My new Texas Prius - great mileage

Picked up my new Prius on Feb. 24th. It had 3 miles on the odometer, a full tank, and low mpg (don't remember exactly). After running around doing errands over the weekend, I started experimenting with P&G techniques described by so many here on this fine forum. My commute is about 24 mi, 18 on a freeway. However, almost no one is on the feeder between home and my work in Galveston. Terrain is flat. Temp is 50-70. I can pulse and glide all I want without hindering anyone, and there are few stops. I just filled up with 8.01 gallons after 476 mi with a tank average of 59.0 on the MFD (59.4 by m/gal). What pleased me most is that for five, consecutive trips of between 23.9 and 34 mi, I got 68.2-79.6 mpg, see below. All trips were from a cold start and included 1 mi residential driving to freeway feeder, 15 mi of feeder, 4 mi of freeway (about 55 mph), and the rest on a 45 mph, 4 lane road with few stops. Except for the short freeway section, I was able to pulse and glide (speed range, 30-41 mph). I am very pleased.

Distance
mpg (MFD)

33.6 75.8
32.4 68.2
23.9 73.7
26.5 73.9
34 79.5

Only problem is, I am a bit afraid to tell my wife or any of my friends how I am driving. They will think I am obsessed. (They've got that right.)

Though I find gliding with no arrows easy, I have never yet succeeded in "dead-banding." No matter what acceleration rate I use, my '06 always charges the battery when it runs. (In general, I pulse for about 1/3rd of the time, and glide 2/3rds.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I have the tires at 42/40.
On my 30 mile drives, the temperature has been in the 55-70 degree range.
I have experimented with acceleration. I try to accelerate as briskly as I can without engaging the electric motors (yellow arrows), i.e., using exclusively the ICE. I think this rate of acceleration (about 12 sec from 30 to 41 mph) probably less than 1/3 max.

Are any of you out there with an '06 Prius finding it difficult to get the dead-band state (arrows from ICE to wheels but not to battery)? I still can't seem to do it.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I think I do understand that we are shooting for no arrows from ICE to or from battery during slow acceleration phase of P&G (to minimize transduction losses converting chemical energy to electrical and back to mechanical energy). That's the state that I haven't seen yet. Whenever my ICE is on, I get arrows to motor/generator AND battery (in addition to arrows to the wheels).

I do wonder a bit how the marathon experts managed consistently to get over 100 mpg with pulse and glide. I have noticed that the dealer overfilled the oil (about 2 cm over the full level). And I have the standard OEM tires (at 42/40 psi). And I understand that mileage may increase after a few thousand miles.

Hey, I am really very pleased, but one can't help but try for the best. Great car. I am having a lot of fun.

Thanks, everyone.

 

Ah, I can see that that might be the case. Where I live, it virtually never gets cold. However, from April 'till November, running without AC will be virtually unbearable. So now I can gloat. But later... Ah well. I guess I better do all the bragging while I can!

 

Ah, thanks! That gives me an idea of how to "find" it. I certainly can easily get into the state where power is flowing both from the ICE and the battery (yellow arrows on my car).

When you say "low SOC," how many "tics" is low? Also, one thing that occurred to me (and I need to try): I have the AC off, but I have had the blower on. Would the extra drain on the battery from the blower motor block the dead-band state? (I know, I just need to experiment.)

Thanks for the tips and encouragement

 

You are absolutely right. I was choosing to go at the optimum speed to see what mileage I could get. Whether I will do this all the time is doubtful. But I have the choice. I am lucky enough not to have to hurry most of the time. (I realize this is unusual these days.)