new to PowerBoost - how to drive it.

[Snakebitten]

Whatever the torque is for the 35KW motor actually is, unlike the ICE under the hood, it's torque is available instantly at any RPM.

However, if you monitor the draw on the battery that powers that 35KW motor, you can easily do the math to see just how much torque the Powerboost engine management is asking of the electric motor.
It's actually kind of fascinating because there are circumstances where it will let you have a big dose of that electric torque, and yet others it will reach for less electric torque and more boost instead.

At the risk of oversimplification of the management system, in my opinion 2 dyno pulls in a row that did NOT take the SOC of the HV battery in consideration would be misleading. Especially if you were making tuning adjustments relative to the ICE.

Even the rate of acceleration as you bring the truck up to speed can result in an increased or decreased max HP/TQ reading for the pull because of the variation of SOC.

I've been around the 3.5 Ecoboost for a few years. And this is my 3rd personal truck with it. I'm sorta convinced Ford rated it (Powerboost) conservatively. Or maybe they rated it leaving some headroom for when the additional available electric HP/TQ is at its highest availability?

Just a theory based on the circumstances where the truck clearly uses the most electric power with the ICE. Especially out of the hole.

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[JediNut]

The part of my post you quoted were my real time numbers, not a single trip or tank. I watch the bar and with the battery charged it flutters between what I guestimate is 28-30 while going 50-55mph. In a trip of more than 2 miles or with little stops this can result me in 24-25mpg for that trip. I live in Fl, the flattest state, so it's not like I have hills to deal with or anything.


My life time is actually 16.8 because I don't drive much and when I do the trips are short (1-2 miles with lots of start/stop). I've had some trips 28-30 but they are under specific, and probably optimal, conditions.

Well, that makes me feel MUCH better. Most of my trips have been short trips around town or very long drives (California to Texas) at 70+ MPH.

 

[Atlee]

I have NEVER seen 24+ MPG on my PB. My average over 10K miles is 16.2 MPG. And I do not drive like a crazy man... I do everything I can to try to eek out mileage. Taking into account all of the tips shared here. The best I have averaged in a single tank is 19.4 MPG.

Granted, I leveled the truck and put Nitto Ridge Grapplers on it, but would that really account for a 10 mpg difference???

I have averaged a hand calculated 11.2 mpg when towing. I don't understand why your hand calculated mpg average is so low. How heavy are your tires? Are they LT tires? My truck is completely stock, OEM tires and OEM rake.

 

[Atlee]

Well, that makes me feel MUCH better. Most of my trips have been short trips around town or very long drives (California to Texas) at 70+ MPH.

Now I do understand it a little better.

 

[JediNut]

I have averaged a hand calculated 11.2 mpg when towing. I don't understand why your hand calculated mpg average is so low. How heavy are your tires? Are they LT tires? My truck is completely stock, OEM tires and OEM rake.

My tires are much heavier than stock at 63.7 lbs each... so I know that has a substantial effect on MPG. I have gotten it up to 24 MPG on 30 minute trips where I didn't go above 65. As far as the tires go, I think that kills my "around town" mileage most because it takes a lot of energy to get the heavy tires moving. I cannot get the truck moving away from a stop light without the ICE kicking in... no matter how hard I try.

 

[Atlee]

My tires are much heavier than stock at 63.7 lbs each... so I know that has a substantial effect on MPG. I have gotten it up to 24 MPG on 30 minute trips where I didn't go above 65. As far as the tires go, I think that kills my "around town" mileage most because it takes a lot of energy to get the heavy tires moving. I cannot get the truck moving away from a stop light without the ICE kicking in... no matter how hard I try.

If it's any consolation, I can't take off without ICE assistance either. Actually, I might be able to if I don't care if the guy behind me drives up my tailpipe.

What I usually do is use the ICE to get up to speed, and if I'm in town, most times, the ICE will shut down, and I drive along on battery.

 

[FrankThompson]

The important thing to note is that even if it's not in Electric only mode when accelerating, I'm fairly confident it is still using it to help you accelerate, so there is that

 

[BRDVPRA]

Correct, the white bar does mean the disc brakes are being used. Thus, if you’re using disc brakes you’re losing some energy that couldn’t be returned to the battery. If you’re in green, you’re returning all energy into the battery that you can

I get the white bar, but what about when the word Charge changes from green to white and there are no white bars. I thought that was the max, but could indicate brakes applied too? I looked it up on the owners manual and that part is not addressed. Anyone on here from Ford engineering that can tell us?

 

[BRDVPRA]

Whatever the torque is for the 35KW motor actually is, unlike the ICE under the hood, it's torque is available instantly at any RPM.

However, if you monitor the draw on the battery that powers that 35KW motor, you can easily do the math to see just how much torque the Powerboost engine management is asking of the electric motor.
It's actually kind of fascinating because there are circumstances where it will let you have a big dose of that electric torque, and yet others it will reach for less electric torque and more boost instead.

At the risk of oversimplification of the management system, in my opinion 2 dyno pulls in a row that did NOT take the SOC of the HV battery in consideration would be misleading. Especially if you were making tuning adjustments relative to the ICE.

Even the rate of acceleration as you bring the truck up to speed can result in an increased or decreased max HP/TQ reading for the pull because of the variation of SOC.

I've been around the 3.5 Ecoboost for a few years. And this is my 3rd personal truck with it. I'm sorta convinced Ford rated it (Powerboost) conservatively. Or maybe they rated it leaving some headroom for when the additional available electric HP/TQ is at its highest availability?

Just a theory based on the circumstances where the truck clearly uses the most electric power with the ICE. Especially out of the hole.

I agree on the conservative rating. This is my 4th 3.5L (3 trucks and 1 explorer sport) and none of them including the explorer sport pull off the line and through the gears like this truck does. Not even close. My wife currently has a 2021 Explorer ST with the 3.0L and I think my truck will beat it or sure enough make it work hard to win!

 

[JerryLZ]

Still figuring out the meters myself to help me along and my overall is shot from the 700 mile trip home which says 20 I think right now. Last night I did 33.4 mpg going to my gas station, 5 miles/3.3 electric. This morning I did 40.5 going to work, also a short 15-20 minute trip of half city half highway but I cheated a little rolling down some dips and coasting I'll see how it goes on the way home where its a little more climbing involved. Only 2 days in but that's my limited testing trying to figure out the EV coach and basing it off of "this trip" numbers. Without EV coach I kept kicking the engine over too much. I feel confident on stretching the electric driving part, its the charged braking I am figuring out now. I just try to fill up the bar by floating around 3/4 to full.

 

[imnuts]

I get the white bar, but what about when the word Charge changes from green to white and there are no white bars. I thought that was the max, but could indicate brakes applied too? I looked it up on the owners manual and that part is not addressed. Anyone on here from Ford engineering that can tell us?

If the text is white for "Charge", it is using the traditional brakes, even if it's a miniscule amount. You can't see the white bar just due to resolution and size of the cluster display. It is maximizing charging amperage at that point, but not the amount of energy you can recover through the regenerative brakes since some hydraulic braking is being done.

 

[towpro]

my only input is from our Escape Hybrid.
its my wife's car. we drive mostly 55mph highway with red lights every couple miles: She always gets like 43mpg.
But when you ride with her she is a driver that speeds up than lets off the throttle than speeds up over and over. Sometimes its so bad I get car sick.

Now if I drive the escape, smooth on the throttle, never change speeds and gentle acceleration, I get like 4-5 mpg less than she does on the same route. go figure.

 

[BRDVPRA]

If the text is white for "Charge", it is using the traditional brakes, even if it's a miniscule amount. You can't see the white bar just due to resolution and size of the cluster display. It is maximizing charging amperage at that point, but not the amount of energy you can recover through the regenerative brakes since some hydraulic braking is being done.

Got it! I will stay off the white Charge!

 

[Snakebitten]

The EV pids are in alignment with what the EV coach displays, for the most part. But if you are monitoring the PIDs you can clearly see that the EV coach isn't telling the whole story. Especially when the ICE is running, as well as the regenerative braking's influence in detail.

They could make some subtle changes to the EV coach graphics and it could be 100% reflective of what's going on and how you could better leverage your influence.

 

[STM]

Again, I could be completely wrong, but a 35KW motor does line up with that articles claim of HP (Although it has been published as 47HP in the press as well) but the 221 Ftlbs of Torque is way beyond what I have seen published. As well as most scientific calculators would estimate it as half that at best.

221 Ftlbs of Torque would be enough to push lots of smaller vehicles at normal acceleration rates. The F150 is a lot heavier than those, of course, but with 221 Ftlbs you could drive normal and never kick on the ICE with your request for torque (throttle request)

I think mathematically the Powerboost electric motor generates about 90ftlbs?

I agree with you... From my own experience, the electric motor doesn't appear to have 221 ftlb of torque because it is nearly impossible to keep the truck in electric mode from a standing start..
I remember reading somewhere that the torque is just over a 100 ftlb..

As an aside, I have had the truck on electric only at over 70 mph for over half a mile!

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