Panda Hybrid not fuel efficient

[Aiminghigh123]

Right so hired a car while in Greece.
It was a panda hybrid.
After 400km achieved fuel consumption of 9.8L per 100km. Under 30mpg!!!

My old Saab 93 2006 2.8 V6 does around 25 mpg with 30-35 on a run. Peugeot 306 1.6 i had years ago would do 40 mpg easily, even hammering it wouldn’t go below 30 mpg!!

So what is the point of the hybrid?

[Starfighter]

What type of driving? Lots of tight roads and hills and fully loaded will be maxing out the hybrid drive.

[Aiminghigh123]

Definitely not fully loaded. Some hills yes but then a lot of downhill I was just leaving it in 3rd or 2nd and coasting down engine braking all the way.

[Tony1963]

Aiminghigh123 said:

Definitely not fully loaded. Some hills yes but then a lot of downhill I was just leaving it in 3rd or 2nd and coasting down engine braking all the way.

On the way down a hill, you don’t make up for the extra used by going up. That’s why cars drink more fuel in hilly areas than they do in the Fens, all else being equal.

For your point to be anywhere near scientific, you at least need to compare them on the same roads.

[Aiminghigh123]

Tony1963 said:

Aiminghigh123 said:

Definitely not fully loaded. Some hills yes but then a lot of downhill I was just leaving it in 3rd or 2nd and coasting down engine braking all the way.

On the way down a hill, you don’t make up for the extra used by going up. That’s why cars drink more fuel in hilly areas than they do in the Fens, all else being equal.

For your point to be anywhere near scientific, you at least need to compare them on the same roads.

Yes I get that but less than 30mpg?
It was like we were climbing massive hills. Mostly steady roads at 60 km/h. Even on flat roads cruising at 80km/h it was showing around 5.5L per 100km. Around town at slow speeds 30-40km/h, no stop start as little traffic was around 12-15L per 100km

[Whataguy]

Depends if it's a real hybrid, or mild hybrid. Mild hybrids get good mpg on the test, but in the real world a lot less.

Faster roads and deceptive hills also make a big difference - I had a Toyota Yaris full hybrid loan car in Spain once, it was only getting 38mpg when my own Yaris hybrid would do 55mpg in the UK.

[Bonefish Blues]

It's acknowledged to be about as bad an application as it's possible to execute. Fiat Forum pours much scorn on it

[SweptVolume]

My old Panda 100HP had a 1.4 petrol of a 1980's vintage and did over 40mpg no matter how hard I drove it. It probably produced a fair bit more CO2, though.

[P675]

I had a Panda mild hybrid in Italy. You wouldn't know it was a hybrid, don't think it ever drove without the engine, had absolutely no poke at all. I went from Rome to Pompeii on the autostrada at the speed limit the whole way which probably took 5 years off its engine life. It might just be the way you drove it, I was revving it's nuts off because it was so slow.

[e-honda]

E10 fuel probably robs it of 5mpg it should be getting, AC cranked to the max the whole time probably takes it down another 10mpg

[andy43]

Is this the hybrid drivetrain they’re putting into the 500e ‘cos nobodies buying EVs?

[Bonefish Blues]

P675 said:

You wouldn't know it was a hybrid, don't think it ever drove without the engine, had absolutely no poke at all...

It can't drive on battery.

Typical thread:
https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/mild-hybrid-owne...

[Mikebentley]

Lots of bks spouted by people who don’t understand the Fiat mild hybrid application. EG above used one clearly like he stole it and doesn’t think it ever ran without the engine on. Well it wouldn’t would it because it doesn’t work like that.

Another statement about this being the combination getting put into Fiat 500e because nobody is buying EVs. Sounds like more bks Fiat have been knocking the 500 mild hybrid out for years with I think a 1.0 petrol engine. But don’t let that stop people contributing miss informed bks…as you were.

[Bobupndown]

Had a Fiat 500 mild hybrid as a hire car, managed to get about 68mpg, according to the computer.

[Earthdweller]

Mikebentley said:

Another statement about this being the combination getting put into Fiat 500e because nobody is buying EVs. Sounds like more bks

Fiat have stated publicaly that sales of the 500E have been "dissapointing" and have announced they are introducing a petrol engined version of the electric car

I have a 1.2 500 and have driven the 1.0 hybrid which is slower( hard to believe) and nowhere near as economical

[Miserablegit]

I had a Renault hybrid captur when my alpine was in for a service. Drove it on the same roads as the Alpine but at significantly slower pace. It was perfectly adequate at getting from a to b but the fuel economy was worse than the alpine.
I’m guessing with a lot of these mild hybrids it’s a bit of a scam to reduce emissions- “zero” when on EV as long as the journey is within the 1.5 metres of the EV range. Once out of EV range you’re then lugging the EV package around for no benefit until the regen braking charges it up again.

[DamnKraut]

Bobupndown said:

Had a Fiat 500 mild hybrid as a hire car, managed to get about 68mpg, according to the computer.

Same here, about 64 mpg over 600 miles tootling across Southern France. Quite a likable little car, though wouldn't want to spend my own money for one.

[andy43]

Mikebentley said:

Another statement about this being the combination getting put into Fiat 500e because nobody is buying EVs. Sounds like more bks Fiat have been knocking the 500 mild hybrid out for years with I think a 1.0 petrol engine. But don’t let that stop people contributing miss informed bks…as you were.

I’ll admit I’m not that well up on fiats mainly because we test drove an early 500e convertible and it broke down so we completely lost interest despite it seeming to be a great concept. The hire cars we’ve had haven’t been great either - an ‘original 500’ hire we were supposed to get a couple of years ago was swapped out as the auto gearbox st itself while being delivered to the airport car park.

Autocar and others have said Fiat are planning to fit a petrol or petrol hybrid into the e (not the original crock of st 500, they’re going to fit it to the new bigger e) as they aren’t selling enough electric 500s.
Eg

https://www.motor1.com/news/721323/fiat-500-gas-en...

If that is bks please do inform me oh wise fount of Fiat knowledge.

[Bobupndown]

DamnKraut said:

Bobupndown said:

Had a Fiat 500 mild hybrid as a hire car, managed to get about 68mpg, according to the computer.

Same here, about 64 mpg over 600 miles tootling across Southern France. Quite a likable little car, though wouldn't want to spend my own money for one.

My wife liked it so much she bought a 1.2 500 S.

[Master Bean]

A mild hybrid is like a Chicken Korma. Not a proper curry.