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MPG Techniques That Don't Cause Rage

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Mission Auto, Sep 27, 2016.

  1. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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    So, I've got my own style of driving for MAX MPGs. I'll dive right into it. I have gotten 84mpg going to work. I've also gotten 52 on the same route. Every morning I play a game, how do I get to work on time, get the best MPGs and not piss everyone off around me. That day I got 84 MPG, I thought I was going to get shot. Today I got 75.4 safely over the very same 29 miles. I also want to say this is going up a mountain for 5 miles starting my drive. At the end of that 5 miles i average 23 MPG and then get on the freeway for another 7 miles up hill go down hill for 4 miles and then it levels out for the next 12 ish miles.

    Settings: Power mode, AC off, headlights on DRL setting, radio on, interior bulbs dimmed to 40%, windows up.

    Technique: Starting out uphill I floor it to 40 and then cruise at 40 (or whatever the speed limit is, since car is warming up and gas motor is on I figure get to speed faster and cruise at speed longer. Plus an ICE motor is most efficient at WOT.

    When I get on the freeway I floor it to 67 mph get into the second lane (second from the right) and set cruise control at 67mph as I ascend the mountain. I keep it in cruise control and toggle the speed up or down as needed through traffic no more than 70 mph.

    When traffic slows down or becomes congested I kick it out of cruise with the brake with a light tap and coast to decelerate giving a comfortable 4 to 6 second gap to the car ahead. As the traffic continues to slow this gap will get tighter and I continue at a faster pace until the gap is close to being closed and usually I can time this so that I maintain a constant speed using the electric motors only for most of the congestion. If the average speed of people flooring it and slamming on their brakes is 24 mph I will try and do that. People do go around me but some other prius or fusion drivers get behind me and do the same. I have a feeling they get what I'm doing and join.

    When I exit the freeway my batteries are usually fully charged. I accelerate using the electric motors, giving it just enough throttle as to not kick the gas motor on (not using the EV button). When I slow down, I try and keep the blue regenerative braking indicator at around the 50% mark the entire time I'm slowing down. The longer I slow down the more I notice my battery level rise. And conversely I notice that the harder and shorter I brake the battery doesn't charge as much.

    When I turn I do so very quickly keeping the electric motor at about full throttle through the entire turn and coming out of the turn accelerate as slowly as possible until reaching the speed limit and cruising using the electric motor as much as I can. For example, the speed limit is 35, I'm cruising at 35 and want to turn right. I indicate early and gradually slow to about 15 mph, I turn and give it throttle (only using electric motor) and power through the turn maintaining 15 mph and slowly accelerate back up to 35. I do this to carry momentum. By the time I reach work my battery is about half and I've generally gotten 75mpg or greater with this technique. The key is to leave early enough to be able to do this if you have a long commute like me!

    If it's hot for some reason I crack my windows first, if I really do need AC I will set it to eco, recirculate, driver priority, 74 degrees and on auto. If it's cold, 74 degrees, ac off, driver priority recirculate on.

    Remember headlights suck power and DRLs are fairly bright for morning driving at dawn. AC sucks power too. Interior panels like radio and speedometer displays suck power so I set them as dim as I can. Windows down creates turbulence, so I crack them or run the AC. But don't drive with them down over 30mph when I'm trying to get good. MPGs.

    Just thought I would share how I do it. Oh and I fill up with Mobil 87 octane. Nothing fancy, it's next to my house. Tire pressures are whatever the dealership set it to at my 5k. Used to run 40psi front 38psi rear on my gen 2 and gen 3. Will do the same soon.



    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #1 Mission Auto, Sep 27, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2016
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  2. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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  3. gvp1995

    gvp1995 Active Member

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    What is you mileage coming back? I noticed mine is very different going to work and back because of the elevation difference.

    I also have a strategy. In the old days when I first bought my 2007 Gen 2 I was using Pulse and Glide and everything else. For about a year. Since then my technic became much simpler - I just drive it like a regular car. Gen 2 was giving me 45 in the city and 50 on the freeway. Gen 4 - 55-57 in the city, and 52-53 on the freeway. Cannot complain!

    As for the tire pressure, I used to pump them up higher. But having 17" touring model + CA roads, I tried once, and went back to recommended pressure because the ride was too rough.
     
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  4. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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    I think like 62, I don't play the game going home because I have a family to get home to and want to eat!!! On the other hand I could care less if I'm late for work lol. One time I got 48 mpg. And I felt sad, but then realized even that would be great in any other car.



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  5. gvp1995

    gvp1995 Active Member

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    On the other hand I cannot say that I completely don't pay attention. Those learned skills from old times are still with me. If I see red light, I try to break very evenly till I stop. If I am in the city, press and release (now even Toyota is recommending it in it's manual!) - old good 'Pulse and Glide'. And so on. Funny that a lot of these good technics would work on every car, not only hybrids. But people who were never involved in counting MPGs just don't pay attention.
     
  6. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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    I Drive completely differently in my other car lol! It's a stick. I get like 14 mpg out of that V8. Proud of that.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  7. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    My first Prius. 7 months in my new Gen4. I've come to the conclusion, that driving a Prius hybrid is really not much different from the way I drove my non-hybrid cars in the past. I'm finding that I don't need to "over analyze it" or make it complicated.

    I don't want to even think about it. Basically, I just drive the Prius normally-smoothly-conservatively, (keeping up with traffic), and the hybrid system will do it's thing and the MPG's will be good. I don't "hyper-mile" or do any special driving techniques, and to my surprise the long-term MPG average is 60-62. That's good enough for me. I have NO complaints. :)
     
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  8. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    What are you driving? - "Other Hybrid".

    With a PRIUS, I don't think you can dim interior bulbs either.
     
  9. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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    What is "Other Hybrid"? If you turn your DRLs on you can dim your screens and interior stuff. I have a gen 4 prius. The toggle for the dimmer is left of the steering wheel on the dash.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  10. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I assumed that you didn't have a PRIUS seeing your Profile shows "OTHER HYBRID" (image below).

    With the dimmer, I'd like that on occasions as sometimes it seems a bit bright - there isn't one on the dash (being RH drive, I guess it would be on the right side here), but I just did a search of the Manual and it tells me that it can be adjusted through the Settings Menu - I'll check it out in the morning (it's dark now so wouldn't work properly). Hopefully that will work, thanks!! Our DRLs come on if the headlight switch is either OFF or AUTO.
    Capture1.JPG
     
  11. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    [QUOTE="Mission Auto, post: 2427333, member: 146743" If you turn your DRLs on you can dim your screens and interior stuff. I have a gen 4 prius. The toggle for the dimmer is left of the steering wheel on the dash.
    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.[/QUOTE]

    You can dim the screens at any time. Even when the DRL's are off. (And just turn the large center-stack screen off, if you wish.) But I doubt that has any positive effect on MPG.

    I'm keeping my DRL's on, for safety. And I'm going to enjoy the cool air of my AC. And I'm leaving the screens on. And listening to the radio. And if all that deprives me of 1 or 2 mpg? :LOL: So be it.
     
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  12. Mission Auto

    Mission Auto Member

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    Above your red arrow is a photo of my Gen 4 dash. Lol I only use the prius chat app so I've never seen the image you are showing me. Must be a default setting I need to change. Maybe I'll leave it and seem mysterious.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  13. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I tried the mobile app on my android, but gave up due to a slow connection and use my Laptop. Maybe if I get a new Android some day.
     
  14. axle2152

    axle2152 Active Member

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    Yeah most all of the interior lighting, with a few exceptions are all LED. So not going to me much anything that is tangible to gain.

    One thing I do find that works... In the morning when it is in the 60's and 70's turn the AC temp to about what it is outside, to your preference. In the afternoon turn the temp higher, I usually set it to at least 74 (been cooling off here)...

    I haven't tried windows down but I think the drag would be about the same as running the AC, unless you're in the city at slower speeds...plus I hate all the noise...
     
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  15. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I've tried it with windows down - for about 3 minutes - then had to fix my hair!!! I keep them closed.

    But I do try to remember to turn the A/C off when I park at night, otherwise it will start up straight away when I press START in the morning. And if it's cool, it will start the ICE to warm the car up. I like being cool, don't use the heater much in our temperate climate.
     
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  16. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Hmm! I have fast fibre broadband @home and found the PC app to be very slow, but the web page is slick. Kudos to the webmaster! (y)
     
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  17. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    If you're actually driving at dusk or dawn with just DRLs, remember that in this mode your tail lights will not be illuminated. This could make you harder to see from the rear.

    I would not sacrifice visibility and safety (and perhaps legality) for the mostly immaterial extra watts saved by not running the proper lights for the conditions.
     
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  18. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Thanks for the reminder. Being seen from the rear is a concern of mine, too. I drive a lot at dawn.
    I can just leave the full headlights on for a while longer; but lately I've been switching into the Parking Lights mode. That dims the headlights a bit (changes them to DRL's?) and it also leaves the "Z" tail lights on. Best of both worlds.
     
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  19. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I often go with Parking (Side) Lights (& rear lights come on) when on the Motorway during the day, figuring that it's best to be seen from the rear - the Parking Lights in Australia aren't particularly bright.
    20160815_130328.jpg
     
    #19 alanclarkeau, Sep 27, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2016
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  20. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    image.jpg

    I need one of these mounted on the rear of my Prius. Maybe the tailgaters will back off.