Flat land = EV ride

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marv M @ Nov 18 2007, 09:22 PM) [snapback]541382[/snapback]</div>

Hi to a fellow Phoenecian!

You can get good mileage here, but it takes practice. I started out averaging high 40s, and am now pushing mid to high 50s (mixed city/freeway) with a couple months of practice. My best RT commute (~18mi) so far is 67mpg! I can only approach that when I can take surface streets, when I am in a hurry and have to take the freeway its more like 54-56. I'm down town, so there are no really big hills, but the freeway in particular is constantly going up and down (I-10 and 51 around the airport). If you work with them hills can be ok. I did >65mpg on a surface street RT from downtown up to PV mall and back recently, which involves quite a few hills coming through camelback/north mountain. Same trip on the highway I can still get the usual mid-50s. You definitely take beating going up, but if you play it right you get most of it back coming down.

Definitely keep reading all the great tips on here, and keep trying!

Here is my basic strategy:

Surface Streets:
1. Accelerate as gently as possible (traffic allowing), should never hear engine reving.
2. Accelerate up to ~speed limit +3mph, glide (no bars) down to speed limit -3mpg (traffic allowing) & repeat
3. Pay close attention to lights, start gliding as far from a red light as you can.
4. Give a little extra push (electric or engine if needed) to make green lights, stopping wastes a lot more energy
5. Seek out routes with good timing of lights, traffic patterns that allow above.
6. Try to match up your pulses and glides with hills. Build up speed approaching the bottom of a hill, allow some speed to bleed off on uphill, recover speed at top and glide.
7. If possible keep a slow moving truck or bus behind you, then you don't have to worry about holding anyone up. Good thing is here we generally have lots of lanes, and plenty of slower vehicles

Freeway:
1. Accelerate as gently as possible (traffic allowing), should never hear engine reving
2. Try to maintain a speed window rather than a constant speed. I use 55-60 in a 55 zone, 60-65 in a 65 zone.
3. When cruising on relative flat, try lifting your foot off a little more than you think you should. Car will often maintain speed while improving up to 10mpg (less excess power to battery, best efficiency).
4. Above 45 mph try to keep instant MPG between 30mpg and 75mpg (hobbitting), this keeps the engine in an efficient rpm band.
5. On uphills build up speed approaching bottom of hill, allow speed to bleed off on uphill (keep above 30mpg or even 40mpg if you can). Don't let engine rev.
6. On down hill keep in 60 to 75mpg if possible and pick up some speed. You can then bleed this off on the next flat while maintainging 60-75mpg for a while. If you pick up too much down hill speed do not allow 75-98, go right to 99mpg and bleed off some speed, then go back to <75mpg and alternate if needed.
7. Finding a truck with good mudflaps and following at a safe distance can be helpful. You get a little draft help, but also trucks often have the right speed pattern (loose a little on uphill, pick up a little on down hill). Having a truck behind you still gives you the second benefit. (don't have a car on your rear bumper as you bleed off uphill speed).

In PV:
1. Do not pulse above speed limit. Photo radar went off on me at 42mph in a hilly 40mph zone :angry:

Wife/Family:
Don't let them sit in the car parked with AC on. Thats my single biggest mileage killer

Above all, these are just general guidelines. Common sense, safety and courtesy to other drivers must always take precedence.

Alternatively, you can just drive the car and know you're still getting better mileage than just about anything else out there. B)

Good luck!

Rob