WOULDN'T IT BE NICE (AND SMART)............

[FloridaWen]

......... if the Toyota Prius could indicate REAL, ACTUAL "MILES" on the ICE (gasoline engine) as well as HOURS on the electric motor. The purpose of the "actual miles" on the gasoline engine would be extremely helpful (in MY opinion) for OIL/Filter Changes, etc. After all, a Prius that does almost all highway driving would have the ICE "on" much more than in city "stop-and-go / bumper-to-bumper", right ?? This would take the "guesswork" out of how many "actual miles" does the ICE stay on for over a period of time......... I am an Electronic Engineer and we just picked up our new 2007 Prius Touring (pkg. 5) only FOUR DAYS AGO, but as a passenger (yep, it's the Wife's new vehicle) I sat in the passenger's seat watching the "Energy Meter" display, showing when the ICE kicked in, when the "motor" was running and when the vehicle was "coasting and charging", etc. So...... the computer KNOWS all this info. therefore it can just have a modified program to actually SHOW the user (driver) the real, true specs. (miles / hours) !!

Is this a good idea or not ????

[SomervillePrius]

Not a bad idea, but I think for the average user the ICE will be "on" for most miles driven. It's only at speeds below 41 mph and using pulse & glide you would get the prius to not spin the motor when coasting. At higher speed it will spin the ICE (even if the display doesn't show it) using the battery instead of gasoline (when it can) as to be ready to accelerate the car.

So overall the ICE will be on for most miles driven for the average user, even if it doesn't use gas all the time.

I think for a plug-in hybrid or the next gen hybrid with (rumored) 9 miles EV range it would make sense to have this info.

[Texas911]

Why would it? I think more appropriate is an hour meter for the motor, like on airplanes.

[Swanny1172]

I think it would be a nice feature to have for the simple fact that I think having more information is never a bad thing. It would be interesting to see what percentage of the time the car is running on EV power versus ICE power. I think such a measure would be effective in helping a new driver learn the hybrid system and maximize their efficiency in operating the car. The Prius does drive differently than any other car and has a bit of a learning curve. Having more information at your disposal would just help speed the learning process.

[SomervillePrius]

I like the hour meter for the motor. For next-gen hybrids this might be the appropriate measure. The VOLT for example would surely need it as if I had one I would rarely use the ICE at all. Event for a next gen prius with (rumored) 9 miles EV an "hours used" for the ICE might make a better meter then mileage.

[Marlin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 09:17 AM) [snapback]446589[/snapback]</div>

After all, a Prius that does almost all highway driving would have the ICE "on" much more than in city "stop-and-go / bumper-to-bumper", right ??[/b]

Well, we've all managed for the past 80 years without a seperate tally for "highway miles" versus "city miles". A engine in a conventional car does a lot less work per mile at highway speeds than it does at city speeds. Yet we've managed to survive with only one odometer.

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ May 21 2007, 10:27 AM) [snapback]446624[/snapback]</div>

Well, we've all managed for the past 80 years without a seperate tally for "highway miles" versus "city miles". A engine in a conventional car does a lot less work per mile at highway speeds than it does at city speeds. Yet we've managed to survive with only one odometer.
[/b]

I guess YOU have totally missed the point.................. PRIUS is NOT a "conventional" gasoline ONLY powered vehicle.......... therefore the ICE (gasoline engine) is NOT "on" ALL the time, ALL the MILES........

[Frank Hudon]

this is a shot of the MFD in the wife's 2k4 after a trip that we took last year. Notice that the ICE ran only 68% of the time on the trip. I posted this question last year but deleted all the pix's in my folder so have reposted it.

[Marlin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 10:39 AM) [snapback]446634[/snapback]</div>

I guess YOU have totally missed the point.................. PRIUS is NOT a "conventional" gasoline ONLY powered vehicle.......... therefore the ICE (gasoline engine) is NOT "on" ALL the time, ALL the MILES........
[/b]

And I guess YOU have totally missed the point too. In a conventional car, there is a difference between "city miles" and "highway miles" on the wear and tear of the engine. So, a car that spends it's time running up and down the east coast on the highway does not put as much wear and tear on a engine in 3000 miles as a car that spends all it's time driving around New York City for 3000 miles. Its the same issue, just different circumstances. Yet somehow we've managed for the past 80 years not to need to seperately track the different types of miles in order to perform routine maintanence such as oil changes. That was the point YOU missed.

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ May 21 2007, 10:46 AM) [snapback]446642[/snapback]</div>

And I guess YOU have totally missed the point too. In a conventional car, there is a difference between "city miles" and "highway miles" on the wear and tear of the engine. So, a car that spends it's time running up and down the east coast on the highway does not put as much wear and tear on a engine in 3000 miles as a car that spends all it's time driving around New York City for 3000 miles. Its the same issue, just different circumstances. Yet somehow we've managed for the past 80 years not to need to seperately track the different types of miles in order to perform routine maintanence such as oil changes. That was the point YOU missed.
[/b]

OKAY, NOW I get ya'................. (sorry)........... But please remember that with a "conventional" gasoline ONLY vehicle a "smart" owner will sort of "average out" these factors.............. in other words, if "I" (as a real example) take a long trip, say Florida to Connecticut then back, I "KNOW" these are "highway miles" as compared to if I used that vehicle for "city" driving.......... then with the latter, I would change my oil (and filter) much more frequently.
The point I am trying to make about the PRIUS is that many owners "see" 1,000 MILES on the odometer and this is the magic point MANY want to remove that initial (factory) OIL used for "break-in" along with the filter. Now doing this and putting back regular "fossil" oil is a great thing.............. but to put back a synthetic motor oil at 1,000 "odometer" miles is REALLY like 500 to 750 ACTUAL MILES on that gasoline (ICE) engine !! If synthethic motor oil is put into the Prius TOO SOON that is NOT GOOD either..........