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Total Range for the Prime?

Discussion in 'Prime Fuel Economy & EV Range' started by stevepea, Jul 23, 2017.

  1. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

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    I remember reading that the Prime could go over 600 miles with gas + EV. Is that wrong? Because my car has not been showing those numbers -- and my MPG has been excellent.

    With a full tank of gas (even topped off just a bit), my "Miles to go on gas" shows 539 miles. My EV range (just charged) currently shows 33.5 miles.

    I've had the car for just under 2,000 miles, and my MPG has been stellar. My "total" MPG (shown on the main odometer) is 138MPG. This is because many of my trips are much longer than the EV range, so I have to use gas as well. I often reset the trip gauge as soon as gas/HV comes on, and in gas/HV mode, I've never had less than 53MPG (most of the time 58-62 range). I usually have the air off, and drive in a manner which maximizes fuel efficiency. But I've never done an HV trip (or HV portion of a trip) that's ever gone below 53.

    So what about the "600+ miles"? Even with stellar MPG, the car is showing only 539 miles gas (+33 EV, though the official EV number is 25).

    Now I've noticed when driving, that I always get MORE miles (in gas/HV mode) than it shows I have left because I drive very efficiently (in other words, if the "miles left on gas" display shows "100 miles left" and I go 40 miles, that "100 miles" will only tick down to maybe 73, instead of 60, because I've driven in an efficient manner).

    But why doesn't the car show that? If the car does take into account the way I drive when figuring out how many miles I have left, it should show over 575 (+ the official 25 EV). If it doesn't take that into account, it should still show at least the advertised 575 (+ the official 25 EV = 600).

    An absolute full tank and full charge, while historically always getting better than the advertised MPG, and it still only shows 539 (+ EV range).

    The only explanation I can think of, is that this number maybe purposefully doesn't include 1-2 gallons of gas (so that people don't wait until the car runs out of gas before refilling it). Is this the case?

    Just curious why it's not "showing" the "600+" miles Toyota claims is the range, with a full tank of gas, full EV charge, and good MPG habits. Is it because it's not including the last couple of gallons?
     
    #1 stevepea, Jul 23, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2017
  2. bat4255

    bat4255 2017 Prius v #2 and 2008 Gen II #2

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    It probably leave at least a 1 gal. reserve.
     
  3. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    I think it's because Toyota calculated 11.5 gallons of gas (the specified tank capacity) times 54 MPG ( the specified MPG rating) plus the 25 Miles EV 11.5 x 54 = 621 miles + 25 Miles EV = 646 total miles. Now realistically you wouldn't go 646 miles without running out of gas, would you?:whistle::rolleyes:
     
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  4. joachimz

    joachimz Senior Member

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    after ~ 7500 miles, 9 fill ups, my "gas range" still shows ~ 430 miles, don't understand it as I never filled up with more than 1/4 tank, mostly less ... I am choosing to ignore it, un less i go onto a 400+ mile trip.
    I know I can go 450+ miles as i've done that, at high speed (avg 70, resulting in ~ 50mpg), if i were to drive more economically on that trip, i'm confident i cold go 700 miles ... what makes me say that? my best tank in my Gen3 was ~650 miles (60.5mpg per Fuelly) and in that car above mentioned trip yielded ~40mpg (trip is ~ 400 mile one way to visit my daughter) and, the Prime is more fuel efficient.
    I have also noticed, in my Gen3 i could top off by ~1.5gal, which i always did as I drive ~550 miles per week and I needed to get gas just once per week, in the Prime, i cannot even put 1/2 gal after the nozzle clicks ...
    So I don't know what gives with the "gas range" displayed, it's way off and not learning ...
     
  5. NJ-PrimeAdvanced

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    Read somewhere that "topping off" at the gas station, after the nozzle clicks, is bad for the car and also usually you end up wasting fuel as some of it overflows back into the gas station's underground tank..
     
  6. joachimz

    joachimz Senior Member

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    In my Gen3, I routinely went 40+ miles after the range to empyty switched to 0, and i just went through my Fuelly record, the most I ever put in was 11.45 gal :D:cool: if for no other reason, I love @bwilson4web 's post about running out of fuel :):)
     
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  7. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    I think that that applies only to states that mandate vapor recovery systems.
     
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  8. joachimz

    joachimz Senior Member

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    yea, and it says it's bad for the environment, which i agree with when it really spills over ...
    I doubt it's bad for the car though, done it for many years on the Gen3 to avoid getting gas more than once a week
     
  9. drysider

    drysider Active Member

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    The Miles-to-Go gauge is pretty much useless. If you have driven 2,000 miles and you have the mileage, multiply the mileage times 10.5 and that is your typical miles to go. It will leave a couple of gallons in the tank. Rather than do all that, I just watch the miles per tank. If you let the tank get down to a flashing bar, you will have a good idea of your miles to go metric. I consistently get 600 miles per tank in my Gen3 (in summer), so you should be able to blow that away in a Prime.
     
  10. Janice N

    Janice N Member

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    I was surprised when the little gas pump icon came on after 500 miles on a road trip. I'd swallowed the 600+ propaganda without doing the math.
     
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  11. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    As confirmation:
    My first full tank was 600 miles on the way home in January. My second full tank, to empty, was 699 miles. These were at speeds of ~70 mph following high-balling trucks although the 699 mile tank was around town for about 99 miles. My fourth tank was a 467 miles, 58.6 MPG, with an estimated 1/4 tank remaining by the 'guess gauge.' These are tanks with only one, fully charge session, at the beginning.

    A Prius Prime in HV mode easily achieves +600 mile range.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #11 bwilson4web, Jul 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    What is wrong is your understanding of the "Miles to go on gas" display. It doesn't really mean the distance to fuel starvation.

    To better understand, read the very first post of this Gen3 thread, paying particular attention to Bob's actual measured range after the last gas gauge bar started to flash. The Gen3 DTE (distance to empty) reads only about 25 miles at the point of flashing, whereas he actually achieved 122 and 132 miles. The difference is a safety margin, to cover the enormous variabilities in gauging and fuel consumption. The Gen4 DTE display ought to have a similar meaning.
    [WARNING] Running out of gas (Gen III) | PriusChat

    You won't know your actual range to fuel starvation, until you actually experience fuel starvation.
     
    #12 fuzzy1, Jul 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  13. Pdog808

    Pdog808 Active Member

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    I've noticed that my low gas warning comes on with at least 2 gallons left in the tank. Seems a bit overly cautious by Toyota but at least I know how much farther I could theoretically drive the car before running out.
     
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  14. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

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    Not sure why this post was moved? I purposely originally put it in the "General" area because it's not an "MPG" or "EV Range" thread, but a general "Prime Features" thread -- about the car's total range (and why the display always shows a much lower number, even as it surpasses the advertised range)

    Anyway... correct, everyone. I don't doubt that the car does get more than 600 miles of range (driving normally)... but my question was, why does the car never show it?

    If Toyota goes out of their way to advertise 600+ miles of range (and the car does get that range), why does it only show 539 max? (+25 official EV)?

    That was my question... :)
     
    #14 stevepea, Jul 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they don't want you to run out of gas. that's engineering. marketing and advertising don't care.
     
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Sorry I moved it. I can move it back.
     
  17. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    2 gallons in a Prius is 100-ish miles, which puts it squarely in the middle of the pack of the cars I've owned over the past 4 decades. Two Prii and a Honda and a Ford were essentially identical, one Subaru was significantly more, current Subaru is somewhat less, and my first Ford was drastically less.

    And do you understand the answers now?
     
    #17 fuzzy1, Jul 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  18. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Sorry but to investigate this phenomena, I would at a minimum be driving around on gas and frequently visiting a gas station to test various hypothesis. I'm not that curious about another number that doesn't really help me because I already figured out how to drive the car long distances:
    1. Full tank ~= 600+ miles driving like there is no tomorrow
    2. When "low fuel" comes on, put car in "CHARGE" mode and wait for 80% SOC
      1. When %SOC begins to decrease, use the EV miles remaining.
      2. Park before %SOC reaches 0 when out of gas.
    GOOD LUCK!
    Bob Wilson
     
  19. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    When are you going to modify the Gen 1 Prius magnet in your avatar to fit the Prime? :D :LOL:
     
  20. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Just showing my age. I hadn't noticed that Saturday morning no longer has back-to-back cartoons which means Acme products are fading from memories.

    Bob Wilson