How does the on-board navigation compute an EcoRoute?

[NicoNet]

What is EcoRoute doing exactly? I figure it should give a route that will use the fewest kilowatts. It always has me get on the freeway even though there are several slower shorter arterial road routes, which will use far fewer kilowatts. Even with the time penalty set to high. I find that usually I can consume about half the kilowatts by taking the shortest route rather than the EcoRoute. EcoRoute should avoid Freeways with as much as a 10 mile penalty (maybe more). I don't believe I've ever seen it calculate a route that I would consider Eco.

 

[WattsUp]

What is EcoRoute doing exactly?

I found this quote:

Eco-Route is not necessarily the fastest or shortest route but is the most fuel efficient. Typically, it charts a course that avoids congested freeways while maximizing the use of major roads where the driver can maintain an efficient rate of speed. When Ford of Europe engineers tested the feature, they achieved up to a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy using the Eco-Route.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/cars/myford-touch-and-eco-route-nav-feature-will-help-drivers-save-gas.html

I suppose it is possible that Ford kinda dropped the ball here in the FFE and the EcoRoute logic built into the navigation is still tyring to pick a route that would be the most economical for a gas-powered car. In that case, the best choice probably would be a freeway or other major road with few stops. Gasmobiles tend to more fuel-efficient on the freeway versus surface streets for a given distance. But, of course, for EVs, the opposite is usually true.

In any case, if you don't like that the navigation is picking freeways, I think there is an option where you can tell it to avoid freeways altogether and make your own "eco route".

 

[NicoNet]

This makes sense. I guess EcoRoute is the same as in every Ford vehicle with SYNC. Yes, the routes it gives are definitely eco for gas-powered vehicles. I'd guess that 90% of the vehicles Ford sells right now are 100% gas, so they're probably not making a special version of EcoRoute for EVs.