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Simple method for improving mileage

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by Red Ryder, Feb 23, 2015.

  1. Red Ryder

    Red Ryder New Member

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    2013 Prius c
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    I recently purchased a used 2013 Prius C Two and have been experimenting with different techniques to get the best mileage.

    I recently made the leap to a Toyota Prius C, after over a decade driving a two seat German sport coupe that averaged 24 MPG, but could get 32 on the freeway if driven modestly. That's the beauty of light weight cars with big engines, they can be fairly efficient.

    Rather than leave it up to trial and error, I decided to do some online research about how to get the greatest possible mileage from the C. I was amazed at the diversity of opinions. There were literally dozens of web sites and blogs offering advice, some of which were downright obscure.

    I wanted to see if there might be one simple principle to apply. The results were pretty encouraging.

    The car is very sophisticated and way smarter than I was when it comes to optimizing gas mileage. The solution was right in front if me, once I figured out how to interpret the ECO Score display. The trick is to try and keep the indicator right in the middle. After I figured this out, the progress bar indicators on the rest of the display also made more sense as well.

    Essentially, the car has three energy sources; inertia, gasoline and the electricity in the battery. The car is constantly balancing the between the three.

    On the display, the upper right end of the central arc is where the internal combustion engine is doing most of the work. The indicator goes up there when accelerating, going up a hill, or going fairly fast.

    The lower left end is where the battery is being recharged. That primarily happens that when braking, but the engine can contribute as well. The figure in the upper left is the state of charge of the battery. It doesn't alway show full. If it were, there would be no place to store the energy that otherwise would be waste heat from braking.

    The best evidence that midrange is the most efficient is that the ECO Score gets higher, faster, when the indicator is there.

    If you want to really push the envelope, when going downhill, try running in the zone just above where the battery recharging kicks in. At this boundary none of the vehicle's momentum is being harnessed to recharge the battery.

    BTW - I got 64 MPG one day last week by keeping the ECO indicator in the middle.
     
    #1 Red Ryder, Feb 23, 2015
    minkus likes this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thank you!(y)
     
    #2 bisco, Feb 23, 2015
  3. Husam

    Husam New Member

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    I got 68 MPG one day last September on my Prius 2 by just driving at around 50-60 mph. Not really that hard, althought i can't seem to get more than 55 MPG nowdays doing the same thing.
     
    #3 Husam, Feb 23, 2015
  4. Easy Rider 2

    Easy Rider 2 Senior Member

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    Excellent post.

    Just two comments:
    As with any "method" for improving gas mileage, safety comes first and you should not be creating a traffic hazard by going TOO slow.

    And really the car has only ONE "energy source", the gas engine. While that is not a significant point for what you posted, it IS for other similar discussions.

    Since that was your first post and we don't know what other "techniques" stuck with you in reading the other information available.............one of the biggest uses of fuel is starting out from a dead stop, so you can gain a lot by anticipating the traffic and signals ahead to minimize the number of times that you actually have to stop or slow way down.
     
    #4 Easy Rider 2, Feb 24, 2015
  5. rjdriver

    rjdriver Active Member

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    Momentum is definitely your best friend. As Easy Rider says, never slow down or stop unless you have to. And when you do, make it gradual, taking advantage of all the inertia you can find.

    I have a 20 mile section of my daily 40 mile commute that is spent primarily at speeds between 30-45 mph. This appears to be the real sweet spot for the C and probably other Prii as well. There is one large hill and several other small rises, along with nine stops or possible stops for traffic lights, stop signs, left turns, or waiting behind left turners because there is no room to go around. This section has the magic combination of plenty of sections where I can get into EV mode, accompanied by enough places where I can recharge the battery through coasting or braking, that I generally average mpg in the 70s, except during winter.

    The other techniques I use are: dropping back a mph or two when going up hills, grabbing as much speed as possible on the down hills, starting off slowly when I am forced to stop, and generally trying to keep the ECO score gauge out of the red zone whenever possible.
     
    #5 rjdriver, Feb 24, 2015
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i make it a habit to roll thru stop signs. it adds up big time over the life of the car.
     
    #6 bisco, Feb 24, 2015
  7. Easy Rider 2

    Easy Rider 2 Senior Member

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    In a major metro area like Boston I don't think that is really a good idea.
    Eventually it is likely to catch up to you, with an expensive ticket or worse.

    Now, having said that, to be completely honest, I do that when on my motorcycle BUT I come to a dead slow speed well behind the stop line and survey the landscape VERY carefully before proceeding. It will probably bite me in the butt sometime if there is a cop around.
     
    #7 Easy Rider 2, Feb 25, 2015
  8. alfon

    alfon Senior Member

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    Here in Oregon the fine for failure to stop at a stop sign is $260.00. Beside your car
    insurance rates possibly increasing with a moving violation its just not worth it. You can buy
    well over 100 gallons of gas for $260.00.
     
    #8 alfon, Feb 26, 2015
  9. Deleted member 111882

    Deleted member 111882 Guest

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    Whoa... how often do you think that get enforced in Oregon? I sometimes see it locally but usually they just go after speeders.
     
    #9 Deleted member 111882, Mar 10, 2015
  10. mahout

    mahout Active Member

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    yes, and your average speed was 22.3 mph; please keep your MVP (moving traffic pylon) in the curb lane so I don't run over it in my BMW 5. its so hard to clean out leaves and leftover prii. and yes, I get 32 mpg often but my prissy gets over 40 in traffic averaging 65 mph.
     
    #10 mahout, Mar 11, 2015
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