--- title: 'Driving a Hybrid Pickup Truck' date: 2024-06-24 tags: - technology - general --- # Driving a Hybrid Pickup Truck I drove a 2000 Ford Ranger for over 20 years. I loved that truck and basically just wore it out. I think when I finally sold it in 2021 I had put over 250K miles on it. But, alas, all good things come to an end and as it got longer in the tooth it began to have more problems, with their associated costs, than I was willing to deal with. So, having two other vehicles in our house I decided to sell my favorite vehicle of all time. For two years, then, I did not have a truck and, by and large, didn't find that I needed one. Then we moved. And our new house had lots of work to be done in the yard. Now, we have an open trailer that can be used for hauling things, and we turned to it quite a bit but sometimes the trailer seemed overkill for what we needed to haul. A truck would be nice. However, working from home for the last ten years meant that I didn't do a lot of driving anyway and when my wife retired and we were both at home, having two cars just seemed redundant and an unnecessary cost. I mean I was putting only about 3K miles on my car every year. So, I sold my second car. And we got along okay for a couple of years. But with my wife on the road more to visit family (being retired gave her more time to do those sorts of things) I often found myself at home with no means for getting about. I needed a car. And, since we were still doing quite a bit of work in the yard, a truck made sense. So, truck shopping we went. My first choice, of course, was another Ranger. But they've grown up a bit over time. For what I needed they seemed to be overkill. Then I found the Maverick. Great reviews, perfect size for my needs. And, a bit challenging to get at the time (October 2023). But I happened across a brand new Maverick Hybrid. Hybrid technologies had intrigued me for quite some time. I liked the idea of higher MPG as the vehicle switches between the gas engine and electric motors. The downside, of course, is that the hauling capacity is slightly lower, but given that I rarely haul more than a few hundred pounds that would not likely be an issue. So, I ponied up a bit more money for what I hope will be lower overall operating costs. One of the things that has absolutely fascinated me is the smooth transition between the electric motor and the gas engine. Unless I'm pay really close attention to the sounds of the vehicle, or am looking at the dashboard that shows when the vehicle is in electric mode, I cannot tell when the engine kicks in or when it drops back to the electric motor. How does it do that? I have *never* heard the engine actually crank, as it always starts in electric mode and transitions when it needs to. So, I did a bit of digging to learn how it can make that transition so seamlessly. I watched [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBvHw4VYGE) really interesting video and learned a lot about the eCVT transmission and the electric motor aspects of vehicle along with the whole regenerative braking thing that recharges the Lithium Ion battery. From another site (which I don't remember) I learned that the computer in hybrid engines monitor the crankshaft position so that the pistons are positioned to provide optimal conditions for starting. From what I understand the eCVT simply transfers power from the wheels to the engine, causing it to turn the crankshaft which, in turn, starts the engine running . No starter is really even needed! It's actually a pretty ingenious design. So, how do I like the truck after 4500 miles? I mostly love it. I wish the bed was a bit bigger (4.5 feet just doesn't quite allow from carrying some things). And the backseat is a bit tight, though my 11 year old grand daughter has no problem with it. Otherwise, I'm happy with my purchase. It is a comfortable drive (though I do miss sitting up a bit higher as you do in most pickups) and handles well. And my latest fill-up showed 40.5 MPG. Do I sometimes wish I had bought the Ranger? Sure, but mostly for nostalgia rather than any practical reason.