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FUEL CONS @ 30-35. HOW DO I RAISE IT?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by jmallen2859, Jan 16, 2014.

  1. jmallen2859

    jmallen2859 Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    New prius owner for about 6 months, Fuel Cons was usually around 45-50 when I first bought it, now its considerably lower consistently.
     
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Give us more details.
     
  3. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    Cold weather & short trips kill mpg in all cars- you notice it more in the Prius because of the in your face CONS display. Come spring your mpg will climb again.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    and winter gas. raise your tyre pressures.
     
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Huntsville AL
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    2018 Tesla Model 3
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    Prime Plus
    Love your graph:
    GreenHybrid.com was a treasure until the subsequent owners killed the database that prompted for temperature. But with the original data, I made these charts:
    [​IMG]
    WARNING: polynomial trend lines can 'average' data but also lead to misleading understandings of what is going on.

    Here are more traditional average and standard deviation examination of the same data:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    So why does my MPG dip when the weather is more temperate? Hypothesis include: taking shorter trips and getting out of the car; dropping the cold-weather warm-up pattern and removing radiator air block prematurely, and; suggestions?

    Other Prius from the same GreenHybrid.com database:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    It is not just me.

    More recent data from our first Prius:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    The fall-off at higher temperatures has to do with the heat-index. Up until about 80-85F, I can drive with the windows down and air conditioner off. But above this temperature, the air has to be dry to adequately cool the driver so the air conditioner is used and the engine driven compressor requires energy. The slope below 50F also approximates the increase in air density as a function of temperature.

    Bob Wilson