Fuel Economy and the EV button we didn't get.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by FredWB, Dec 17, 2003.

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  1. FredWB

    FredWB New Member

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    I just posted this on Yahoo but I think this could start off a great discussion among the veteran Prius owners about how to best keep the approach the commute I've describe below. I get similar low mpg numbers when I have to drive home through a neighborhood that has about 16 speed bumps about 100 feet or less apart.

    My commute home is usually at a snails like pace through terrain that
    is is somewhat uphill. When the traffic is very very slow << 5 mph
    I'm all stealth. Tonight I had 10 minute of 99.9 mpg. But that was
    followed by 5 min of << 20 mpg. The car was fully warmed but this is
    where I think the EV button would excel. I had plenty of battery
    left but the line of cars would stop completely then accelerate
    uphill to 20 mph....then slow and finally do it all over again. Try
    keeping your car in stealth from a stop uphill. It's only possible
    with the slowest starts and the most flat of hills. Otherwise you're
    seeing 5-10 mpg. Pulse driving just doesn't cut it either because
    the traffic isn't accelerating fast enough to allow that, but fast
    enough to cause you to drop way way way behind if you try to nurse it
    in stealth mode uphill from a stop.

    If I had the EV button I'd see 50 mpg instead of 38-40 for my 11 mile
    commute. I regularly see 60+ mpg for the commute to work because the
    traffic moves in a much more smooth manner and it's now slightly down
    hill and easier to keep it in stealth. It would be great if I could
    accelerate at a moderate rate up a slight incline in stealth to say
    20-25 mph, which is impossible now.

    I think better economy is achieved when you can use the battery most
    efficiency. And that is to avoid depending on the ICE when it's most
    inefficient, like in the commute described above.

    As a side note, I saw 70+ mpg on my commute last week one day when
    the car was fully warmed up and I just did a fill up. But 42 is
    about my best so far comming home, which works out to about 50 mpg
    for 90% stop and go traffic. But I'll always be searching for ways
    to get more, that's part of the fun of driving the Prius.
     
    #1 FredWB, Dec 17, 2003
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  2. ajpalm

    ajpalm New Member

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    The EV button, might not have helped you too much.

    We have it in Australia, and here are some points of intrest

    * can only drive ~1km on EV before it turns off
    * heavy throttle and it drops out of EV and brings in the ICE
     
    #2 ajpalm, Jan 6, 2004
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  3. FredWB

    FredWB New Member

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    By heavy throttle do you mean say something greater than 1/2? In these situations I'm in, it would not take much more acceleration to keep up with the flow of traffic. But is is slightly uphill and trying to keep it in ev mode is near impossible as you know. So I end up kicking in the ICE and see 10-12 mpg until I've started to close the gap. Then I slow down so I don't have to hit the brakes overly hard. Many times the traffic once again stop abruptly, then I have to pay this penality all over again. If I elect to let the traffic go ahead and they don't stop the gap can become execessive and the drivers in the back get very ticked off (don't blame them). So I try to keep up as smoothly as I can. If I do a good job I see maybe 43 mpg on the commute home, if bad maybe 37 mpg. But I can always get low 60's to work, even with the warm up period.

    I had to drive downtown the other day and that type of traffice is ideal. Nice and flat, lots of lights, the next one is always red, lol. I stayed in ev mode for most of the time there because I arrived with a fully charged battery.

    So are you saying the ev mode cuts out much like it does now, or can you get some moderate acceleration before that happens? What does the 1 km represent in battery charge level. Does ev kick out once two bars are gone from full for instance? Thanks.
     
    #3 FredWB, Jan 6, 2004
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  4. ajpalm

    ajpalm New Member

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    I've just ordered my 04 Prius in Australia, but my comments were from the test drives I had.

    Under heavy (not sure, but maybe 3/4?) throttle it kicked in the ICE and started flicking the EV light and then it went out. This was the same as light throttle upto 45km/h which is the speed limit in EV mode, it flicked the light and brought in the ICE.

    From what I could gather, that in EV mode, if you gave it a kick, it sees this as lots of power, and brought in the ICE to help. I really wanted to see how much pull the elec motor had.

    The ICE wasn't no were near as easy to bring online in EV as it was normal driving.

    Like I said, I don't have it yet, just test drives.

    As for the 1km distance, this was recorded somewhere, something about protecting the battery from drain etc.

    Andrew
     
    #4 ajpalm, Jan 7, 2004
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  5. 299K

    299K Junior Member

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    Currently getting 46mpg
     
    #5 299K, Jan 21, 2020
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  6. eternalphoenix64

    eternalphoenix64 Junior Member

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    This would vary with speed, most likely. Or at least, that's how I would program it. It takes less throttle to accelerate from 0->25MPH at a gradual pace than it does to accelerate from 25->30 at the same pace (because you need some throttle in the first place to maintain 25). It would probably start somewhere around 25% and ramp up from there up to a cap (e.g. 75% throttle at any speed is considered heavy throttle, but 50% at 45MPH might be "high, but not yet heavy").

    I have no data to support this.... it's just what I would do if I was the programmer.
     
    #6 eternalphoenix64, Jan 22, 2020
  7. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    *
     
    #7 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 22, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2020
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    #
     
    #8 bisco, Jan 22, 2020
  9. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    If you live where it is level, then using Cruise Control greatly increases the time you are in EV mode.
     
    #9 JimboPalmer, Jan 22, 2020
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ?
     
    #10 bisco, Jan 22, 2020
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    lifetime average = 215 mpg
     
    #11 bisco, Jan 22, 2020
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Holy thread resurrection! This thread is more than 16 years old, and the original posters haven't logged in to PriusChat in more than 12 and 8 years respectively.
     
    #12 fuzzy1, Jan 22, 2020
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  13. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Yes, not this poster's first necro-resurrection either. Seems to have gone back to the beginning of every Gen 2 forum. LOL.
     
    #13 dolj, Jan 23, 2020
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  14. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I always suspected that time travel was possible, but I never anticipated that it would be a web app.
     
    #14 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 23, 2020
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  15. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    I’ve never really had an issue with necro posting IFF

    1. Your post isn’t worthy of its own thread
    2. Your post is a continuation of the discussion of the thread, like a where is the technology at today type of statement

    posting a single alphanumeric “46mpg” meets requirement 1 but fails the intent of requirement 2

    I am always surprised by how bent out of shape a necro post can make some folks though
     
    #15 Rmay635703, Jan 23, 2020
  16. 299K

    299K Junior Member

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    Update on my 46mpg.
    Now up to 53mpg, keeping speed at 64mph max, and drafting big rigs whenever possible.
    I installed an EV button, I could only get 2 blocks before into the red and ice startup.
     
    #16 299K, Feb 3, 2020
  17. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    If you draft closer than safe or legal following distance, be sure to leave your PC password to next of kin, along with final instructions that include having them update us here about your status.

    While most people have ditched any comprehensive coverage by that age, serious drafters might still find it worthwhile for the glass replacement coverage. Those truck tires can kick up large pieces of road debris that could otherwise be avoided.
     
    #17 fuzzy1, Feb 3, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2020
  18. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    If you can't see his mirrors, he can't see you!
     
    #18 JimboPalmer, Feb 3, 2020
  19. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    825E7339-B2DF-4269-904F-124DCAB36913.jpeg

    I don’t even have a working battery and wasn’t drafting.
     
    #19 Rmay635703, Feb 3, 2020
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  20. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Do some research on here in regards to the best way to use the EV button.

    To get you started, your idea is a typical rookie mistake. The Prius is not an EV, so you don't try and drive it like one. You want to do the exact opposite of what you are doing and actively try to use EV as little as possible (conserve the battery), not use the battery as much as possible. Why? Because all energy that is stored by the HV battery is gained by burning gas. The way to minimize gas use is to make the most of those opportunities where energy would otherwise be wasted. Coasting to a stop, anticipating traffic so you minimize stopping, use the brake pedal light (to mediumly – increases current into the battery) particularly to hold your speed going down a hill, as examples.
     
    #20 dolj, Feb 3, 2020
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