When the engine mode goes all the way to "pwr" on the dash is it using full electric and engine?

I see you have to replies, and I'm not surprised. It's difficult to say exactly what the car is doing just from the power bar. It does what it needs to do in each individual case. The end of that bar is there to indicate you are NOT driving "efficiently".
I think a general answer is the car is usually using both engine and motor power (the "engine" refers to the gasoline consuming device and the "motor" refers to the electric motor/generator(s)). The only time it isn't is in "EV" mode. If you press the accelerator to the floor you would -probably- be using maximum motor and engine power. Any other throttle position the ratio would depend on a lot of variables. For example, how much charge is in the battery? How hot is the battery? How hot is the inverter? Is the cat. warmed up?
Remember, the term "hybrid" means -both- motor and engine power the car. Both are required for it to work at all for more than a minute or two.

The braking system is also rather complex. If you hit the brake pedal fast and hard it goes directly to friction braking and engages "brake assist". Be sure there are no loose objects in the car and everyone inside is belted in if you want to test this. Also make sure there is nobody following you! You will be shocked/surprised at how hard the car will stop!
If you -gently- press on the brake pedal the car will go to "regeneration" braking unless the battery is "full" or "hot" (these terms are what the cars computer thinks, not absolutes). It will also move the brake pads so they just touch the disks, "getting ready" for hard braking or application when the speed drops below the minimum threshold for regen.

A few owners have constructed devices to monitor when the friction brakes come on, and you can use various readings from a "Scanguage" or other OBDII device to indicate how much motor and engine power you are using. I love this phrase - "I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out how to accomplish this."

 

Hi Jeffremerman,

My advice is to just drive the car like you would any other car. During my first 6 months of ownership, I tried to monitor my car and my driving habits and the best I got was 42-44mpg. Now, over the last 7 months I have average easily 48-50mpg by just driving normal and not trying to figure out braking habits or things like that. Toyota built the Prius to use everyday driving as part of the way to regenerate electricity. So, my normal braking and normal driving will do the job. I don't have to try to get it to work. Try to remember that the car was developed to always achieve the best mpg possible. The on-board computer will compensate better than I can. Just relax and enjoy your car. Just my two cents.....

 

I agree with Montgomery - I just drive

Even if the numbers were reversed,
It's a small savings. Especially for the effort involved.

For example:
At 43 mpg. , you spend $700 a year on gas.

At 49 mpg, you spend $615.

You only save or lose $85 per year by being careful.

The savings being low, i just drive and make only a few modifications to driving (i do coast up to traffic lights, but I don't pulse and glide).






Ps when OP babies his car and gets 47.5 mpg, that's $630 per year in gas.

If focuses attention all year long on driving and gets 52.5 mpg, would only save $60.

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From someone with a scangauge - your suspicions are correct about the CHG bar. However, I have observed a couple of cases where friction brakes are used before the bar gets to the left. There may be more.
1. If the car is going 7 mph or less
2. If the car hits a bump during braking
3. If the internal battery temperature (battery temp sensor number 2) is higher than about 110 degrees F
4. At very high charge levels of the battery (I have not observed this directly, but suspect it)

As far as acceleration, the right side of the power bar seems to be just less than 3000 rpm at low speeds and about 3500 rpm or more at highway speeds. This seems to vary as others have said (probably depends on battery state of charge and how much it can help out). Even with the bar to the right there is more power available. If the engine gets above 3000 rpm, you will hear it.

The driving adjustments you made are good ones. Stick with them. I made the same ones with the same effect on MPG. For me, they also made the car more fun to drive. I tend to baby all cars that I drive I think so I wind up getting better MPG in power mode, which I use most of the time.

Hope that any of this might help!

 

I have been using regular Cruiser control and I think the mpg it higher than when I am driving. It true if you just drive the Prius it will get you the best mpg.

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I was able to check this morning, and max accelerator draws 100 amps from the battery. I think this is the maximum discharge rate.

 

yes, but i suspect this is way in excess of the typical end of power zone acceleration i often do and see no loss of SOC.