Does the Pulse & Glide technique work....

Yes, except those few with automatic transmissions that don't take well to re-engaging from N to D at speed. See the lead article at cleanmpg.com on the Hows and Why of Hypermiling. It can be done with the engine on (N-ICE ON) or, in many cases, off (Forced Auto Stop or FAS). For FAS, you need a manual tranny or an automatic that can be flat towed (i.e., that gets lubrication with the engine off). The beauty of FAS with a stick is that the ICE can then be started with the clutch in a bump start.

 

P&G is specific to Prius, but pretending to drive any car as if you had a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal can improve mileage. Fast take-offs always have a penalty so I try to avoid them. P&G is tricky sometimes and I have to refer to the Instant MPG gauge to know when it is happening (bars go up to 100 mpg). And it is not always sustainable during heat as the AC puts demands on the ICE. Once the ICE kicks on, the glide is over.

 

I would recommend asking the same question here:

CleanMPG, An authoritative source on fuel economy and hypermiling

Bob Wilson

 

disagree.

What is specific to Prius and similar hybrids is the ability to P&G using only the throttle. And the engine shuts off below 45/42 mph to boot!

 

So when you pulse and glide, you get to a certain mph, then hold the accelerator in the left-hand box to keep it running on electric ? When I first tried this I accelerated to 45 mph or so, then just let the car keep going. I didn't realize that you have to semi-hold the pedal down ?


Also what is 'stealth mode' people talk about ?

 

P&G was invented long before any modern hybrids reached the market, and can work fantastically well in traditional Otto cycle vehicles.

Let me secondXXXXXX-third the pointers to CleanMPG.com, where I learned the theory and practice long before upgrading to a hybrid. My preference is the milder N-ICE-On type.

 

Is that 5% on all doors and the rear hatch? NICE:rockon:

 

After accelerating to a certain speed, when you slightly hold the pedal down and keep the bar to the left side, is this using only electric power ? That's an interesting way to use only battery power at higher mph speeds.

 

Yep, 5% all around and on the windshield.

 

Is it just me or anyone else thinks Prius should not add regenerative braking to coasting with gas pedal lifted? I takes my concentration from the road to watch the display to force Prius into costing without slowing down. IMHO, P&G would be so much easier with gas pedal lifted.

 

No.

After pulsing using the ICE to the desired top speed up to 45 mph, you lift off the gas until the hsi bar disappears entirely between regen and hybrid eco. The car runs on inertia, with wind and rolling resistance and gravity all acting to gradually bring speed down to the desired minimum speed. You are not "running on electric" since no power is being supplied from anywhere.

 

See that's the question I had. Tideland said that when you are holding down the pedal you are just using electric and 'gliding'. The mph bar is fully, so the car does indeed run on electric assuming you hold the bar to the lefthand side.


What you are referring to is just coasting the car. I used to do that as I thought the 'coasting' was 'gliding'.

 

Gliding is best used to describe no power from anywhere.

Coasting is often misused instead of gliding, but is best used to describe no throttle (small regen braking).

An hsi bar on the left half (hybrid eco area) is stealth or electric only mode.

Stealth mode is not part of pulse and glide. Coasting is not part of pulse & glide. Only pulsing and gliding are part of pulse & glide.

See the "Pulse & Glide and Warp Stealth" article at cleanmpg.com for a Prius gen2, then review hobbit's "zen of hsi" article from his site.

 

Forget the "mpg bar" or impg gauge. It can be full without being on "electric" and will always be full when moving with no power from anywhere.

 

It is true as tideland said that you are running on electric when in the hybrid eco area, but he would agree that state is neither a pulse nor a glide. It could be a pulse at low speed and intensity, but not generally applicable for high mpg.

 

how do you glide then ? If I speed up then do nothing, there is a small regen of the battery occuring, if I hold the pedal down slightly, then the battery is going.

 

Watch the HSI bar. Foot off gas = small regen. Reapply slight throttle = bar vanishes (eco mode helps while learning at least). Reapply too much throttle = assist from the battery.

See HSI in which the 1st (left) half of the hybrid eco area is noted as the glide region. But true glide is with the bar vanished.