Is Toyota still sticking to this? A 525 mile range?

[tag]

Sunday, January 25, 2004
Hybrid car saves fuel, money

Electric motor, gas engine combo fetches attractive federal tax break

By Sandra Block
USA Today

Toyota says you can drive its electric gasoline hybrid Prius from Detroit to Washington on a tank of gas.



Full article at http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/01/2...greencar25.html

[JeffG]

In warm weather and driving with care.

But who would want to go to DC in warm weather?

[tag]

In warm weather and driving with care.

But who would want to go to DC in warm weather?

Good question!

Seriously, assuming that the tank holds a full 11.9 gallons, that works out to a little over 44mpg and this is damn near 100% highway driving.

BUT, I think we all know the tank does not hold 11.9. So, assuming circa 10.5 gallons, that works out to 50mpg.......sounds awfully optimistic.

[aaron-aggie]

Keep in mind Toyota's Marketing Department is going use the EPA numbers for anything thet put out.

So their using City: 60 mpg
Highway 51 mpg
Combined 55 mpg

[tag]

That's true. The part that always throws me is when an article begins with, "Toyota says", viz:

Toyota says you can drive its electric gasoline hybrid Prius from Detroit to Washington on a tank of gas.

[penpendisarapen]

Assuming an 11.9 gal tank, the 525 miles sounds doable to me. I gassed up a while ago and put in 9.34 gals in after driving 437 miles. With another 2.5 gals, I might have actually topped the 525 mark.

Victor
Seaside #6

[daniel]

There's a difference between saying "You can drive from Detroit to D.C. on a tank of gas," and saying "Based on EPA figures you ought to be able to drive from Detroit to D.C. on a tank of gas."

Apparently the law requires them to give the EPA mileage estimates and nothing else. But the first statement above makes a specific promise about the car, and is equivalent to saying "You will get the EPA mileage."

I'll leave it to others to figure out whether the statement is true or not, or how much of an mpg geek you'd have to be. Apparently, some guy in Japan got 1,000 miles on a tank. The Japanese tank holds more (no bladder) but one supposes that his extreme driving techniques would get you farther on a tank than most of us achieve.

And saying "you can" is different than saying "you will."

[efusco]

Folks,
This is, in the real world, quite doable. At the Orlando Shindig this weekend at least 4 of the 8 Prius owners there had exceeded the EPA numbers. Granted those were Florida drivers, but that's what can and will happen for most of us in warm weather. I haven't seen day over 62 degrees yet this year and most and I'm over 50mpg 160 miles into my current tank and got 50.2 on my last tank with some very bad driving conditions (cold weather, multiple sub-10 minute commutes).

We've seen the worst and heard the gripes and suffered the disappointments, but this is very real and very doable. Not everyone will, those who must cool their cars to 65 degrees in summer and warm to 85 degrees in winter and who drive inefficiently or routinely exceed speed limits or otherwise drive inefficiently won't ever see those numbers. But if that is your goal and you leave the AC off or use minimally and do a lot of coasting and drive the speed limit and in an otherwise efficient manner you'll meet, and likely exceed the numbers routinely....I'm completely convinced of that.

I have now seen photographic evidence of at least 4 people getting over 55mpg and over 500 miles on a tank of gas--not counting Wayne and his super-duper Prius with extra battery power---what a site that was.

[jasond]

I've found it also makes a difference what the relative altitudes of your start and end points are. I get better gas mileage on the way to work than I do on the way home.

For what it's worth, Detroit is about 550 feet higher than DC

And also, the Toyota engineers are free to wait around at the gas station for an extra hour before starting the trip, to force as much gas into that bladder as they can... I certainly believe that 525 miles is possible on a full tank. Even if it's highway driving, they can choose whatever speed they want and drive the whole thing at the optimum efficiency level (62 mph?)

[cheaplawyer]

regardless of the tank range, i fill up so seldom that i'm actually somewhat irritated at having to stop and go thru the trouble of refueling for only 10 gallons or so; w/ a surburban and land crusher in the garage - prius refueling stops aren't as "gratifying" -