My new Texas Prius - great mileage

[rdenneyutmb]

Picked up my new Prius on Feb. 24th. It had 3 miles on the odometer, a full tank, and low mpg (don't remember exactly). After running around doing errands over the weekend, I started experimenting with P&G techniques described by so many here on this fine forum. My commute is about 24 mi, 18 on a freeway. However, almost no one is on the feeder between home and my work in Galveston. Terrain is flat. Temp is 50-70. I can pulse and glide all I want without hindering anyone, and there are few stops. I just filled up with 8.01 gallons after 476 mi with a tank average of 59.0 on the MFD (59.4 by m/gal). What pleased me most is that for five, consecutive trips of between 23.9 and 34 mi, I got 68.2-79.6 mpg, see below. All trips were from a cold start and included 1 mi residential driving to freeway feeder, 15 mi of feeder, 4 mi of freeway (about 55 mph), and the rest on a 45 mph, 4 lane road with few stops. Except for the short freeway section, I was able to pulse and glide (speed range, 30-41 mph). I am very pleased.

Distance
mpg (MFD)

33.6 75.8
32.4 68.2
23.9 73.7
26.5 73.9
34 79.5

Only problem is, I am a bit afraid to tell my wife or any of my friends how I am driving. They will think I am obsessed. (They've got that right.)

Though I find gliding with no arrows easy, I have never yet succeeded in "dead-banding." No matter what acceleration rate I use, my '06 always charges the battery when it runs. (In general, I pulse for about 1/3rd of the time, and glide 2/3rds.

[Rancid13]

Congratulations!!! I find myself constantly wanting to tell people my mpgs but hold myself back from doing so, because they don't understand the joy of owning and driving a Prius and will think I'm crazy!

[huskers]

I think people got tired of me telling them about my mileage also...so I put it on my lic. plate (MPG 55) :P

[Ray Moore]

Nice plate hehe

[EricGo]

Very nice results !!

I can think of two situations where deadbanding is difficult to do:
Cold Engine, or very cold day
Low HV battery SOC -- 3 bars or less

A couple other things, for a bit better FE:
Accelerate at about 1/3rd gas pedal. Unless the HV SOC is low, strive to not send energy to the battery.
Set your tyres to maximal rated sidewall.

Keep up the good work

[rdenneyutmb]

Originally posted by EricGo@Mar 4 2006, 11:14 AM
Very nice results !!

I can think of two situations where deadbanding is difficult to do:
Cold Engine, or very cold day
Low HV battery SOC -- 3 bars or less

A couple other things, for a bit better FE:
Accelerate at about 1/3rd gas pedal. Unless the HV SOC is low, strive to not send energy to the battery.
Set your tyres to maximal rated sidewall.

Keep up the good work

[snapback]220163[/snapback]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have the tires at 42/40.
On my 30 mile drives, the temperature has been in the 55-70 degree range.
I have experimented with acceleration. I try to accelerate as briskly as I can without engaging the electric motors (yellow arrows), i.e., using exclusively the ICE. I think this rate of acceleration (about 12 sec from 30 to 41 mph) probably less than 1/3 max.

Are any of you out there with an '06 Prius finding it difficult to get the dead-band state (arrows from ICE to wheels but not to battery)? I still can't seem to do it.

[robinsod]

Originally posted by rdenneyutmb@Mar 4 2006, 01:54 PM
Thanks for the suggestions. I have the tires at 42/40.
On my 30 mile drives, the temperature has been in the 55-70 degree range.
I have experimented with acceleration. I try to accelerate as briskly as I can without engaging the electric motors (yellow arrows), i.e., using exclusively the ICE. I think this rate of acceleration (about 12 sec from 30 to 41 mph)  probably less than 1/3 max.

Are any of you out there with an '06 Prius finding it difficult to get the dead-band state (arrows from ICE to wheels but not to battery)? I still can't seem to do it.

[snapback]220231[/snapback]

Another Texas '06 Prius drivers says, "I haven't often tried to dead-band, but I when I have, it doesn't last long. Here in the Hill Country, there are a lot of long, shallow hill so, it's probably easier to do. I also have an '04 and haven't seen much difference in this or in mpg."

Great cars aren't they?

[EricGo]

OP, now that I read your latest post, I am not sure we are talking about the same thing.

If ICE is running, the target is no arrows to or from the battery. It is usual to see a split of ICE energy to the wheels and motor.

ICE off: shoot for no arrows at all, or arrows from the battery -> motor -> wheels.

In good weather I can hit FE in the 70's mpg consistently too, but find 80 mpg to be a practical ceiling -- so I guess I don't have much useful advice for you !

[rdenneyutmb]

Originally posted by EricGo@Mar 4 2006, 06:46 PM
OP, now that I read your latest post, I am not sure we are talking about the same thing.

If ICE is running, the target is no arrows to or from the battery. It is usual to see a split of ICE energy to the wheels and motor.

ICE off: shoot for no arrows at all, or arrows from the battery -> motor -> wheels.

In good weather I can hit FE in the 70's mpg consistently too, but find 80 mpg to be a practical ceiling -- so I guess I don't have much useful advice for you !

[snapback]220311[/snapback]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I think I do understand that we are shooting for no arrows from ICE to or from battery during slow acceleration phase of P&G (to minimize transduction losses converting chemical energy to electrical and back to mechanical energy). That's the state that I haven't seen yet. Whenever my ICE is on, I get arrows to motor/generator AND battery (in addition to arrows to the wheels).

I do wonder a bit how the marathon experts managed consistently to get over 100 mpg with pulse and glide. I have noticed that the dealer overfilled the oil (about 2 cm over the full level). And I have the standard OEM tires (at 42/40 psi). And I understand that mileage may increase after a few thousand miles.

Hey, I am really very pleased, but one can't help but try for the best. Great car. I am having a lot of fun.

Thanks, everyone.

[rposton]

Originally posted by rdenneyutmb@Mar 3 2006, 06:53 PM

Only problem is, I am a bit afraid to tell my wife or any of my friends how I am driving. They will think I am obsessed. (They've got that right.)

[snapback]219965[/snapback]

Ha ... When I picked up mine, the weather was warm, the mpg was great, and I e-mailed my relatives often. Then the weather turned cold, and my relatives did not hear from me for awhile.