[goto35]

My commute to work is 17 miles. i can get to work on a single charge.

charging at work cost me $2.00-$2.50.

Im still debating if i should charge at work or just use gas.

but battery control is very confusing to me. when do you use it? Why is it there?

[lnaukkar]

I use battery control when I want to save up or gain juice in order to use precondition later.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by lnaukkar

I use battery control when I want to save up or gain juice in order to use precondition later.

Me too. Now that summer is starting, I want to make sure I have enough battery juice to turn on the AC after I finish the 17th hole on a golf course. So I will use battery control on the way there and auto mode (or Max EV mode depending on the course location and the roads) on the way back.

This week the temperature went into the 100s. So twice I pulled out my phone after finishing the 17th hole and turned on the AC. The car was completely comfortable when I got there despite having been sitting in the sun in 100+ weather for five hours.

Otherwise, I don't use battery control. I think the car is smarter than I am to maximize the battery use while still letting me drive like I want.

[SteveMondragon]

I only use battery control when I’ve forgot to plug my car in the night before my drive into work the next day. That’s only been about 2 or 3 times in the past 15 months of having the car.

Usually within 10 miles of mostly street and some freeway driving (approx 15-20 min), my battery is about half full by then and I’ll put it back into Auto mode.

[boonkgang13k]

I haven't used Battery Control since purchase. I tried it once and the consumption went up quickly.

[cgnpower]

Originally Posted by goto35

My commute to work is 17 miles. i can get to work on a single charge.

charging at work cost me $2.00-$2.50.

Im still debating if i should charge at work or just use gas.

but battery control is very confusing to me. when do you use it? Why is it there?

Originally Posted by boonkgang13k

I haven't used Battery Control since purchase. I tried it once and the consumption went up quickly.

I use battery control all the time, and here's why: it's how I force the car to charge the battery while I'm driving to get it back to 100% as fast as possible. It usually takes between 15-30 mins to recharge in this mode. The reason you put it at 100% is that it forces the car to stay in gas mode while you store up electrical power in the batteries. Then, once I've got 100%, I'll change to 'max edrive' and get my 17-18 miles on the electric motor. Otherwise, if you leave the car in auto, the auto mode is imperfect and wastes battery and cannot seem to hold a charge, I've found. Putting it in battery control, but setting the limit at no less than 100 percent is the key. Then the car can store up battery while driving, depending on how you nurse the pedal & it does take a little user intervention... I hope you get good results with this method!

[amus3d]

I think I get like 21 to 24 mpg whenever I am in Battery Control so i don't use this mode often.

Have any of you guys ever gotten the "advertised 29 mpg" when your battery is depleted (---)? I don't think I ever gotten better than 27 mpg and I don't have a heavy foot neither.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by dchuck84

I think I get like 21 to 24 mpg whenever I am in Battery Control so i don't use this mode often.

Have any of you guys ever gotten the "advertised 29 mpg" when your battery is depleted (---)? I don't think I ever gotten better than 27 mpg and I don't have a heavy foot neither.

I haven't tested it but you are trying to drive a very heavy car with just the ICE.

I did do a trip from Phoenix to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. I charged my 530e before I left the house and didn't charge again until I returned. I fueled the car when I got to Vegas. My calculated mpg was 32 mpg with the single charge. Most of the driving was 75 mph.

[Krash7172]

I personally have never used it. I only see 2 reasons to:

1) Save battery for city use where it is more efficient. My commute is 22 mixed miles and not worth the effort.

2) Save battery for better performance. I didn't buy a 530e for performance

[aus]

I drive electric from the house to the freeway. ICE is pretty efficient on the freeway.
I charge up enough for when I exit the freeway and drive local streets (where ICE is very inefficient) to the restaurant and back to the freeway. Then charge just enough to get from the freeway to home, where I charge again.
.

[goto35]

Originally Posted by aus

I drive electric from the house to the freeway. ICE is pretty efficient on the freeway.
I charge up enough for when I exit the freeway and drive local streets (where ICE is very inefficient) to the restaurant and back to the freeway. Then charge just enough to get from the freeway to home, where I charge again.
.

so is this the best way to maximize mpg?

So lets say in my senario my woirk is 17 miles each way.

and if i decide to NOT charge at work.

What's the best way for me to get the best MPG and be the most efficient? Trying to come up with a plan.

[SteveinArizona]

The worst way is battery control. Using the car engine to generate electricity is not efficient. I would suggest driving in auto mode. If, on your way home, you have enough capacity to get home, you can switch to max electric mode for the city streets on the way home.

[cgnpower]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

The worst way is battery control. Using the car engine to generate electricity is not efficient. I would suggest driving in auto mode. If, on your way home, you have enough capacity to get home, you can switch to max electric mode for the city streets on the way home.

You're probably correct that the best way to be efficient in the 530e is to use auto mode if you're trying to achieve maximum mpg. Agreed and I think that I've seen my best mpg at the auto setting. I'm contending though that if you simply want to charge battery while driving the best way is to set battery control to 100%. Then I like to switch over to max battery, although my mpg doesn't register but 27, I'm getting perfect mpg with the car in full battery mode, so I think the computer can't quite register the difference, possibly, and maybe that's why it's not showing a true mpg of perhaps 32 or so... just a theory.

[goto35]

so max electric is better for streets and auto for freeway?

[aus]

You can't just say one way is better than the other. It's more which way is more efficient for the type of driving you're doing.

If you're in stop and go traffic or going from light to light, then electric is much better since you won't have idle time. If you're cruising on the freeway, gas isn't bad, other than the 500 lbs of battery and electric motor/wiring we're dragging around. That dead weight is why I'm not a hybrid fan but it gets my wife the carpool sticker she wants. Eventually, Tesla will get a decent interior in the Model S or the German's will get the range Tesla gets from their battery packs, and we'll be back in an electric car and I'll still be driving my M3... or hopefully a GT3 at some point.

Bottom line is, ICE is better for freeway driving and electric is better for traffic or local driving since you're mileage with ICE is pretty terrible. I got the idea of charging it myself from the Prius (non plug in). It's always charging itself and still gets great gas mileage. It uses battery when driving local and slow.

.

[Krash7172]

Originally Posted by goto35

What's the best way for me to get the best MPG and be the most efficient? Trying to come up with a plan.

I know everyone is different but here is my opinion on the best way to increase mpg after a year. And it's not messing with settings. Probably the worst thing to do is try to manage the battery yourself and arrive at your destination with charge to spare. The whole point is to use electricity rather than gas. These may not be popular tips but they will definitely improve mpg.

1) Charge as much as possible. By far the most important step to good efficiency. At least try to charge enough to make it through a normal day of driving in Auto. If you can't, then you won't get 100% out of a plug-in vehicle.

2) Speed control. Unlike gas, electric is much more efficient at lower speeds. Avoid highway driving. Wind resistance is a battery killer.

3) Accelerate slowly. Keep the needle in the "edrive zone". You won't burn gas if the engine stays off.

4) Decelerate slowly. If you know you need to slow down or stop, learn to do it with regen only. Brake only when necessary.

I only charge at night and I generally drive as fast as traffic allows. I average about 45mpg. If I charged at work and drove efficiently, I think I could average 65 mpg.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Krash7172

I know everyone is different but here is my opinion on the best way to increase mpg after a year. And it's not messing with settings. Probably the worst thing to do is try to manage the battery yourself and arrive at your destination with charge to spare. The whole point is to use electricity rather than gas. These may not be popular tips but they will definitely improve mpg.

1) Charge as much as possible. By far the most important step to good efficiency. At least try to charge enough to make it through a normal day of driving in Auto. If you can't, then you won't get 100% out of a plug-in vehicle.

2) Speed control. Unlike gas, electric is much more efficient at lower speeds. Avoid highway driving. Wind resistance is a battery killer.

3) Accelerate slowly. Keep the needle in the "edrive zone". You won't burn gas if the engine stays off.

4) Decelerate slowly. If you know you need to slow down or stop, learn to do it with regen only. Brake only when necessary.

I only charge at night and I generally drive as fast as traffic allows. I average about 45mpg. If I charged at work and drove efficiently, I think I could average 65 mpg.

I do #1. I do the opposite of numbers 2-3 and sometimes 4. But, then again, I am not concerned about mpg. I wanted a hybrid to be good to the environment (I know that if I did all of these I would be better to the environment but that is my compromise; I do get between 700-900 miles to a tank so I do use a lot of electricity).

Everyone is different. To me, if I did all of these, I might as well just buy a Volt.

[Krash7172]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

I do #1. I do the opposite of numbers 2-3 and sometimes 4. But, then again, I am not concerned about mpg. I wanted a hybrid to be good to the environment (I know that if I did all of these I would be better to the environment but that is my compromise; I do get between 700-900 miles to a tank so I do use a lot of electricity).

Everyone is different. To me, if I did all of these, I might as well just buy a Volt.

Hah. Same. BMW performance came first. I was impressed enough with the hybrid to give it a go. No regrets. Tbh, 90% of my driving the 530e is my commute in traffic or when with passengers so "performance" is a bit subjective. Otherwise, I'm on a motorcycle or driving a Jeep Wrangler for fun.

[SigmaPiFSC]

I use battery control all the time. I drive on electric as far as possible, then switch to battery control. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get to a full charge, then I switch back to electric. Kind of cool. My car is currently getting about 43 MPG with this mixed method. My commute to work is 15 miles so I'm on electric most of the time. But, times when I need to drive into Boston, (about 40 miles each way) I do the back and forth.

[goto35]

i thought battery control gives you the worst MPG. i'll try battery control. use electric then battery control to get it to full. problem is my commute is only 17 miles and usually runs out 3 miles to there. maybe i'll turn it on then and then turn it on coming back for a few miles before i turn on max eco mode.

[aus]

Originally Posted by goto35

so is this the best way to maximize mpg?

So lets say in my senario my woirk is 17 miles each way.

and if i decide to NOT charge at work.

What's the best way for me to get the best MPG and be the most efficient? Trying to come up with a plan.

Do you have any freeway driving? That's when ICE is ok but I doubt you have enough freeway driving to charge a significant amount but it may allow you to go electric for any local driving you do.
.

[cmf007]

Originally Posted by amus3d

I think I get like 21 to 24 mpg whenever I am in Battery Control so i don't use this mode often.

Have any of you guys ever gotten the "advertised 29 mpg" when your battery is depleted (---)? I don't think I ever gotten better than 27 mpg and I don't have a heavy foot neither.

I am new to the 530e; while driving on the highway at 75 mph I turn on battery control ( 100 % ) ; does anybody know the mpg at highway ? As soon as I hit the exit I turn to MAX e again....