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Gotta love record high temps!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by efusco, Feb 28, 2006.

  1. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    200 Miles into this tank that had been pretty good (55-56mpg) for the first 1/4 tank, then I started working evenings so there were few stops, no traffic and I could drive 35-39mpg the entire way home and got up to ~58mpg by last night.

    Then temps in the upper 70s today and some good luck with traffic and I'm up to 59.4 mpg with ~200 miles on this tank....Can't wait for spring and summer to arrive for good!!
     
  2. Catskillguy

    Catskillguy New Member

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    I'm sooo jealous! I've been stuck at about 49mpg, but overnight lows in single digits, highs mostly below 30 and 1/2 the days the last 2 weeks with very strong winds, mostly cross winds (I drive n - s mostlt, winds are from NW/W mostly).

    For 1/2 a tank, we had temps in the 40's and I was at 52.4, then a cold front came through... down to 48+.

    I am really looking forward to spring & summer weather
     
  3. Dave

    Dave New Member

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    Evan, I think you've got a special car. I baby mine, and consistently get 49-50 mpg. I'm not complaining, I just think you have a special car.
     
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    <_<

    freakin' engine block heater using, car babying, warm climate living, nice commute driving guy...

    despite my muttering and insane jealousy... congrats! :D :lol:
     
  5. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Nope, nothing special about it. I could do the same on the same routes in your car. My previous two tanks were in the 40s for mpg...cold weather, interstate travel, slushy roads, heavier loads.

    My current route is ingrained in my nervous system. I spend maybe 1/3 of the trip with ICE on, the remainder is stealth, EV, and coasting....on a good day. If traffic is heavier, I have to drive faster or anything like that the mpg drops in certain sections. I've also been using an Engine Block heater so my mileage for the first 5-10 minutes is markedly better in cool weather than without. AND, I've had the car for over 40k miles now, I know it's behavior...I don't consider the way I drive 'babying'...I'm faster off the line than 90% of other cars, but I don't speed, I take advantage of gliding (which I do much better now with the help of CAN-View) and maximizing regenerative braking when I must stop (also much better with CAN-View). I use my EV button to shut off the ICE when I know I won't need it (approaching stops, inching forward in traffic, etc.)

    All those things improve my FE by 1/2% or maybe up to 2% each, but those percentages add up. There are others that would do much better on my route btw.
     
  6. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    wtg Evan...

    and Dave (great name!!) his car is not special. anyone can do it. just takes practice is all. heck im up to 51.5 mpg with 350 miles on my tank and weather here has only been in the upper 40's
     
  7. jimgraffam

    jimgraffam New Member

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    Add me to the jealous list. It has been very cold, uphill, and against a tailwind lately here in New England... both ways ;). Fighting for 48 mpg per MFD 150 miles into this tank.

    Bring on Spring!
     
  8. flareak

    flareak Fleet Captain

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    but... doesn't that spell bad global implications?
     
  9. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Party pooper! :p
     
  10. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    60.1 when I got home tonight. 2am and it was still 60 degrees out. Temps are supposed to be even higher tomorrow.
     
  11. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    I could use a little of that 60 degree stuff. Care to shair?
     
  12. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    57º on my way home tonight at 5 PM. i have 388 miles on the current tank. short trip 7.5 miles only, mpg went from 51.5 to 51.6. that is 57.3 mpg...not bad for those supposedly "hard on the mpg" short trips eh??
     
  13. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Sure, you can have the 60s...we traded up for 80+ degree temps today!! But I'm down to 59.8 after a couple short trips and a stop to take photos when I left the car in EV mode for about 10-15 minutes.

    Had never seen one of these chopper/trimmers in action before..pretty cool....[​IMG]

    (sorry about the artifact, I let the pbase site rotate it and it introduced a bunch that wasn't in the original)
     
  14. rposton

    rposton Member

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    Warm weather in Nashville, TN, today also. Saw as high as 79 on the MFD. Traveling between Sparta and Cookeville, 70 mph, I rolled the windows down, and it seemed that the mpg dropped. Cookeville, to Nashville, 70 mph, I rolled the windows up and ran the AC. MPG seemed to improve, but only a little.
     
  15. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    what is the chopper doing??? is that a tree trimmer he has??

    i had a house that had high tension power lines running across the back end (my place was 880' long) and they replaced some of the lines and used helicopters to do it with...

    that was one of the most entertaining afternoons i had spent in a long time... very cool what these guys do and how they do it.
     
  16. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Yup, here's a closeup of the blades...
    [​IMG]
     
  17. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    I have never seen anything like that! Whoa we trim trees the old fashion way someone climbs up with a chain saw and trims down. How does it work! What kind of trees?
     
  18. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    wow!! i be definitely getting out of their way!!
     
  19. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Just regular trees...big ones. It's to clear power lines.[​IMG]
     
  20. jimgraffam

    jimgraffam New Member

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    Just made me think of Twin Peaks...

    Cooper: Diane, I've just entered the town of Twin Peaks. Twelve miles south
    of the Canadian border, eight miles west of the state line. I've never seen
    so many trees in my life! As W. C. Fields would say, I'd rather be here than
    Philadelphia.

    -and-

    Cooper: Sheriff, what kind of fantastic trees have you got around here? Big, majestic--
    Truman: Douglas firs.
    Cooper: Douglas firs....