Jetta Hybrid

[RebelHybrid]

Jwhite, I replied to your email. I have not noticed the stationary vehicle while moving issue, but I'll watch out for it.

[RebelHybrid]

Yes, driving style is critical for hybrids, as is the route you drive. If you drive secondary roads a lot like I do, the speed limit is generally 30-45 mph. In that setting I can drive a lot on battery only. The same can be said for slow moving traffic on highways. I recommend accelerating with the gas engine up to the speed limit, back off the go pedal for a second or two, then drive under electric power as much as possible. Take advantage of the regenerative braking as much as possible to maintain your battery charge. In general, my battery is never fully charged or depleted. A nice long downhill with a traffic light at the bottom is a great opportunity to recharge that battery!

[jus7tdi]

@RebelHybrid, sounds more or less like the way I drive, although I generally may accelerate gently to get to 30-45. I tried some more brisk pulse/glide a few times but it seemed that the average MPG dropped and did not make it back up before I needed to do another pulse of acceleration.

[jus7tdi]

But I agree that if most of the driving is at 30-45 mph you can expect the best MPG. I think around 45mph is the sweet spot. Much faster, and the air resistance will get you. Much slower, and engine will run at too low a load to be efficient. Clearly the gas/electric duty cycle, as well as the optimal load during gas cycle, are both very important.