over 1,600 miles, Another World Record with a single tank

[ken1784]

Hello all,

I would like to report that a lady Prius driver, Potpourri@Saitama, achived 1,602 miles/tank (2,578 km).
The computer mileage was 105.4 mpg (44.8 km/L).

The previous world record was 1,562 miles/tank.
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=37247&hl=

Please note that Japanese Prius tank has no bladder and can hold up to about 15.9 US gallons, 60 liters.

Ken@Japan

[Tideland Prius]

omg.... that and the fact that it was taken with a camera phone (which I'm sure is better than ours because the quality is pretty good.. other than the white film which I can only assume is the sun reflecting off the hand/camera and the angle of the camera).

It can hold 60 litres because you guys tilt the car :P. It's still rated at 45 litres, no?

[ken1784]

Yes. The specification says 45 liter tank.
However, we believe the 105 mpg is very good number.

Ken@Japan

[Tideland Prius]

no doubt 44.8km/L is a fantastic number. I barely met 25km/L, let alone the Japanese number of 35km/L

[bwilson4web]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ Sep 23 2007, 11:35 PM) [snapback]516743[/snapback]</div>

Yes. The specification says 45 liter tank.
However, we believe the 105 mpg is very good number.
[/b]

It is an excellent number especially considering the distance and duration. Yet one PHEV gets similar numbers with the smaller North American tank by using a plug-in electric assist. We're on the verge of significant mileage improvement. Compared to the existing fleets, nearly an order of magnitude improvement.

Bob Wilson

[brick]

[quote=bwilson4web @ Sep 24 2007, 07:05 AM) [snapback]516801[/snapback]</div>

Yet one PHEV gets similar numbers with the smaller North American tank by using a plug-in electric assist. [/b]

Apples to oranges. One of my minor grips about PHEV talk is that an "MPG"-type number is often quoted by taking the total distance driven over the cycle on both gas and electric power and then dividing by the gallons of gas used without factoring in the electricity supplied to the battery pack. So suddenly you have a 150mpg car whereas once you had a 55mpg car. Does that make sense? No. The electricity isn't free. If it's a PHEV-40] 10kWh that gets 55mpg on gasoline, that's what it is.

This woman getting 105mpg on gasoline alone would likely be getting much higher numbers in a PHEV. Depending on her cycle she might not use any gasoline at all.

[hycamguy07]

Hmmmm, just remove the bladder on a us model and see what the distance is..

What were her driving conditions.?

[bwilson4web]

We are always going to have 'apples to oranges' as long as our vehicles have any differences. As long as we report the differences, the end results are still significant and telling. It moves us forward to better transportation efficiency.

Often the differences, especially if documented, can lead to improving vehicle performance for all. For example, last fall, a UK poster proposed a thermistor hack for the NHW11 Prius, 2001-03, that significantly improved cold-weather MPG. Two of us in the USA replicated his results and I'm planning to offer it as a product this fall. This same hack would also work with our friends in Japan.

Our friends in Japan have already pointed out that they are using their engine block heaters year round. One of our earliest USA 1,000 mile tank drivers (with the small USA tank) used that to technique and has at least two, 1,000 mile tanks in his record.

Although I'm not a fan of the technique, Pulse and Glide was advocated early on by a USA driver and seems to have been adopted nearly universally by high mileage drivers around the world.

Personally, I see PHEV and better still, co-generation and PHEV, as the next logical step for our rolling power plants. IMHO, this is where we want to go and once we add LPG fuel, we'll pretty well be set with a transportation architecture that will be worthy of the 21st century.

So I celebrate all advances and especially those that contribute to safety, efficiency and quality of life. It isn't so much 'apples and oranges' as much as degrees of ripened fruit.

Bob Wilson

ps. If individual driving skill is the most important aspect, then adopt the "SAE International Annual Supermileage Event" rules and be done with it. Better still, set up a bank of simulators and let the driving skills be tested on exactly the same course, driving conditions and vehicle model.

[brick]

What?

[miscrms]

Wow, that is unreal! And here I am all proud of my first tank 50.1mpg

I think we need to get a DNA sample, clone it, and have Toyota inject a little of it into each new Prius buyer :P

On the PHEV question, I guess it all depends on your point of view. If all that matters to you is mechanical efficiency, then maybe the PHEV isn't a huge improvement in of itself. If you care about reducing dependence on foreign oil, a 2-3x (or more) reduction in gas consumption is huge. If you care about air quality / global warming, the option to fill up with wind or sun rather than gas is huge.


Rob