Sonata Hybrid takes 2 tanks to cross lower US

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

I'm fairly excited about this car. It's great to see an affordable hybrid with great looks and luxury appointments.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

I'm interested in this product.
And I do think it's great for Hybrids and alternative Automobiles as a whole. The more products/choices the better.

For me? I don't think I will be seriously considering it, as The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid seems designed to maximize Freeway MPG's and I do far more City driving.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

I looked at their route for a bit.

This is probably the flattest possible (least elevation change) route across the US.

I'll be impressed when a production car can do this in 1 tank

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

No problem, there's room for more than a 40 gallon tank (5.3 cubic feet) if you use up a little trunk space

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

Hi All,

Looks like the Sonata Hybrid did 58.49 mpg in the 2269.3 mile coast to coast two tank drive. Which is quite good for a car that size (a little biger than the Prius).

I do not see any average speed info.

Apparently the Sonata Hybrid does cruise-control constant speed pulse and glide. Runs on engine to get the battery charged, running the engine at a higher load. Then cuts the engine and runs the car at 65 mph on the battery until it reaches the low SOC limit, and then repeats. Very interesting. One really does not need to be an accomplished hypermiler to get mid 50's mpg at 65 mph.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

It was mostly freeway between the min and max posted speeds, taking care not to impede.

This was by the best hypermiler on the planet in fairly adverse conditions.

A very impressive full-size highway cruiser in expert hands.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

I'm very interested in this auto pulse and glide deal. I wonder what that will do to battery longevity though.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

Doing something a consumer would never do themselves is much like those advertisements where a SUV is climbing rocks off-road or a sedan is sliding sideways on dry lake bed.

What was the point?
.

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

Nope. In the last post they were talking about his run up to Michigan to drop the car off. He was just running the cruise control, and it was doing the constant speed pulse and glide . After 20 miles at 65 mph on the cruise control, most likely into a head wind, he had 54.2 mpg ....

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

Just read the entire threred over there, Xcel did a helluva job. Quite an impressve run & write up!!!
\

 

Indeed.

This was yet another exercise demonstrating a platforms's highest potential should a driver wish or need to pursue it. We've done similar exercises for almost every hybrid out there and when times get tough with higher fuel prices (or for those who really care about what comes out of the tail pipe), then it is nice to know what this vehicle can really offer when asked.

Yes, I admit it will not impress those who rarely see a point to this - the point is well taken... but as usual, Wayne fills in the informational void by showing us what can be achieved on the opposite end of the "everyday driving mediocrity" we constantly see on our streets. And as usual, the mainstream automotive media neither wants nor is it able to fill Wayne's shoes even if they had a sudden change of heart and began caring about driver responsibility in curbing our addition to fossil fuels and emissions.

In my books, this Sonata Hybrid is one heck of a capable platform.

Cheers

MSantos

 

Re: Sonta Hybrid 2 tanks to cross lower US

It is also a shorter route by several hundred miles than more northern routes.

San Diego is as far east as mid-Nevada. Jacksonville is as far west as Eastern Ohio.

None of that takes away from the fact that it was a remarkable accomplishment.:rockon:

 

EXCELLENT !!! I hope someone organizes an annual coast-to-coast event for hypermilers and factory sponsors and sets up a cash prize. We Need Someone To Organize This!!! Society has sanctioned auto racing, there is no reason that we can't have sanctioned coast-to-coast hypermiling. !

+1 Very good thread.

Irrespective of the route, I think the objective here was just to get from the Pacific to the Atlantic on about two tanks of gas to show that it could be done.

Awesome!!!! I hope Toyota comes up with a version of this!

If Toyota doesn't have a similar technology on the Prius by 2012 when the PHEV Prius comes out, I may very seriously consider this Sonata Hybrid - I drive 48 miles highway to work each direction, each day. Getting better highway mpg would help me save a lot of gasoline.

Added Later: My favorite part of the other thread is this: "If you shift to N, the ICE shuts down right away. Hyundai did a fantastic job with this latest powertrain revision." THAT IS AWESOME! (as I've mentioned numerous times before, I love to shift my car into neutral around the city streets and just roll freely)

 

Flattest route? I haven't driven this route but if you look at the route elevation maps, climbs were as much as 4300 feet.

One GREAT feature of the Sonata Hybrid is that it will glide (EV glide, ICE off) advertised at up to 62 mph. It is a mid-size car with a drag co-efficient of .25cd. Sound familiar Gen III owners? At higher speeds, a flap in the front grill flips down to reduce the drag to .25.

A odometer discrepancy was discovered today and actually increased the route miles which increased the mpg: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Transcontinental: 2339.5 Miles at 61.42 mpg

BTW: The FCD was off by only around 1 mpg unlike the wide inaccuracy of around 10% that my Gen III Prius has.

 

I don't think they were trying to go the longest route, or the most mountainous. What would be the point? It does seem like a much more valid test than the japanese or european tests that get incredible mileage at slow speeds. Great write up on the blog.

The sonata seems to make tradeoffs for highway cruising. I'm sure it doesn't do as well in the city as the prius, but... my prius doesn't do great in the city either. I'm curious if the sonata has the start up penalty the prius seems to have.

My average is 5% off. I wonder how toyota does the calculation.

 

That is a flat route when talking about crossing the western US. Right offhand it sounds like the flattest route and it's still a great accomplishment.

 

The biggest point Wayne made was with the cruise control set at 65 mph (under perfect conditions) the car was averaging 53 mpg.

That folks is Prius territory.

17.2 gallons X 53 mpg = 912 mile tank capacity.

 

+10

It would/will be a killer.

For years, Toyota has been totally unresponsive for cries for a hybrid
minivan. And only lately have they teased and taunted about the "v",
which is somewhere on the station wagon - minivan spectrum.

Meanwhile, in back 2008 Hyundai declared it's intent to overtake both
Toyota and Honda in hybrid sales...

It should appeal to the soccer moms out there, but as recently
demonstrated, the Hyundai hybrid is maximized for highway travel.
Still, I'd guess its in-town, stop and go MPGs would be in the upper 30s.

With an eye to FE, answers to, What Car to Buy? sure are getting
interesting. I'm trying to set up a two-car stable of EV for daily
commuting (don't have to haul the ICE around as you go) and a long
distance, +40 mi, hybrid. In this mix, the Sonata is a strong, maybe
the strongest, contender. (Reliability remains to be seen.)

If there is a Sonata hybrid wagon, Toyota you've been skunked.

Hyundai also has a PHEV slated for 2012 roll out. Hyundai is serious.