Getting an average of 35 mpg in city? Why?

shssssh....... we shouldn't bring that up since the PIP isn't sold in NM. <wink, wink>

 

oops.

 

Doesn't mean you can't buy one somewhere else!

 

Pulse and glide is just coming up to some speed, then lift off the gas, coast a bit, 'till speed falls to some lower limit, then repeat. When fully warmed, and driving moderate speed, the engine should cut off completely during this coast. At higher speeds (over 45~ mph I think) the engine will continue to turn over during coast, but consumes little or no gas.

 

Normally I point folks to this questinairre, so we can collect more details and hints to help address your MPG issue:
Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new

Your mail routes are a much different situation than we normally address. But if you can answer these anyway, we may find some common things to help.

I still like the idea of starting a new thread for tips for delivery drivers.

 

ok boys, just so you know. the c only has ECO and EV buttons. for me I find the EV tends to overheat my battery or inverter. just a gut feeling.
and ECO lowers my ventelation fan speeds so much that i either put the A/C at a lower temp, or the heater at a higher temp, both of which cause the ICE to come on too much thereby wasting gas.
so i suggest leaving the buttons alone.
normal is power mode on the hotrod c. perhaps next is to put some electrical tape over the distractingly useless airbag lights.

 

I'm sorry but that is just bad and misleading advice.......for someone who delivers mail......where the total pulse-glide distance might be only 100 feet in many cases before another full stop is required.

Regardless of your vehicle type, the KIND of driving you do is the largest single factor in determining your gas mileage.
A mail delivery route is probably the worst possible situation.

 

The secret sauce for OP to improve her MPG is NO FRICTION BRAKE USE, and efficient use of Regen brakes

1. When the next stop is approaching, lose speed by coasting for 100 meters or so
2. When brake use is required (the minimum possible) use only regen by keeping the charge meter below maximum

Here is a practical approach: Try to stay off the brakes entirely until the car speed is below 30 mph. This means thinking ahead and starting to coast. For the last 30 - 50 meters or so before the stop, brake gently. After some practice it becomes second nature to plan the next stop ahead of time. For most people anyway. My wife still smashes the brakes 20 meters before the stop after 10 years of hybrid driving.

OP, if this text description is not clear let me know and I will draw a picture graph. And while someone might post that P&G is even better than my approach, I'll agree* but say that you will get 80-90% of the P&G advantage for a lot less hassle this way. Start with simple, and leave expert mode for later.

Good luck!

ps: reset your trip meter each day, or you will be mixing MPG from today with prior days. Oh, and forget about trying to drive in 'EV mode.' Waste of time and worse MPG. Let the car decide what mode to use.

*The other downside of P&G is that you end up with a considerably lower average speed. Probably not what you want

 

Hi Britt. Unfortunately your type of driving (mail delivery) is not the best for maximizing the C's gas mileage, although I'm sure it's much better than you got with the Tacoma.

Sage Brush (just above) has some good advise. Basically, you need to modify your driving technique to take advantage of the C.

1. # 1 rule: Momentum is your friend.

2. Your job requires a lot of stop and go - nothing can be done about that, but whatever you encounter between the stops, don't slow down unless you have to. The car can take corners much faster than you think. Unless you hear the tires squealing, try a bit faster (within reason, and the speed limit [cough], of course).

3. When you have to slow down or stop, like when you see yourself approaching a certain stop like a red light, stop sign, backed up traffic, the next mail box, etc., let off on the gas sooner than you normally would. As Sage Brush mentioned, until we become Priusized, most of us unconsciously tend to keep our foot on the gas until we get to that point where it we don't start braking it will become difficult to stop in time, or uncomfortable for any passengers we have on board. Anticipate the stops, and glide up to them. The C comes with low rolling resistance tires to make this easier. It also helps keep the battery charged.

4. Start from a stop more gradually. Getting the car moving from a stop uses a LOT of gas. Take it slowly without getting the drivers behind you too upset. You'll figure out what's reasonable after a while. As long as you eventually get up to and keep up with the flow of traffic, most people wont be that upset that it took you a little longer to get there.

5. Use the ECO score gauge and try to keep the green bar as low as possible while still keeping up with the flow of traffic. When going up hills, drop back a mile per hour or two. When going down hills coast to the highest speed you are comfortable with. (again - momentum)

6. When you do get to do some highway driving, keep it under 70 mph. Don't tailgate. It's more than unsafe. It's a gas waster.

7. Forget the EV button. It's useless. The car will go into EV mode automatically when it can. Opinions will differ on ECO mode. I leave it and the AC on all the time to keep the fog off the glass. You may not have to. In ECO mode, the computer will turn the AC on and off as needed to maximize mileage while keeping you cool, and the windshield fog free. I get 60 MPG this way, but I don't have anywhere near as much stop and go as you do.

You can try pulse and glide, but I think the above tips and those from Sage Brush will get you at least a little better than 35 mpg.

Best of luck with your new car.

 

I don't floor the pedal when I accelerate, but I don't try to be extra gentle, either. If the power display is at the top of the ECO range or in the lower part of the power range, it is fine.

By the way OP, you should check the car itself is in good fuel economy shape. Take the car out for 10 mile return trip on a highway you can travel about 60 mph in nice weather and without big wind. You should see about 60 MPG from a reset meter. If it is less than 55 MPG car things need to be sorted out. Start with tyre pressure. I recommend sidewall maximum

My guess: OP will average 50 MPG when the car is working well and her driving technique improves.

 

My guess would be that your stop-and-go driving pattern is fairly heavy on the pedals, with many stops. While the Prius is well-designed for stop-and-go driving, there is a percentage of loss with each stop-and-go, and the more gently you can transition between stopping and accelerating, the more fuel you will save.

 

Anybody in the mood for a li'l physics ?
A Prius gets about 60 MPG traveling on level ground at 60 mph. Anything less is lost to braking (and regaining the lost speed).

The amount of energy lost each slowdown if done entirely with friction brakes is proportional to mass*speed*speed, so let's compare how much energy is lost with a controlled stop the way I described, vs just jamming the brakes the usual way:

30 mph = x
50 mph = 1.6x
the mass cancels out so we ignore it
Regen saves 50% if the braking is gentle

50 -> 0: 1.6x * 1.6x
Coast down to 30 mph, then regen from 30 mph -> 0: x*x/2

Dividing (x*x/2) by (1.6x * 1.6x) = 0.2. So the controlled slow-down wastes 20% of the energy of the usual braking method. If 60 MPG is no braking at all and 35 MPG is usual braking, then controlled braking will return (35 + 0.8*25) = 55 MPG. So why did I say OP will end up with 50 MPG ? Mostly because I was guessing, but also because even lousy braking technique in a Prius allows a little regen. I stand by my guess of 50 MPG.

 

yes, every time you power down, you get the average for that trip. unless the c is different, the only way to get lifetime is to keep fill up records, or dedicate trip a or b.