This had been KILLING my mpg!

The other morning at the Grand Canyon.

 

now we are talking... another 10 off that and that is what we had for three weeks ending a week ago. got 34.9 mpg for period.

 

Ouch

 

No, I'll show you what hurts your mileage... House thermometer said -29 C (-20 F), car said -26 C (-14 F) but it has a very blocked grille (100% lower, 50% upper).

Notice the defroster fan is cranked at heat set to 25C in an attempt to be able to drive safely LOL

 

If it is (- O) F, or colder; block everything; 100% lower and 100% upper, even the side of the hood, where some warm engine heat can get out. Keep engine oil at low mark level, to help keep engine a little warmer.

 

Crap this is cold. Coldest I have seen this winter is 9 F and that was yesterday morning. You guys got it bad

 

Oh wow. I was wondering if the cold could be killing my MPG. This sucks! I experimented with putting the heat on AUTO the manually turning of the AC. I thought that helped a little but I'm told the AC doesn't actually run when it's cold (? why does it turn on then?). I'm now averaging a mere 39-40mpg.

 

Remember the days before having a display on your dashboard, when you were blissfully oblivious to the affects of Winter?

Engine warm-up, winter-formula fuel, reduced combustion, increased rolling-resistance, heavier traffic... factors of efficiency influence for all vehicles that new owners of Prius become painfully aware of as the temperature plummets. With a hybrid, you also get the influence from heater use and a decrease of available battery capacity.

Every year, it's the same discoveries made by newbies. They eventually figure out, then give thanks when the warmth of spring arrives. The emotion they experience is actually a building-block for the passion often associated with Prius ownership. You feel empowered after learning so much about what had always been affecting vehicle efficiency.

Those who have firsthand experience with multiple Winters behind the wheel of a Prius appreciate when you experiment and share your finding. Eventually, you will become the teachers of new owners with the very same concerns about suddenly MPG dropping, informing them of the circumstances.

It would be nice to set expectations sooner. But often, new owners join forum discussions as a result of Winter discoveries... then continue to participate later. So, it works out nice anyway.

 

What is the Penguin Plunge (and are you going to share the photo?)

 

The cold is even hitting the PIP... the cold temps reduce battery efficiency and make the ICE start up to protect the battery from (possible) brake re-gen overcharge when the batts are cold. Fuel economy tanks at that point because the ICE is running (with no contribution to car locomotion) and you pushing the car on electric too till you burn off some EV power and the ICE has completed it's warm-up cycle. To quote Sylvester Stallone it's the old "double whammy"!

 

"Our" Penguin Plunge benefits a local homeless shelter in RI... (I work in RI and can hit RI with a rock from my backyard) with a many Polar Plunges benefit some cause like the Special Olympics or homelessness. Teams and individuals raise money which is a plus but the mob mentality of people of all ages getting ready to rush the season and rush into the water was priceless. A good running start is all it takes - and while some folks considered themselves "plungers" by going in, I took it to the top and dove underwater twice. I was not going to wimp out by just splashing in cold water. Go big or go home.

Pictures are online... but I am so not sharing them willingly - I do not photograph well but I was told the expression on my face was sheer joy. I survived the year from Hell - a dive in the winter ocean was a cake walk.

 

It's 71 here in San Diego. That's bad weather for MPG here. Wish it was 75.

 

Last Friday, around 6:30pm-8:30pm, my Prius' MPG dropped like a rock (low 20s) when I got stuck in a (+1 hour) traffic jam on I-495 (It was caused by a traffic accident at the spur of I-270. The traffic jam was along the inner loop of I-495 between the I-270 spur/exit and Tyson's Corner,VA Exit 46 ).

 

This is during my ride home tonight. We are in for a cold week. I finally got off my butt to grill block 100% after hitting an all-time low of 35.8mpg on my last tank.

 

Woah that's cold I saw 5 degrees F a week or 2 ago one morning

 

38.5 mpg today... worst tank ever.

 

Carry 2 kayaks on top across the state... 36 mpg... which is actually still better than many vehicles even at their best.

 

My average seems to be close to that here in frosty MN. Oh well, my Subaru Forester gets 18mpg this time of year.