Summer Blend, when will it end?

[tsunami]

This will be my first winter with my Prius so how bad will the change over affect my mpg. I currently average 53.5 mpg. I had a pickup before and the winter blend knocked me down around 10%, should I expect the same? 5.4mpg reduction...yikes

Also any idea when the refineries make the change over.

Kirk

[jay_man2]

The last time I saw it posted on a pump, winter blend was required around here from November to February.

[morpheusx]

I don't think its the blend so much as its the colder temps and the precipitation. I frequent the Suffolk VA area usually around Christmas and with their winter blend I manage to get about 53 MPG while driving around during the week or so. I imagine in the Northern VA area because you actually still get snow and its actually quite a bit colder you will have a bigger dip. Here in Ohio anything over 50 MPG between Thanksgiving and say March is hard to accomplish.

[jay_man2]

It's the blend here. Doesn't matter how warm or cold, the EPA-mandated winter blend cuts the mpg's.

I don't know if the Tidewater area is required to do the EPA-mandated winter blend.

[morpheusx]

Originally Posted by jay_man2

It's the blend here. Doesn't matter how warm or cold, the EPA-mandated winter blend cuts the mpg's.

I don't know if the Tidewater area is required to do the EPA-mandated winter blend.

Probably not now that I think about it they are about the only area I ever remember being in during the last 10 years or so where the gas station actually smells like a gas station because they don't have the vapor recovery pumps. So they may not even care about emissions whatsoever. Whereas in Ohio all the pumps have some sort of device that sucks up the fumes attached to the pump nozzle.

[Mark57]

Originally Posted by jay_man2

It's the blend here. Doesn't matter how warm or cold, the EPA-mandated winter blend cuts the mpg's.

It's the same here. The winter blend is definitely harder on MPG's. It's very easy to tell when it comes and goes for the year.