. Average discrepancy with official figure is 13% worse but PHEV wins the prize for biggest difference, 136%, with an implied £459 in "unexpected fuel costs per annum". Which got 67.3mpg in their own tests compared to the 148mpg official figure. They admit that this is still a good result for a large car.

The 148 MPG is not a real number but a derived number. It is calculated under the assumption that you empty your battery in EV mode and then drive 25 km on fuel at most, before the next charge-up. Have they done that? We're they even aware of that?

52 km at 0 l/100 km (infinite mpg) + 25 km at 5.7 l/100 km (approx 50 mpg) result in an avarage over 77 km of 1.9 l/100 km (or 148 mpg).

 

[2phevs]

Read 1 report stating the Volvo v60 plug in came second and the prius hybrid plug in came 7th, perhaps Which should do a separate test for plug in's or take all cars over a set 52km with the plug in's fully charged 1st.

 

[kentphev]

They should perhaps be forced to tell you the non-hybrid mpg as well so that you know what you'll get once the battery is exhausted.
That way you can decide whether the car is really right for you depending on the number of miles you expect to do as an EV as opposed to non-EV.

 

[anko]

I don't know how it is in .... Kent (?), but over here in the Netherlands they do tell you. How else would I have known?

Btw: non-hybrid mpg is not the right term. The 148 figure is the plug-in hybrid mpg (start with full battery), where 50 (if that is the correct number) is the hybrid mpg (start with empty battery, but still with a battery). Establishing a non-hybrid mpg would require to decouple the battery.

 

[Grigou]

I don't know how it is in .... Kent (?), but over here in the Netherlands they do tell you. How else would I have known?

Btw: non-hybrid mpg is not the right term. The 148 figure is the plug-in hybrid mpg (start with full battery), where 50 (if that is the correct number) is the hybrid mpg (start with empty battery, but still with a battery). Establishing a non-hybrid mpg would require to decouple the battery.

5.7 litres / 100 km = 41 mpg (US Gallons ! are they the same in Kent ? I don't know and don't bother for that, all these non-metric systems are crazy and obsolete !).

 

[maby]

They should perhaps be forced to tell you the non-hybrid mpg as well so that you know what you'll get once the battery is exhausted.
That way you can decide whether the car is really right for you depending on the number of miles you expect to do as an EV as opposed to non-EV.

The numbers are all there in the brochure. Before we purchased, I ran a mathematical model with our usual pattern of usage - the predicted fuel consumption is within 5% of what we are achieving.

 

[kentphev]

I don't know how it is in .... Kent (?), but over here in the Netherlands they do tell you. How else would I have known?

Btw: non-hybrid mpg is not the right term. The 148 figure is the plug-in hybrid mpg (start with full battery), where 50 (if that is the correct number) is the hybrid mpg (start with empty battery, but still with a battery). Establishing a non-hybrid mpg would require to decouple the battery.

5.7 litres / 100 km = 41 mpg (US Gallons ! are they the same in Kent ? I don't know and don't bother for that, all these non-metric systems are crazy and obsolete !).

no, UK and US gallons are not the same.

 

[kentphev]

I don't know how it is in .... Kent (?), but over here in the Netherlands they do tell you. How else would I have known?

Btw: non-hybrid mpg is not the right term. The 148 figure is the plug-in hybrid mpg (start with full battery), where 50 (if that is the correct number) is the hybrid mpg (start with empty battery, but still with a battery). Establishing a non-hybrid mpg would require to decouple the battery.

err, non-hydrid would refer to the mpg you get after the battery is flat. So yes I think it is the right term.

My point being on a several hundred mile journey the portion done using battery is so small as to almost make no difference to the overall MPG figure. From my own 270 mile drive yesterday I reckon 60 mph gets you about 50 mpg, 70 mph gets you about 40 mpg

Not really interested in the complex NEDC (or whatever) method they quote in the brochure.

 

[anko]

err, non-hydrid would refer to the mpg you get after the battery is flat. So yes I think it is the right term.

So tell me, how would you call the mpg figure for a non-plug-in hybrid Prius? Also non-hybrid? That wouldn't make sense.

I think you got it wrong. There is mpg (for a normal car), there is hybrid mpg (for a non-plug-in hybrid or a plug-in hybrid that is not externally charged) and there is plug-in hybrid mpg (for a plug-in hybrid car that is externally charged on a regular basis).

 

[Titan]

Yes, I read that report too and felt that it was a little unfair, as Mitsubishi say themselves that you are unlikely to get this figure. When I bought the car I was made fully aware by the dreamer of the likely figures for any given usage. My target of anything better than 30mpg is better than I was getting has been comfortably bettered and I'm happy.

 

[greendwarf]

When I bought the car I was made fully aware by the dreamer of the likely figures for any given usage.

Liked the Freudian slip - most dealers seem to live in a fantasy land :lol:

 

[Titan]

When I bought the car I was made fully aware by the dreamer of the likely figures for any given usage.

Liked the Freudian slip - most dealers seem to live in a fantasy land :lol:

Ha ha, yes, auto typing at its best.

 

[gazter76]

on 5,500 miles (since january), using the trip computer B reading, ive averaged 68mpg. Thats a mixture of city driving very occasional motorway, and at least 100 miles a week on 60mph A roads.