As a new Prius owner (2010 III), i'm amazed at the depth of this community, and am glad to use as a resource, and contribute when I am able to. Since i'm brand new to the various techniques of the Prius/Hypermiling ecosystem, I have a question.... Since the Pulse & Glide technique involves quickly getting up to speed, then coasting, and repeating this over and over, is there a detrimental long term effect on the parts of these cars (Prii) since it's being driven in such a 'ebb and flow' manner? I'm noticing I can get much better MPG, but I'm wondering at what cost if i'm degrading the components faster with this Rev Up & Coast method. Anyone who's used this technique for awhile please feel free to chime in on your experience.
No long term detrimental effects. In some respects it is actually easier on the car, since the HV battery is not used during P&G. Tom
On the Gen III, the traction battery can be used minimally during the glide phase, as it's more difficult to get 100% coasting compared to the Gen II. Still doesn't change anything in terms of long-term effects though.
The "pulse" part is no different from a regular car rowing through the gears (since they rev up and down as the driver goes through the gears). As for gliding, you're not using the battery and the engine is off. You're, in effect, freewheeling.
If you happened to live in any major metropolitan location in the U.S., and your commute took you through the city, you would be doing the equivalent of P&G mile after mile and year after year, no? Rush hour traffic in most places it pretty tough on cars, constantly speeding up and slowing down, but most cars do fine in this environment, with few maintenance problems. Would P&G cause any more damage to a Prius, than a normal daily city commute? Can't imagine it would.
The 'pulse' phase does not require or recommend 'revving up to speed.' The idea is to pulse at an efficient ICE rpm/torque combination. I use 2000 - 3000 rpm once the ICE is warmed up, depending on terrain, other drivers etc. Our P&G'd G2 Prius is at 140k miles or so, uses about 0.5 quarts of oil every 10k miles, and is as fuel economical today as when new. So while smart use of the ICE in P&G is fine for longevity, goosing the ICE into the red rpm zone a couple times a minute is a poor idea.
I would think far less than any conventional car, because none of the typical mechanical wear points, i.e. clutches, torque converters, etc. are present in the Hybrid Synergy Drive. I've been doing P&G off and on for over 10 years now on my Classic, and she still runs just as smooth as the day I drove her off the lot.
