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Advice for a long commute

Discussion in 'Prime Fuel Economy & EV Range' started by Port Latour, Aug 15, 2017.

  1. Port Latour

    Port Latour Junior Member

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    We just bought a 2017 Prius Prime (Premium) this week, and we're trying to figure out the best mode/modes for my long commute. I drive 70 miles each way to work. The morning commute is generally more downhill than the return drive. The roads are two-lane secondary highways in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. Speeds fluctuate mostly 35 and 55 with a short stint at the end on an expressway. I do not have an outlet to plug into once I am at work, so the return trip is without a new charge. What is the best combination among all the modes for me to use?

    BTW, our other car is a 2009 Prius, so we're not new to the Prius thing. The 2009 gets, on average, 52 MPG. I have driven that car daily since I bought it. It has180K on it and has been the most reliable car I've ever owned.
     
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  2. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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  3. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    EV on the 35mph sections
    EV on downhill sections

    Gas on the rest

    Make sure you don't come home with any charge remaining and standard hypermiling techniques apply
     
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  4. Port Latour

    Port Latour Junior Member

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    That's great! Thank you! I'll see if I can make that work.
     
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  5. Port Latour

    Port Latour Junior Member

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    Thank you! So do I drive in Eco mode (versus the Normal or Power)? I think the combo might matter?
     
  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Eco mode alters the A/C to use less power. I can't cope in afternoons in summer with less A/C in MS, NH may be better.
    other than that, it is just a user interface setting. it make fine changes easier at low speeds.
     
  7. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Everything but this part is true. This is NOT true in Ev for sure, and of dubious value in Hv. I find the Prime is a lot harder to hypermile than my 2004 was mostly because the car is doing a lot of it all by itself. That also makes it a lot easier to get great mileage in the Prime, and it's a lot harder for someone to drive in inefficiently.
     
  8. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    Harder to hypermile ?

    EVs are the easiest cars to hypermile
    Climate off, Coast to stops, gentle accel, low speeds will do it.
     
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  9. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Sound's good, but it's very ineffective.

    I've been driving the same route to work in my Prime since I got it, sometimes driving aggressively, sometimes driving in extreme hypermiling super-smooth mode, and the reported miles/kWh doesn't vary by more than 4%. On my 2004, the same approach on the same route could vary MPG by 25%.
     
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  10. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    What EV range are you getting
     
  11. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    On that route (which includes a 700 foot vertical climb and decent), about 32 miles with the A/C on.
     
  12. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    In general, what I found most comfortable and economical was to save as much EV as I could on the trip home for two reasons. 1. It was usually cold in the morning so driving in HV allows me to use heat without wasting battery. Commuting home, I don't usually need heat. 2. There's usually a lot more traffic when driving home so I was able to double my EV range going home once although at a miserable 3 mph.

    I adjust for this in summer when AC needs to be used in the afternoon drive home where AC wastes battery so I want to use up EV in the morning when I don't need it.
     
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  13. joachimz

    joachimz Senior Member

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    I have a now 52 mile one way commute, I profiled it and posted my driving style here: #1
    this was when i was charging at work, with the $100 Chargepoint card, which is now expired.
    Currently I only charge overnight at home, interesting enough, my displayed EV range has continued to improve, last week 45.1, posted a pic in another thread. My driving style now differs, basically no more EV on the fwy other than downhill or flat section after downhill.
    I need to collect some more datapoint, but for the month of August my miles/kWh shows 8.4.

    Key is, there is no "1 size fits all", you'll have to try multiple techniques for yourself and choose what works best for you
     
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