Graduate Design Study on Prius

[GradDesign]

Greetings,

My name is Matthew Wilkins and I am working in the second year of a graduate study at Arizona State University. This particular study is aimed at improving driver fuel effieciency through studying current driver interfaces. I am looking for anyone who considers themselves to be an extremist in the realm of fuel effieciency. If you don't feel that you qualify then read no further. If you do qualify then please feel free to answer as many of the questions below as you can.

1: What is your average miles/gallon/full tank?

2: How do you feel when you drive your hybrid?

3: How do you feel when you drive a normal car (any car with standard injection engine)?

4: When you drive your hybrid how do you know you are driving more effieceintly?

5: What are the differences between the instrument panels of your hybrid and a normal car?

6: What are the differences between the controls (steering wheel, gas/brake pedal, shifter) of your hybrid and a normal car?

7: What would you like to see in your next hybrid? What, if anything is missing from your current hybrid that you think would improve your fuel performance?

[Matt Herring]

1: What is your average miles/gallon/full tank?
* Average tank is in the 450-550 miles range. Average mpg over 4 months is 59 mpg (last few tanks are in the 61-65 mpg range). Average fill is in the 7-9 gallon range. Full tank is difficult to say with inflatable tank...maybe 8-11 gallons.

2: How do you feel when you drive your hybrid?
* Highly fuel efficient and in tune with the road and my surroundings. I love to drive my car and actually look forward to it. Traffic jams are no longer a headache...I get better mpg when stuck in them!

3: How do you feel when you drive a normal car (any car with standard injection engine)?
* Less empowered to control my usage...I actually drive faster and less for efficieny when driving a non-hybrid because it seems so "night and day" when speaking of mpg.

4: When you drive your hybrid how do you know you are driving more effieceintly?
* I use my Scanguage II to monitor all aspects of driving efficiently. There are times when I might be in a rush and lower mpg could result from that but the SGII pulls me back into efficient driving.

5: What are the differences between the instrument panels of your hybrid and a normal car?
* The one major difference is no rpm guage on the Prius. The SGII gives me this info. but most non-hybrids have an rpm guage.

6: What are the differences between the controls (steering wheel, gas/brake pedal, shifter) of your hybrid and a normal car?
* Wheel is slightly oval in my Prius. Gas/brake pedal are similar to a non-hybrid. Knob shifter on Prius is unique but being an automatic it does not mimic any standard non-hyrbid.

7: What would you like to see in your next hybrid? What, if anything is missing from your current hybrid that you think would improve your fuel performance?
* I would like to see a stop light sensor in my Prius that alerts me to the mph I need to drive to hit the light the moment it turns green. While I do coast to lights until they are green it would be great to see an indicator stating the mph I would need to drive at my present location to hit the light exactly when it turns green so I am not guessing this speed on my own. There is only one model of car that I am aware of that does this now.

[fred garvin]

1: What is your average miles/gallon/full tank?

55 mpgs, about 500 per tank before i fill up

2: How do you feel when you drive your hybrid?

good

3: How do you feel when you drive a normal car (any car with standard injection engine)?

fine

4: When you drive your hybrid how do you know you are driving more effieceintly?

the displays and the instant/cumulative mpgs

5: What are the differences between the instrument panels of your hybrid and a normal car?

location and content

6: What are the differences between the controls (steering wheel, gas/brake pedal, shifter) of your hybrid and a normal car?

none

7: What would you like to see in your next hybrid? What, if anything is missing from your current hybrid that you think would improve your fuel performance?
no


these don't seem to be very good questions

[P3III]

1: What is your average miles/gallon/full tank?
46.5 mph on 2002 over a 7 year period. 49.2 mph for first fillup of 2010

2: How do you feel when you drive your hybrid?
Great

3: How do you feel when you drive a normal car (any car with standard injection engine)?
Wasted energy

4: When you drive your hybrid how do you know you are driving more effieceintly?
MFD on both cars

5: What are the differences between the instrument panels of your hybrid and a normal car? More information on hybrid and location

6: What are the differences between the controls (steering wheel, gas/brake pedal, shifter) of your hybrid and a normal car?none except the location of the shifter and shape of the steering wheel

7: What would you like to see in your next hybrid? What, if anything is missing from your current hybrid that you think would improve your fuel performance?Ability to drive more than 24mph in EV mode. Automatic off/on headlights

Work on your questions.....

[sparkyAZ]

Originally Posted by GradDesign

Greetings,

My name is Matthew Wilkins and I am working in the second year of a graduate study at Arizona State University. This particular study is aimed at improving driver fuel effieciency through studying current driver interfaces. I am looking for anyone who considers themselves to be an extremist in the realm of fuel effieciency. If you don't feel that you qualify then read no further. If you do qualify then please feel free to answer as many of the questions below as you can.

1: What is your average miles/gallon/full tank?
52mpg over 2 yrs (60mi/day of freeway driving)

2: How do you feel when you drive your hybrid?
Great!

3: How do you feel when you drive a normal car (any car with standard injection engine)?
It is weird getting used to after driving the Prius.

4: When you drive your hybrid how do you know you are driving more effieceintly?
Scangauge and MFD

5: What are the differences between the instrument panels of your hybrid and a normal car?
No MFD w/FE on normal car

6: What are the differences between the controls (steering wheel, gas/brake pedal, shifter) of your hybrid and a normal car?
Not much other than the 'on' button.

7: What would you like to see in your next hybrid? What, if anything is missing from your current hybrid that you think would improve your fuel performance?

A plug and larger battery.