My first attempt at hypermiling = FAIL

I like to challenge myself to obtain the most performance out of my cars...I've whittled down my quarter mile time in my 6 speed manual Vette to consistent 10.8's @ 128 with 475 rwhp which is much quicker than guys with substantially more power (500-600 rwhp is easy these days and Vettes weigh around 3200, similar to a Prius).

So I watched Bob Nagy's video and learned about P&G, inflated my tires to 44 and figured I'd give it a shot. I see guys in the 500-600 mile tank clubs with average speeds similar to my 34-37 mph, so why can'tI.

Well, results are a FAIL as seen below. Tried to go 500 miles, drove 15 miles with a blinking fuel gauge, finally filled up with 8 mte, 490.4 miles on tank, 34 avg mph, loaded 9.559 gallons for a 51.3 average. :-(





Any further tips from you hypermilers?

My drive every day is 34 miles each way, super slow due to construction for 3 miles (I usually wear my battery down during this section forcing the ice to idle), fast highway for 10 miles, 70 mph to avoid being a hazard, then 15 miles of 50-60 highway, then 2 miles of city that moves quickly.

I stay out of the power mode nearly always and use stealth glide when I am able to keep up with traffic doing it.

Are you hypermilers guys going 55 max in the slow lane? I'm not going to do that.

But I'm open to any other tips please!

 

Fl8 thanks for chiming in...you give a lot of good advice around here. It took me a few years to learn to drag race my vette as well as I can. But I've passed along what I've learned to many and shortened their learning curve so I appreciate your thoughts (and those of others).
A couple of things.

I have stock Bridgestone tires. They are getting long in the tooth so I will be buying the ones you recommend in your sticky.

I might try 65, you are correct about not a big difference. I notice a big mpg hit in my wife's odyssey on trips at 80 vs 70.

Could you expand on how to p&g? I get up to speed relatively quickly then let off the gas fully then get back in, only enough to maintain speed, trying to stay below the 1/2 line when possible or as close there to. Am I doing it wrong?

Oh and I'm at 57mpg at 139 miles in on this tank..so I'm thinking I will keep with it!

Appreciate further thoughts from all.

 

^^^ ahh I understand. I typically don't have space to run it down to 25 (or, frankly, patience) so I probably won't do that.

 

That is some great reading...should be a sticky or at least included in Bob Nagy's video thread (maybe it is, but I don't recall seeing it).

Anyway, great reading for a new Prius owner interested in maximizing mileage. Thanks for sharing!

 

Good info. I gave the cruise control a try at 65 today in my open road section of my drive, but at 65 on the FL Turnpike you really cause a traffic disruption even in the slow lane! It's 70+ required on that road in the morning.

I'm focusing now and learning a lot about how the hybrid system works thanks to the tips here and the link above..it's very helpful, a must read I think. I'm at 56.5 after the drive this morning, from 57 last night.

Good thing is here in S. Fl for commuting you rarely need AC - sunroof open is pleasant, and its flatter than Kansas, so I should get good mileage even going 70+ when I have to.

I noticed the cruise control didn't ever go into power mode, but it did go right up there. I might try this tank without cruise and next tank with and see if it makes a difference.

 

I mention my Vette experience to give you a flavor as to my persistence in achieving a goal. I really like to obtain the most performance (gas mileage is performance in the Prius) out of a given car. I am known in the Corvetteforum world as having a magic stock clutch... I have 494 launches at 5000-6000 rpm and 72,000 daily driving stop and go miles...people think the clutch is magic or I'm magic. I'm not, just meticulous about finding the proper way to operate a clutch for high performance (and keeping fluid clean).

For fun here's an in car view of a 1.4 60 foot launch if you're interested.

I don't think I'll have the nerve to run my tank that dry! I'm currently #3 quickest in the country in the 1/4 mile (at least on Corvetteforum) for a manual n/a LS2 Vette...took me a while to get there, but my lack of desire to go < 70 mph or run my tank that dry will mean I likely will not ever make the similar Prius list I'm realizing! That said I enjoy a challenge so I'm listening to everyone's tips and will incorporate as appropriate into my driving style. BTW when I say Power mode I mean the upper range of the HSI, I try to stay out of that. I always have the gas pedal in the "eco" mode, I find it easier to modulate. Coincidentally, I had a friend retune the throttle map in my Vette to be MORE responsive for heel and toe downshifting on the road course...funny that the Prius comes with the pedal response user selectable whereas the Vette is tuned so sluggish from the factory it's tough to heel and toe. I guess that's for Vette owners whose high heels cause the power delivery to be too strong.

So thanks for the tips, particularly that tip about not running the battery completely dry. I can count on 3 miles of stop and go first thing in my drive due to construction (for the last three years and no end in sight). Sometimes at the end the engine will run while not moving or moving just a tiny bit to charge the battery. I'll run the engine a little in the stop and go to keep the battery from going dry if I see it's a long stop and go ahead.

I have a question for a new thread, but perhaps someone here knows, has anyone bought a traction battery from a junkyard and piggybacked it in parallel to give twice the range on battery? If I had twice the range on battery it would help in my drive.

Turns out I do the "super highway glide"...on the highway I try to keep the HSI in the lower 1/3 of the range, I can feel when the engine revs up. Tough to keep up speed at that mode but I do the best I can.

And you are correct, I'm not comfortable when cars come up on my bumper and pass, one after another - I tried it this morning and finally just sped up to 70-75 to keep up with traffic. I never lead a pack of traffic, even in the Vette, but I run with traffic.

Thanks for the other tips, I will read them. I'm very excited to learn more about this car...the technology in the Prius just astounds me. I'm used to tuning the computer in my Vette so I'm not that easily impressed..but this car does impress me.