[Guna]

Originally Posted by GTO

I wouldn't have expected hybrids to be as fuel-efficient on the highway, as their real strength is in the city. However, we have two Camry owners who have reported 18-19 kmpl and 22 kmpl on the highway.

The reason could be, while driving on the highways, whatever little braking we do (to slow down while taking on a curve, when approaching a slow moving vehicles or junctions etc) the force needed is very significant and this energy is recovered by the regen system. In the city driving, even though we brake more often, the braking force is not so much. This would result in almost similar FE on highways as well as during the city driving.

[anvay]

Camry will give you an amazing mileage below 110kmph. I am assuming because of aerodynamics SUV/ Innova might have the optimal efficiency slightly lower. I have achieved 20kmpl+ and covered long distances ( Bangalore-Delhi and back) by driving on cruise control at 100-110kmph band. Hybrids helps the mileage because

• Atkinson cycle
• Battery abstracts engine load from AC and uphill downhill of highways, so you get as good mileage as driving on a flat road.

[sanchit.j]

Originally Posted by GTO

I wouldn't have expected hybrids to be as fuel-efficient on the highway, as their real strength is in the city. However, we have two Camry owners who have reported 18-19 kmpl and 22 kmpl on the highway.

I am pleasantly surprised. Really looking forward to FE posts from Hyryder & Innova Hycross owners.

I have a 2022 Lexus ES as well.

Gives between 16.50-17 to me in Delhi / NCR city traffic really.

18.70-19.20 on Yamuna expressway, checked many times. Driving been 100-120 range mostly. So contrary to perception / doubts, highway FE is stronger than city. As seen by various City hybrid users too.

All on Eco mode…

[androdev]

FE of 20 kmpl on highways, 14-18kmpl in the city is very much possible with hybrid. The interesting thing to note is that lot of conventional diesel cars can match or exceed hybrid’s highway FE while being more fun to drive. The scenario in city driving is completely different. Hybrid gives significantly higher FE no matter how bad the traffic gets and also offers superior driving experience in slow traffic. The debate about Hybrid on highways has become relevant only due to lack of diesel options. I feel Toyota Hybrids are excellent substitute for highways when diesel is not an option. Driving a hybrid requires one to be very gentle on the pedal, which somehow the car makes it enjoyable once you get the hang of it.

[Aniket03]

Recently drove my 9.5K run Hyryder Hybrid to Chandigarh and back from Delhi.

The car gave an average mileage of 24-25 KMPL as per MID for the entire trip. Front Defogger and AC was on 100% of the time and average speed maintained must have been 80-90 KMPH with short bursts of high speed.
Average mileage in city is 25-27 KMPL in daily running.

In comparison Crysta Diesel gives 12-13 KMPL on the same route. No replacement for those captain seats IMHO

[OffRoadFun]

The fuel economies mentioned here are depressing for someone owning 10+ year old petrol cars and also make me feel guilty for being big on emissions.

Evaluating if getting a new car and keeping with latest tech is necessary now!

[MaheshY1]

My friends did a road trip in the Vitara hybrid and got around 27kmpl on highways with AC. Around 25-26kmpl in city with rarely driving in stop-and-go. The highway cruise speed was between 80 and 90. So, that could be the reason for better efficiency figures on highway.

[cooljais]

I have a Toyota Camry Hybrid 2014 model. In city it gives me a fuel economy of 16-17 kmpl. And on Highways I get around 21-23 kmpl (With AC switched ON and a cruising speed of 90-100 kmph).

The car has been extensively driven by us and is now at 1.8 Lakh mark. Got the battery replaced 2 years back as it stopped charging.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by androdev

FE of 20 kmpl on highways, 14-18kmpl in the city is very much possible with hybrid. The interesting thing to note is that lot of conventional diesel cars can match or exceed hybrid’s highway FE while being more fun to drive.

I know of very few powerful, large engine diesels that give that good a FE with similar power compared to hybrids.

Most 2.0 litre engines would struggle to give over 14-15 kmpl on a highway. 12 if driven in a fun manner.

Sub 1.5 litre diesel engines may hit 20, but then again, only if driven very sedately. The moment you push them, expect FE to drop to 15-16.

The only diesel engined cars I see giving 20+ kmpl are older Maruti's equipped with the 1.3 DDiS. Not exactly fun cars.

[Manudon]

Assuming that the monthly running is around 1000 km and primarily on highways, wouldn't a Hycross petrol be a better choice than the hybrid powertrain (keeping the additional features aside)?

From what I could gather, the Hycross switches to petrol only mode above speeds of 70+ kmph. The only downside I can think of for a petrol only choice is if the resale may be affected due to newer regulation 10-15 years down the line (unlikely to happen in India though imho).

Are there other differences that would make a hybrid more efficient even when running purely in IC mode?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

Most 2.0 litre engines would struggle to give over 14-15 kmpl on a highway. 12 if driven in a fun manner.

I am very familiar with FE numbers of BMW 520d and Camry Hybrid. Camry Hybrid highway mileage drops drastically if I don't modulate braking and acceleration inputs to achieve the best FE. One should avoid quick acceleration or hard braking with Hybrids to take advantage of the hybrid system. Also as the hybrid battery ages (or degrades for any reason), it will negatively affect FE.

BMW 520d is a lot more forgiving when it comes to how you drive and it is typically driven a bit aggressively. I rarely see highway FE below 17 kmpl and achieving 20 kmpl is very easy on the highways. Here is an FE figure of ~ 18 kmpl which includes 25% of city driving + 75% of reasonably busy highway driving. I heard some astonishing highway FE numbers from more sedate 520d drivers. Earlier I had a Skoda Laura 1.9 diesel which also gave phenomenal FE - 20+ kmpl was the norm.

Originally Posted by cooljais

The car has been extensively driven by us and is now at 1.8 Lakh mark. Got the battery replaced 2 years back as it stopped charging.

Hey, could you please share mode details about the replacement? Have tons of questions :-) Does the car stop working when the battery degrades, like will there be a potential breakdown situation if you are traveling out of station, etc? Is running the car without replacing the battery an option? How much did it cost and how long did they take to replace the battery? How has the mileage improved before vs after? I don't think anyone has posted info on hybrid battery change on team-bhp, request you to share your experience.

Originally Posted by Manudon

Assuming that the monthly running is around 1000 km and primarily on highways, wouldn't a Hycross petrol be a better choice than the hybrid powertrain (keeping the additional features aside)?

From what I could gather, the Hycross switches to petrol only mode above speeds of 70+ kmph. The only downside I can think of for a petrol only choice is if the resale may be affected due to newer regulation 10-15 years down the line (unlikely to happen in India though imho).

Are there other differences that would make a hybrid more efficient even when running purely in IC mode?

Hybrid has few advantages: 1. fuel efficiency for financial reasons, 2. fuel efficiency for environmental reasons and 3. ultra smooth drive in slow moving urban traffic. I think many will start appreciating #2 and #3 as the adoption grows.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by androdev

BMW 520d is a lot more forgiving when it comes to how you drive and it is typically driven a bit aggressively. I rarely see highway FE below 17 kmpl and achieving 20 kmpl is very easy on the highways. Here is an FE figure of ~ 18 kmpl which includes 25% of city driving + 75% of reasonably busy highway driving. I heard some astonishing highway FE numbers from more sedate 520d drivers. Earlier I had a Skoda Laura 1.9 diesel which also gave phenomenal FE - 20+ kmpl was the norm.

Those numbers are fairly shocking to me.

I'm basing it on what I myself and friends get with our diesel cars. These are all older models, so maybe newer technology has changed things a lot.

My personal Altis 1.4 D4D:
City: 12-13 (negligible change on driving style, as external traffic conditions are what impacts my FE more)
Expressway sedate driving: Close to 20 kmpl
Highway / expressway fun driving: 16 kmpl

2012 Chevy Cruze 2.0 diesel:
City: 9-10
Highway: 14

2018-2019 Audi A3 2.0 diesel:
City: 10-12
Highway: 15-16

2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 diesel:
City: 6-7 kmpl
Highway: 10-11 kmpl

Most of the highway driving is Mumbai to Lonavala, and the climb on the western ghats surely has a negative impact on our highway FE

Still, at this point I'm questioning if we all need to radically change our driving styles

[androdev]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

Those numbers are fairly shocking to me.

Our newer highways + fastag have made it possible to cruise at steady speeds. 520d FE details from another owner:

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Engine Performance/NVH
...
I was pleasantly surprised by the average fuel economy to Pune & back, 17+ km/l and 18+ km/l respectively. The BMW engine has 20 BHP & 50 Nm more than the Passat’s 170 HP & 350 Nm ratings. The fuel economy is much better than what I have averaged in the Passat (16+ & 17+). Guess it is due to the twin turbo in the BMW.
..
Last month (June 2021) I made another trip to Pune and managed to cross the 200 kms running in period. On the way back, I left Pune at 6:30 am and sedately drove back to Mumbai. Achieved an average of 23.0 km/l over the 168.7 km drive. That’s amazing economy!

...
Still, at this point I'm questioning if we all need to radically change our driving styles

In urban traffic, hybrid has a huge advantage and it will give great FE and smooth ride irrespective of your driving style. On the highways, one has to learn to drive a hybrid differently to get the best out of it.

[PowerSpike]

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

The fuel economies mentioned here are depressing for someone owning 10+ year old petrol cars and also make me feel guilty for being big on emissions.

Evaluating if getting a new car and keeping with latest tech is necessary now!

Fuel consumption is just one part of the equation. There is lot of energy consumption and carbon emissions that go into manufacturing a new car. Plus, additional carbon costs will be incurred in recycling your current car. Keeping an existing car longer is more carbon efficient especially if it's not highly polluting one and is well maintained.

[teknophobia]

Originally Posted by Manudon

Assuming that the monthly running is around 1000 km and primarily on highways, wouldn't a Hycross petrol be a...

... Are there other differences that would make a hybrid more efficient even when running purely in IC mode?

The Atkinson cycle is substantially more efficient than the otto cycle, at the cost of primarily low end power.

The low end in hybrids is taken care of by the electric motor, and by the time it switches to petrol only mode, the engine is running at full efficiency.

That is why Hybrids give better fuel efficiency even in highways.