Does anyone feel bad?

Um, why are you accelerating slowly?

You will get better MPG if you accelerate briskly but not so much it pulls electricity from the HV Battery.

All cars get bad MPG while accelerating, you want to get it over with and start cruising, that is where you have good MPGs.

 

Yes, I know that experience... I've also noticed that out here on the west coast in all three states people may drive way over the speed limits, but there's also lots of drivers who are often a bit slow off the line. That's the kinda crowd I can blend in with. But more often than not the traffic conditions dictate my driving style because Im not interested in being a nuisance to my fellow driver, at least when I'm in a good mood (which is often).

As for ideal driving style, Lately I've been trying what someone on here suggests, which is (when possible) electric motor up to 13-16mph, especially on downward slopes, then firm pulse of gas for shortest period of time to get up to glide speed, (5mph faster than desired speed) then glide until 5mph below desired speed than pulse again. I've tried lots of other styles, but this driving style seems to be the one that is most congruent with the car's design. For now at least...

 

I pull down okish mpg's 75-80 mpg to and from work and ALWAYS pull off the line slow. I keep it in EV mode till 20mph then push half way up from eco line. right between eco and power mode. Have never gone into power mode purposely and only a few times ever at that. Do I feel bad? NO WAY. they follow me to speedway and swipe their credit card at my pump so forget them, besides as you know they are not going to get there any faster anyways. Don't give in to presser from other go for the mpg's.

 

I am the same way. I just haven't figured out how to EV in 45mph zones with two lanes of antsy traffic behind me. Ill try your mini pulse method

 

You're my hero. Chi-burbs aren't that rude but if I did that I would handfuls of fingers

 

I start checking my rear view mirror more if I'm roooolling up to a red light, using "no brakes" technique. I think it can get trying for those following, especially if they're rolling resistance is higher.

 

drive it like you stole it for a month and set your base line for improvement. If you drive like a grandma from day one you won't appreciate any of the techniques you learn and most likely will be adopting some techniques that don't improve your mpg.

 

I think Jimbo hints at the key to good MPG driving practices in another thread, which was about new features that could be added to a future generation Prius:

 

Electric motors have great low end torque, so the reasoning is that dedicating the first few seconds of pulling away from a complete stop on the electric motor without putting too heavy of a load on the electric motor/battery is an efficient way to use of the electric/battery part of the car.

I've also seen written on PriusChat that the gas engine is most efficient at 70% of its maximum power outpu which is a pretty hard acceleration, but that means you don't have to accelerate for long at all. Problem is back when I was accelerating as hard as 70% of engine power it seemed to be putting a much greater load on the electric motor / battery than when I was only using motor/battery at speeds below 13-16mph. Also there simply aren't enough safe opportunities when around other cars to accelerate at 70% of engine power.

Disclaimer: I'm still a bit of a newbie and haven't yet installed enough gauges to truly understand the most efficient way to drive the car, but will have more to say on this in the future.

 

Best technique - always stop behind a semi if there is one there - then you have an excuse to accelerate slowly, I know I do.

 

I drive as fuel efficiently as possible.....without provoking other traffic around me. That means that during my morning commute (which is only a couple miles, but on heavily trafficked streets) I just....drive. I coast or glide more than I used to into a stoplight, but I'm basically staying with traffic. I'm always in the 50s anyway and I just don't feel the need to aim for higher mpg in that situation at the risk of pissing off someone. Especially when those other someones are usually driving much bigger cars than me. There are a lot of semis on my commute route as well.

There are other times when I will "play" on a drive to try out some hypermiling techniques (not that I can get higher than the 60s so obviously a newbie) but I've found that if I spend my time in heavy traffic watching all the gauges and trying to maximize every drop of gas then.....I'm not paying as much attention to the road and traffic as I should.

 

I'm still managing 60-80 MPG in my short trip (under 10 miles per stop) city driving. I start out slowly (but not obnoxiously so) using EV only, as soon as the ICE kicks in I apply more power (again, not too hard) until I reach 3-5 MPH above speed limit, release gas briefly, reapply gentle pressure to gas to get into EV mode, cruise. I have been able to creep up to 50 MPH (from 35) on EV only when traffic will allow. On a really good day, I can get that mileage into the mid-90s.

 

I have to, to make up for the terribly non-fuel-efficient way my husband drives! LOL I swear, he can drive the car five miles and then I spend a week trying to get the MPG average back to a comfortable spot.

Actually, it's the nature of the roads and traffic around here. I don't think there's 2 miles of flat road anywhere in this town, it's all gentle ups and downs which I've learned to travel in the most efficient way with the hybrid engine.

 

When others are behind you, it is not cool to go as slow as possible. Avoid road rage and just drive normally unless you are on your own, then have fun squeezing those extra miles out with the EV on! Love that EV (especially when you are at a drive-through food/bank, etc.