Five Tips from Fox on How to Drive a Hybrid Car Efficiently

Tip One: Treat Your Hybrid Like It’s a Normal Car

The first thing to do with a hybrid is to treat it just like you would any other car. Take all the normal precautions you would to lower your fuel usage. To maximize your mileage, make sure you lower the weight of the vehicle. Take only what you need for your trip and no more. Check the tire pressure and make sure to keep the sunroof and windows closed to reduce drag. If the car has cruise control, make use of it. Plan your trip carefully so you don’t waste fuel on wrong turns!

Tip Two: Keep the Battery Charged

Keeping the battery fully charged will allow you to maximize the car’s use of electricity and minimize its use of gasoline. With a fully charged battery, the hybrid can swap between driving modes whenever it is best to do so or whenever you want it to. Switching to electric power in low-speed conditions or when you’re stuck in traffic greatly improves fuel efficiency.

Tip Three: Get to Know Your Controls

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the hybrid’s controls and its information display. This will let you keep a close eye on how much fuel and power is being used. Most hybrids have slightly different symbols than combustion-only cars. All of these symbols on the dashboard are critical, so be sure you know what the car is trying to tell you!

Usually, a hybrid vehicle will have a low battery symbol, a limited power symbol, an EV-only indicator symbol, a battery temperature warning, and a battery charge level indicator. It’s a good idea to take a look at the owner’s manual or look the dashboard symbols up online before you hit the road.

Tip Four: Use Eco Mode

Lots of hybrid models have an Eco mode option. This stands for ‘economy mode’. Switching to Eco mode will make the car automatically prioritize its systems to save on fuel. Hybrids in Eco mode modify the throttle response, so it is less sensitive, making for a more gradual acceleration. Hybrids in eco mode also change the way the transmission operates so the gears work in the most optimal way possible.

In Eco mode, the car will upshift earlier and downshift later. Another feature of eco mode is the activation of the regenerative braking system. Most hybrids in Eco mode will increase the level of regenerative braking, so you send more power to the battery when braking. Driving in Eco mode can also limit the overall power output of the vehicle.

Tip Five: Smooth Out Your Braking and Accelerating

One of the best ways to maximize the fuel economy of a hybrid vehicle is to concentrate on being smooth when you’re on the road. This doesn’t mean putting on a stylish outfit (although you can, of course) but instead means you should focus on gently accelerating and braking.

Always try and avoid hard braking when driving a hybrid. Braking gently as early as possible before a stop will help the regenerative braking system to harvest as much energy as possible. A smoother acceleration process will allow the electric motor to assist the internal combustion engine more effectively as you gain speed. This reduces the overall load on the engine and helps your hybrid to save fuel. Driving your hybrid in a consistent and smooth manner will enable the system to intelligently distribute power between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor.

Get Awesome Hybrid Car Rental Deals with Fox

If you’ve never had the pleasure of driving a hybrid car, now’s the time! Get a hybrid car rental from Fox. We’ve got more than 100 locations throughout the United States and internationally, so there’s sure to be a Fox near you. Fox offers you great deals on daily, weekly, or monthly hybrid car rentals. Join the Fox Rewards program and you can save even more!