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recent FL to NY trip

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by GasSaver1, Dec 1, 2010.

  1. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    I just took a trip from south florida to new york (1300 miles). All in all I was getting about 48 miles per gallon with the average speed of 70mph.

    The cruise control sucks and I get barely 43mpg while it is on!

    One thing I noticed, the gas engine was constantly charging the battery! Even with the battery being full on green bars the arrow flow was showing energy going into the battery and to the wheels from the engine. Every few seconds for a breif instant power would also shift from the battery to the wheels but then it would go back to charging the battery (Orange arrows not green from braking\slowing down).

    Is this normal? I would have thought that the battery would be used more... at least a few bars into the blue before charging again...

    When I got to NJ I took the NJ turnpike and I was able to glide a lot more- I was pulling about 55mpg for the last 200 miles of the trip.

    It took me 27 gallons of gas to go the 1300 miles
     
    #1 GasSaver1, Dec 1, 2010
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I'm confused. You traveled 1,300 miles at 70mph and averaged 48mpg. The entire trip consumed 27 gallons of gasoline which means you had to refuel three, maybe four, times. It sounds like you're dissatisfied.

    Is that sarcasm?
     
    #2 TonyPSchaefer, Dec 1, 2010
  3. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    Did I say I was dissatisfied? No.
    I said is it normal for the battery to be charging ALL THE TIME even though it is maxed out or is there something wrong?
     
    #3 GasSaver1, Dec 1, 2010
  4. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    Yeah it's normal. When I do the trip from Poconos to Daytona and back with my 08 I got pretty close to the mileage you got and in the winter my battery would sometimes show full green. Why it does that I don't know... but it seems to be the way the Gen.2 is. My 2010 gets about 52mpg doing that trip but the battery seems more stable and it never gets full.....
     
    #4 paprius4030, Dec 1, 2010
  5. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Nothing wrong.
    Enjoy!
    Some power goes into the battery to run the electricals. A full or near full battery means it's ready for a hill or something like that. Using the battery for motive power when it isn't needed isn't efficient, carrying a full battery isn't a problem.
    Good economy for the trip, well done.
     
    #5 patsparks, Dec 1, 2010
  6. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    I was worried that the hybrid system is overheating. From what I understand, if it overheats the car will shut it down and use the engine more- as I do this trip straight I am sure things get pretty hot running about 20 hours at once. As the gas engine was always running and constantly charging the battery I was worried that was a sign of the hybrid system not working. The water pump recall has me a little worried. I mean my car is an 08 but I took delivery in 07 so who knows
     
    #6 GasSaver1, Dec 1, 2010
  7. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    I drove from Adelaide to Perth and back in January 2009. On the way back it was 48 degrees celcius in the shade on the nullarbor Plain and the car performed faultlessly. Only reason I knew it was 48 outside was the outside temp display which I only looked at because the noise of the AC fan was becoming intrusive and when I got out to refuel.

    This was a journey of 3000km each way, I completed the trip including a day and a night in Perth in 4.5 days.
    From memory the battery indicator was green most of the way.
     
    #7 patsparks, Dec 1, 2010
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