ECO Accelerator Guidance bar minimization after take-off

I really don't have a clue what logic is behind the programming for the guidance bar since it seems to act so differently at different times but similar circumstances.

The electric motors are the heart of the eCVT along with the planetary gear set. MG1 and MG2 get power from the battery as regulated by the inverter under the command of the hybrid ECU working out how best to execute the command your right foot has given.

 

I haven't found that feature to be useful at all. I should probably disable it.

 

I always thought that minimal bar indicates timing to let the foot off the pedal after reaching the initial desired speed. Of course, that does not always correspond to the actual driving situations, like going uphill after starting or needing to marge on the highway.

Can that feature be disabled? What would it show on HIS then?

 

My last Prius drive was 1.5 years ago so I don’t have current data or a car to test. My foggy memory is the control laws still keep the ICE in a relatively efficient range. But you can’t avoid paying the aerodynamic energy cost.

Bob Wilson

 

I think it can be disabled. The background becomes solid black instead of the blue bar that moves randomly.

Toyota is not known for the quality of their software. I wouldn't put much value in what it's telling you.

 

I don't use those displays, if you scroll up or down you can have something that doesn't distract you. I blend within traffic, the car is amazing in MPG, a little more or less doesn't make a big difference.

 

That's another feature that I ignore. For example, leaving work there's a traffic light at the bottom of a hill. I need to get up the hill, and I need to get up to the speed limit before the car behind me gets impatient. I've seen the score go as low as 4/100, just accelerating briskly up that hill in HV mode but not flooring it or anything.

Just drive as smoothly as possible and accelerate and brake as gently as you can without impeding traffic, and you'll get good efficiency.

 

A high ECO score does not always equate with high mpg or m/kWh. I have gotten to work in the morning with a 90 ECO score and only 4.8 m/kWh and gotten to work with a 70 ECO score and 5.3 m/kWh. (Numbers grabbed from air (GFA) since I didn't record them, but representative.)

This!

Watching traffic is, of course, job one. If I watch anything, it'll usually be the instantaneous mpg or m/kWh gauge, but I also glance at the HSI indicator to keep it as close as I can to the line between ECO and CHG. But if there's traffic to deal with (or intersections that might hide surprises), instruments become totally unimportant.

 

I should have linked this before. You'll see that the PSD is what makes the whole thing work.

 

I'm pretty sure all of us who drive Primes, still wonder what some of the gauges are trying to tell us.
For me the key is to lay low and pay attention. The mystery usually gets demystified with time.

As far the the Prime becoming a PIA for following drivers, that's all the responsibility of the Primes driver.
If you don't understand / like why Toyota included the ECO bar the way they did, flip to another screen.
Heaven knows, there are enough of them to keep most drivers happy.

 

Or why they do weird things. That eco guidance bar can be "tricked" reliably whenever you have to brake without coming to a stop (like when a traffic light turns green before you stop). The eco guidance doesn't seem to comprehend that situation and will guide you to continue at your current speed and doesn't allow for acceleration to resume your previous pre-braking speed.

 

Some say it's that display is what give the Prius the 'Slow' reputation.
Some drivers use it and then drive slow instead of just driving normally.
I guess saving 50 cents a week is a big deal to some....

 

It's far more dramatic than that. If I drive 'normal' with the flow of traffic, in HV mode I get about 50 mpg. If I follow the display (or less) and stay behind trucks going 60 mph I can usually get 75 - 80 mpg. That's two tanks less gas per month driving 21,000 miles per year.

 

Going 60 mph close behind a truck on the highway is...... Not for everyone.
"If you're not the lead dog the view is always the same".
We have to ask "How close?"

But if you say it's 2 tank fulls a month,,,? That's a lot of gas to blow through your gasser. Stay the course, follow that truck.

 

Some people like to be at work 6 minutes earlier and pay extra for the privilege. Not sure what that's about.

 

I always wonder if following trucks is worth the extra rock chips on the paint and windshield.