Mileage

[iKip]

Hi Folks,
I'm new to Prius Chat and own a 2005 Prius. I figured I would add my two cents in from the feild. When i first started driving the Prius I noticed a significant change in my driving habits .. I used to be a lead foot but i have dramtically changed the way I drive as its seems alot of people do that own these cars. I like performance as much as the next guy and I am sure with a little bit of tinkering and such there will eventually be ways to have the best of both worlds. Though the Prius is no contender with the likes of an STI or WRX i suspect that "tuners" will find a way to hack into and tap into a Hybrids potential for both lean and mean performance.

Having said all this I have had my Prius since OCT last year and I love this car !!! It is comfortable on long trips and I have gotton as good as 52 Mpg .. I have found that Cold Weather dramtically effectsd the Prius's fuel economy as the I.C.E. ( Internal Combustion Engine ) .. (no pun intended) starts frequently to call for more heat. I would like to see them change the heating configuration to electric and i am wondering if they have figured out the engineering aspect of it yet.. unless someone has already figured that one out and and offers it as an aftermarket option.

I would like for the car to run on electriicty more frequently but I am skiddish about installing the EV button as i don't wish to void the warranty.

Any way greetings to all Prius People !!!

I will frequent the site as much as possible and give an update on my fuel consumtion.

Prius Free-us
-iKip

[Ichabod]

I haven't had my Prius longer than you, but I can still welcome you to the forum. It sounds like you're enjoying your ride, and I just have a couple replies to your comments/gripes:

First, I think that tinkering with power is harder than with a simple ICE because it's a computer-controlled operation, so it would take a team of engineers really to make improvements. Toyota has a team of engineers, so I'll leave it up to them

Second, a better option for your heating needs would be an engine block heater, as well as covers for the front grille. If you search around you'll find some helpful posts about both of those things, and how they really will help your efficiency by bottling up the heat.

Heating via electricity is less efficient than moving via electricity because heat is generated simply by resistance. It's very wasteful, so even though it might be faster, I wouldn't want such an option on my Prius as it would ultimately consume more fuel to heat in that way.

As many have said, your warranty can only be voided if the company can prove that your actions resulted in specific damage. Still, I wouldn't treat the Prius like an all, or mostly electric vehicle because it's not designed to be. If you loaded your trunk with batteries, you could do that, but I think if you wait a few years you'll have options of upgrades, or other cars that are all or mostly electric.

[iKip]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Feb 28 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]397957[/snapback]</div>

I haven't had my Prius longer than you, but I can still welcome you to the forum. It sounds like you're enjoying your ride, and I just have a couple replies to your comments/gripes:

First, I think that tinkering with power is harder than with a simple ICE because it's a computer-controlled operation, so it would take a team of engineers really to make improvements. Toyota has a team of engineers, so I'll leave it up to them

Second, a better option for your heating needs would be an engine block heater, as well as covers for the front grille. If you search around you'll find some helpful posts about both of those things, and how they really will help your efficiency by bottling up the heat.

Heating via electricity is less efficient than moving via electricity because heat is generated simply by resistance. It's very wasteful, so even though it might be faster, I wouldn't want such an option on my Prius as it would ultimately consume more fuel to heat in that way.

As many have said, your warranty can only be voided if the company can prove that your actions resulted in specific damage. Still, I wouldn't treat the Prius like an all, or mostly electric vehicle because it's not designed to be. If you loaded your trunk with batteries, you could do that, but I think if you wait a few years you'll have options of upgrades, or other cars that are all or mostly electric.
[/b]

Thank You Ichabod for the Information ..
Yes I think I understand now how using an electric heater for the car would consume more battery/fuel and be less efficient so I agree.. as soon as the temps get up into the 40's the car does fine .. and I am considering the battery refit in the storage compartment of the trunk area.. I may consider doing it myself if I have the proper wiring diagram it doesnt appear to be that hard .. the EV button wiring diagram looked easy enough .. but I'm sure adding additional batteries is a bit more involved.

[cbpofficer9813]

I had purchased my 2007 prius on 2/17/2007. Just filled up for the first time, i had gotten 496 miles on the tank, it took 9.055 gallons, for a mpg of 54.85. Not too bad!!!