Very Short Commute...is Prius good for this?

Get a Leaf! The Prius won't have any problems, but the mpg will be half what you'd get on a longer commute.

 

Sadly, busy intersections and highways are the *result* of people driving cars when they don't need to. I have neighbors who won't let their kids ride their bikes to school. Too dangerous because of all the big cars on the road. So those kids are driven to school in big cars that further endanger the other cycling kids. :sigh: Where does the madness stop?

 

THai,

I have numerous 2 mile hilly trips on weekends and get in the low 30s on those trips. Combined with longer trips I get in the low to mid 40s. I would expect you to be in the high 30s or low 40s too. You won't get the crazy high numbers that others report here unless you do longer trips.

I did ride my bike on busy roads and walked it over the overpass to the highway when I was in high school. I would expect kids would also ride the school bus. I am trying to get my city to make some more bike friendly roads. Its a struggle, but austin is more bike friendly than it was in the past.

 

Thanks for that!

 

Yes, Thai, a Leaf would be a better car than your new Prius for the short commute. (congrats on the new Prius, btw!) But the Leaf doesn't exist yet, and I'd not be one to suggest buying a generation 1 anything (iPhone, iPad, iLeaf, etc.)

But you've got a great car, and a really well thought out fuel efficient one at that. Commuting a tiny distance isn't its forte, but for anything longer, its a super performer. I got mine as a "photography accessory." I tell my wife that to make her mad. It gets me to far away places for cheap so I can shoot pictures.

When the time is right, and not too many months or years down the road from now, many of us will get ourselves an all-electric for those under 40-50 mile commutes (and will also score a 2012 Prius PHEV as well).

...Or we should bike to work - although I rarely do. (read my profile for a laugh on that subject). My arthritic knee makes it more difficult these days.

 

:cheer2: I suspect you're gonna be VERY happy ! :rockon:

 

I don't have you "beat," but I'm in a similar spot 9 months a year. I have a .8 mile commute and get around 32-33 mpg on just those trips. I love not spending all day in the car getting to and from work so I'm not complaining. Weather permitting I ride my bike (a Trek of course) but not in the snow or cold.

But 3 months a year in northern Wisconsin I'm getting almost 50 mph driving anywhere up there means several miles on two lane roads with 45 mph limit standard in many places.

So for me its not the lowest total ownership cost car, but it is the best technology out there for a "standard" car. - Sorry - a Telsa Roadster is just out of my price range..

 

I have a 5 mile commute one way ... my graph was showing about 40 MPGs in 1st five minutes, then 50 MPGs between 5 - 10 minutes.

I'm at 49.5 MPG with many 5 mile trips.

 

The time was right back in the 90's! I hope it is right again soon... and stays that way this time!

I've looked around your profile, and can't find the story! I've had arthritis since 10 years old, so I feel your pain. Literally.

As easy as it is to make excuses... it is just as easy for me to challenge them! I've been transporting my daughter by bike since she could safely hold her head up. Here we are before she could ride her own bike:



And this is how we get to school every day these days (six miles):


...any other bicycle challenges I can help you with?

 

Beautiful solutions, Darrell.

Although the OP no longer faces a short commute, it is a good thread on the topic, so I'll chime in with my results.

1.5 mile commute, 100% lower grill block in 6 to 9 months of the year, psi at max sidewall = 44 (42 rear), flat terrain, a handful of lights/stop signs. We never got below 40 mpg average during the dead of winter (Kansas), and now stay in low 50s with spring temps. This is mild pulse & glide and gentle accelerations, but it is my wife's otherwise non-hypermiling result, no doubt we could do better with more techniques, but we are thrilled and relieved with our 2010 short drive results.

Bikes are great, but just because someone has a short commute instead of a long one does not mean they don't need to arrive fresh and dry with freedom to travel during the day in any weather, or that they forfeited the moral authority to do so relative to those who continue to live far from work. I am a huge bike enthusiast and supporter, but we should avoid excessive preaching on the point; people will bike if it works for them (fine to suggest it, but it is not the answer for all).

Hope you love your Prius, Thai.

 

The thing is... car tavel puts everybody at risk. Everybody's health is in danger when we burn gasoline. But we have what we have today, and I understand your point. I only wish you could see a tiny bit of mine. Driving a gasoline car for the safety of children just doesn't pencil out. One of the many reasons I ride is for my health, for the health of my children, for the health of yours.

I hear you. I just can't help interjecting that it CAN be an option for some people at some times for some trips. I understand that you don't and won't. Fear not, you've been very clear.

Understood. I'm just trying to make the discussion more interesting since the answer to your question is equally simple, and has already been given in this thread. I'll summarize: All gas cars suck for short trips. The Prius sucks slightly less. Short trips are hard on gas cars and makes them pollute significantly more, but none will blow up or fall apart in short order.

My pleasure.

No one transportation option is the answer for all. Not EVs. Not bicycles. Not the Prius. Not a pickup truck. And you'll never hear me say or imply otherwise. Yeah, I do tend to get preachy about this stuff.... though I see it more as demonstrating through example. A fine distinction for sure, but an important one nonetheless. Somebody says effectively, "I can't ride my kid to school because he's too young," I will point out it *can* work. I guess my point is that for many people a bicycle *would* work for them... but just because it'll work, doesn't mean they'll do it, or even consider it. So a bicycle not only has to work for them, they also have to actually *consider* using one. And that's why I can be so annoying. Think of me as the equivalent of a car company's SUV ads: Here's what you should be driving! The difference, of course, is that I don't profit from the result any more than any other living thing on the planet profits. We ALL benefit if my ad works. If I annoy, I'm sorry. But I feel like I've got nothing to lose since the status quo is to continue burning gasoline at every opportunity.

 

I don't really. I'm pretty boring to listen to. But I LOVE to read what I write!

I've read every post here, and came to conclusions only after reading from the beginning. The question and answer had come and gone. I really am sorry that we didn't find a way to enjoy the discussion. My fault for being too "passionate" (my wife's euphamism for being totally annoying) about transportation choices. If we started over on some other subject, we might end up even liking each other.

And that's an excellent reason for needing an automobile with you at all times. No argument from me. For example, if I need a paramedic from 20 miles away, I'd prefer that he didn't arrive by bicycle. Same for the fire fighters and police.

Sorry again for my OT shenanigans. I may believe in my convictions a bit too much for my own good.

 

Hehehehehehe.





Yes.

 

Because the Prius relies exclusively on the battery during the first part of warm-up, and since the battery can't be recharged until later in the warm-up, I think there is the possibility (only in the winter, since you're in TX) that battery life might be shortened due to frequently being at a low SOC.

But it's warrantied, so I wouldn't worry about it - either it makes it to 8 years or they put a new one in at some point.