1620 miles on a tank, 171 mpg!

[1davide]

Yesterday, a driver in Seattle achieved a new economy record on a Hybrids Plus Prius PHEV -30 conversion: 1620 miles on a tank, with an average of 171 mpg!
See the video of the fill-up at the end of his new record.

D'de

[mgipe]

Everyone seems to forget that you have to fill a PHEV up with electricity too. The gas mileage is irrelevent if you mostly use electricity from an external source.

[bwilson4web]

Now if they just used solar, wind or rain power for the Plug-In power source, it would all count. <grins>

Congratulations!!

Bob Wilson

[Danny Hamilton]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davide Andrea @ Sep 21 2007, 01:37 PM) [snapback]515885[/snapback]</div>

Yesterday, a driver in Seattle achieved a new economy record on a Hybrids Plus Prius PHEV -30 conversion: 1620 miles on a tank, with an average of 171 mpg!
See the video of the fill-up at the end of his new record.

D'de
[/b]

What I'd be especially interested in knowing is what his fuel cost per mile is. Add up the cost of gas and the cost of the electricity he used to charge it and divide by 1620.

I find that with my Prius and my current MPG, I'm averaging about $0.055814 per mile, although 9 of my 32 fill-ups so far have been less than $0.05 per mile. (my best fill-up so far was $0.044335 per mile)

Of course, if were just looking at reducing use of fossil fuels and CO2 production, and if the elec. comes from a non-fossil fuel non-CO2 producing source, then the cost of the elec. is irrelevant.

[douglas001001]

What would be interesting is the drive time between charges, is he getting 30 of pure ev?

If the distance between charges isn't much more than 30, then 171 isn't all that impressive.

Seattle is on hydropower, isn't it?

[SomervillePrius]

I'm SOOOO jelaous! I want one! I want one! I want one!

[1davide]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Sep 21 2007, 01:07 PM) [snapback]515896[/snapback]</div>

Now if they just used solar, wind or rain power for the Plug-In power source, it would all count.
[/b]

I understand that Seattle uses mostly hydro-electricity.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny Hamilton @ Sep 21 2007, 01:25 PM) [snapback]515898[/snapback]</div>

... then the cost of the elec. is irrelevant.
[/b]

It is. The cost of conversion is astronomical, so any economic analysis is moot.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(douglas001001 @ Sep 21 2007, 01:56 PM) [snapback]515916[/snapback]</div>

What would be interesting is the drive time between charges.
[/b]

He charges at home and at work, and his commute distance is 30 freeway miles each way.

[AndyMartin826]

Good lord, according to the link for Hybrids Plus, the conversion costs $32,000, car not included? Wow, I would think that would be seriously cost prohibitive. I mean, between the Prius and the conversion you've just spent nearly $60k on the car. I'm sorry, this just doesn't seem to make much sense at that cost?

[bwilson4web]

GROAN!!!!

Don' cha remember all the skeptics who claimed the Prius costs too much and you'd never get your money back.

There are no production plug-in Prius and whatever they paid was really an R&D investment. There are real issues that have to be solved before cost of manufacturing can even be addressed.

IMHO, enjoy the record, look at the technology, and think of how to do the next one better. It is part of the learning curve and the tuition of mastering high-tech.

Bob Wilson

[paulccullen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mgipe @ Sep 21 2007, 12:00 PM) [snapback]515894[/snapback]</div>

Everyone seems to forget that you have to fill a PHEV up with electricity too. The gas mileage is irrelevent if you mostly use electricity from an external source. [/b]

Excellent point, and this has been a pet peeve of mine in PHEV eficiency claims. Technical people should know better. Leave the misleading info and hyperbole to the marketing weasels.

In order to measure PHEV energy consumption, we really need a new "hybrid" unit of measurement which expresses gallons *and* kilowatt hours over a given distance. Or maybe two separate measurements, X and Y

• At fully charged startup it's rated at X miles per kwh (no fuel used)
• After 30 miles (or when the stored electricity is all used up), it's rated at Y miles per gallon

Does this sound like a better approach?