How I Boosted My Volvo V90 PHEV to 50 MPG: A Smart Driving Mode Strategy

How I Boosted My Volvo V90 PHEV to 50 MPG: A Smart Driving Mode Strategy

The fuel economy of my Volvo wagon was great at first, but a change in driving strategy unlocked new achievements. Electric cars are great, but at least in the U.S., sales are not quite as advanced as the carmaker had envisioned a few years ago. As a result, car companies are trading hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and more people are trying to spend their hard-earned money on electrified cars to lower fuel costs.

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We did the same last year when we bought a used 2023 Volvo V90 plug-in hybrid wagon, but during 14 months of ownership, we had time to do some experiments. I have already checked the degradation of the high-voltage battery and discovered that there is nothing measurable, and now I am not sure how many different driving modes affect fuel economy.

Surprisingly, spending time fiddling with settings while driving had a meaningful impact, bringing an average fuel economy of 50 mpg US (4.5 l/100 km) to a trip of about 250 miles (400 km) that started with a fully charged battery. Last year, I made the same trip with the same cargo in similar weather conditions, and the average fuel consumption was 42.7 mpg (5.5 l/100 km). Just like on my latest journey, I left home with a fully charged battery, so what made the jump in the MPG figure? The short answer is that I was lazy at first, and the last time was more complicated.

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All modern Volvo plug-in hybrids have at least four driving modes and three battery management settings. My V90 defaults to hybrid mode every time it starts, and it's fine for most journeys. It acts as an EV, but when you push the accelerator to the floor, the gas engine starts. When the battery runs out, the car will act as a traditional hybrid. I used this mode exclusively for last year's trip and didn't bother to adjust the battery management settings. This year, even though the battery was full, I chose to start the engine when I left home.

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I still chose hybrid mode, but the battery was set to hold, so as not to run out on the way to my destination. In this scenario, the gas engine will shut down during deceleration and at very low speeds, effectively acting as a conventional hybrid without a plug. Then, in cities and other low-speed zones, we switched the battery from hold to auto, driving only on electricity. Most plug-in hybrids have similar options, so this strategy should be applied to a lot of cars out there. However, as is the case with general PHEVs, this approach has limitations.

First, it's a bit of a hassle to keep switching modes, but look at how Volvo, with its sheer wisdom, has decided to ditch the physical rotary dial in driving mode instead of offering a screen-only approach starting with the 2022 model. Second, the fuel efficiency gains aren't exactly huge, but if you're the kind of person who makes a lot of trips over the electric range but needs to stop to refuel Oh you just want to disconnect the charger and get and drive, you'll just be fine.

I didn't use the highway at all for this experiment, but it makes sense to use Hold when driving on the highway because electric motors are less efficient at high speeds and drive electricity in town. However, if you are driving only on highways that do not have low-speed sections, it is recommended to use the battery whenever possible, since it does not make sense to save electricity later. I've seen between 30 mpg and 35 mpg when driving exclusively on the highway at 80 mph (135 kph) with a depleted battery.

Then, if your route is much longer than my 280-mile trip, the involvement of a high-voltage battery will be a bit more obvious than a short trip. You run out of electricity at some point, forcing the gas engine to take over for the rest of the drive. In addition, as in the case of Volvo PHEVs, it only takes 3.7 kW, so it makes sense to charge the battery overnight or during a very long break. Due to this limitation, models from 2022 and beyond will take about 5 hours to fully charge the battery. The most important thing of all, however, is to charge every time you get a chance. Otherwise, you're just carrying a big, heavy battery around without enjoying the benefits it can offer.

I charge at home every day and it costs me a penny to do so, thanks to the solar panels I had installed at the end of last year. Compared to my previous car, the 20-year-old Land Rover LR3, I saved at least $2,000 in fuel in just one year - crawling under the car every month or so for various repairs.

In addition, Volvo is much more powerful, much quieter and a little more comfortable. I can't take it off-road, but that's what I knew from the start. And now, when I'm on a long on-road journey, I know how to squeeze further out of a gallon of gas. If you have a PHEV, I suggest you try playing around with different modes to optimize your own efficiency. Some cars allow you to choose the most efficient time to engage the engine itself, but at least in my Volvo, it's not easy to fiddle with things yourself.