Different MPG with different brand of gas?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mean Green Machine @ May 24 2007, 06:41 PM) [snapback]449500[/snapback]</div>

I wish I could get the 70-80 mpg others are getting on here, but I realize they are doing a lot of special things to get those numbers. Although envious, I realize such numbers are not realistic goals for those of us who need to get around Phoenix in a reasonable amount of time. It would seem to me that if Toyota beefed up the battery, or offered existing owners a beefier battery, that would allow for much improved mileage because we could store up more energy that would otherwise be lost during typical driving.

Anywho, I did a bit of aggressive driving the last couple of days with some stops/starts due to being a Realtor, and my mileage is now down to 57. I'll see if I can do anything to get it back up again, but I'll have to do a lot of pulsing and gliding to get that number over 60 again.

Also, I have 3,500 miles on my car.

 

I've been doing an energy study of different gasolines in Huntsville AL:


So far, Shell 87 is leading the pack.

Bob Wilson

 

The Y-axis is the Watt-Seconds or Joules of energy per gram. The X-axis is the ICE rpm. This data was captured climbing the same hill at 55 mph using different brands of gasoline. Shell delivered a significantly higher amount of energy per gram, 7-11%, than the other brands.

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mean Green Machine @ May 26 2007, 11:21 PM) [snapback]450670[/snapback]</div>

The Costco test came from last September. The Shell results were so good that I went back and repeated the 87 test as well as testing the Shell 93 octane. Only the Shell 87 came out strong on the second test. I haven't retested the Costco gas, yet.

I'm planning to test gasoline density next week, which will hopefully provide a faster, less expensive gas survey. I'll do a regression test on the highest, middle and lowest density gasolines. If we see a linear relationship, we'll have a fast way to evaluate gasoline energy quality.

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ May 28 2007, 06:54 PM) [snapback]451219[/snapback]</div>

Actually over time the Costco should be all over the graph, depending on where Costco purchased the gas from. They buy the "excess" from other suppliers, including Shell. In NM, all gas comes through the same pipeline according to local experts. Additives are added to the gas as the different branded trucks are filled from the big storage tanks. Might be different depending on where you live.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusBoyAZ @ May 24 2007, 01:20 PM) [snapback]449308[/snapback]</div>

Did you go north through Sedona? Maybe you passed through a vortex...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(abq sfr @ May 30 2007, 12:16 PM) [snapback]452227[/snapback]</div>

I imagine that Costco's have purchase arrangements in each locale and depending on who is "biggest/cheapest" in any give area would tend to track with that brand.