Understanding the Consumption screen

The 5-minute bars show the history of your consumption during the drive. The "car-leaf" lets you know how much electricity you've regenerated. I try to have long line without any "car-leaves."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(grasshopper @ Jul 11 2006, 09:43 AM) [snapback]284472[/snapback]</div>

This is the long version of what aaf709 said.

The vertical length of each 5 minute bar tells you what your MPG average was for that 5 minute period. Their scale is over to the right side from 0 MPG at the bottom to 100 MPG at the top. The bars start at the right and move across the screen, after you get 6 of them (30 minutes) the next one causes the one on the far left (no politics here) to drop off. The little green car/leaf things represent energy that has been regenerated through regenerative braking, either normal regenerative braking or through the "B" mode. Each little car/leaf is 50 Watt hours of energy put back into the battery.

It tells you how you have been doing for the last 30 minutes 5 minutes at a time. I can't comment on your sanity; I'm not even sure about mine.

The object is, of course, to get the mileage bars as tall as you can. The object is not to regenerate energy unless you have a lot of energy built up, then it's better to regenerate and store it than to waste it.

 

Basically, the deal with the leaves is....

A lot of leaves means that you're decelerating a lot. This is bad because then you have to accelerate again and that uses a lot more energy than maintaining a constant speed. So while many leaves means that you've recaptured some energy all of that decelerating cost you even more energy. Think of regen braking as rebate. When you slow down you get some (up to 30% I think) energy back. You don't get it all back, it just means that it cost you LESS.

Obviously, there are a lot of situations where you have to come to a stop. The more gradually you can accomplish that task the better your rebate and thus the better your mileage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(grasshopper @ Jul 11 2006, 11:43 AM) [snapback]284472[/snapback]</div>

We can only hope that you let go of the past. But how you interpret it is up to you.

As for the understanding of the little "leaf" symbol, some still don't have a decent grasp on them. Typically, the reason is simply terminology with respect to the operation of the hybrid system. Anytime the small motor is generating electricity without the aid of the engine (like going down a hill) it earns kW toward the "leaf" count. So even without stepping on the brake, you can still regenerate... which explains how those can be earned on the highway. But when the engine is powering the small motor, that is generating (without the "RE") so it does not count.

Basically, just keep watching. Over time, you'll naturally notice a pattern. But they are just informational anyway. Having more or less doesn't really affect the overall MPG in the end. It just tells you how the system is interacting with the environment (road/speed/traffic).

 

I mostly watch the 'instantaneous' MPG on the far right hand side as my cue when to back off the accellerator, as long as mainaining speed or slowing down won't be a traffic hazard. I know that many people prefer to watch the 'energy' screen to master 'pulse and glide', but I'm still enough of a newbie that the consumption screen tells me enough. (I just passed the 2500 mile mark today, 5 days short of 3 months of ownership).

 

Search the forums for "50 watt-hours" for a whole lot of rundown on
what the little green cars really mean.
.
_H*

 

I was happy with all the little green "leaves" (they look like little green cars to me) on my consumption bars....then I found out that isn't good...

BUT

I have lots of hill climbing and then lots of down-hill coasting...and all of this together is helping me keep my mpg around 40-41...my first tank was 31 mpg.

Don't know how to not have them...since all my driving is local and it's all grades...steep, long shallow ones, then downhills...little ones, long ones....I'm playing with a brisk climb....even in town where it looks flat, I get into P&G and realize I am losing mph quickly because I am actually climbing yet again....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 24 2006, 08:22 PM) [snapback]309085[/snapback]</div>

For some I can....for others, they end in a stop sign or light....

Like LostInTheHills, I was worried when my first tank was 30 mpg...but now I have 41 mpg near end of second so I am still happy, given my driving patterns and the car.

terri

Glad I found this thread and few others by searching....on the little green cars....

 

I am a real Prius rookie with only 600 miles on my 2006, but I've noticed that I don't get penalized on the consumption history for 0.0 MPG. For example, say I'm cruising along for 2.5 minutes at 50 MPG and then I sit at a stop for 2.5 minutes (0.0 MPG), then the bar will show 50 MPG, not 25 MPG.

This makes sense as it is just calculating miles traveled divided by gas used over that 5 minute interval, but it can initially seem wrong. For example, I could have 3 history bars, one at 20 MPG, one at 70 MPG and one at 90 MPG, and incorrectly I have thought I am averaging 60 MPG. Maybe I noticed that during that 15 minute interval my average consumption went from 45 MPG down to 44 MPG. This can happen if the 20 MPG bar was over larger distance, but the higher bars were, say, creeping along in slow traffic, or a lot of time just stopped.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jul 12 2006, 01:17 PM) [snapback]285049[/snapback]</div>

Thanks, this helps me understand the consumption screen in simple terms...

 

I do get more 5-minute intervals now that are up near 100mpg, with no or only half to one leaf....but, I do get leaves because of my hills, and because of all the coasting...but

since I now allow the electric mode to operate when I have these stretches of twisty-turny roads with slight up and downhill grades....I am getting few leaves and better overall mpg...also once the ICE is warmed up, I can glide at under 20 mph....for short stretches...

Again, though, the SOC and where it is does have its effect as well....when I do these little electric only spells, I see the SOC drop, but I am compensating for some of these when I hit a nice long downhill coast....so,

...overall, I am getting better mileage with my short twisty-turny hilly trips than I did on that first tank....and even on the second...I am not about halfway through the second tank and am at 43.6 mpg...I am thrilled with this, since I feel I am "learning" (thanks to Priuschat!! and john and evan adn tony and hobbit and everyone else's input....the articles and summaries and links are fantastic!!)

how to best maximize my car's potential.....and I'm having lots of fun doing it as well....

terri

so....fewer green leaves, longer yellow towers and better mileage overall....

 

:mellow: 2004 Owner's Manual - Section 2-7 - Operation of Instruments and Controls - Multi-Information Display - Page151 "Fuel consumption screen" (Not sure of the page number in the '05 & '06 Manuals) provides a succinct explanation of this screen with an illustration.