Good point. If the engine is already hot, then you don't pay the heating penalty for short trips. Tom
If you can't quit using the Prius to tow the Camaro, then at least put some air into the Camaro's tires.
a 6 mile commute is fantastic for low fuel consumption, much better than 20 miles. Lets do some maths. 6 miles each way is 12 miles a day, over a fortnight that is 120 miles at 33mpg 20 miles each way is 40 miles a day, over a fortnight that's 400 miles. I get 4.4L/100km 120/33 = 3.636 gallons of gas 400 miles = 644 kilometres, @ 4.4L/100km = 28.34 litres of petrol 3.636 gallons of gas = 13.76 litres of petrol Fuel saved with a 6 mile commute rather than a 20 mile commute = 14.58 litres or better than half! how good is that? Oh, my 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres is not in silly freezing conditions. I deliberately mixed up the units, don't like it? then convince your government to convert to metric, the global system.
I drive 7.1 miles one way to work daily. Often into a southern prevailing wind. Always lots of hills & have to stop at a minimum of two stop signs, more often if I meet traffic. The full 7 miles is hilly. I have put on wider tires (decreased mileage probable). I don't hypermile, have a scan guage, do any gliding or slip sliding away. I just drive & usually slightly above posted speed limit. However, I do have good driving habits & not a run & gun guy either. Over appx 8,000 miles I am averaging 50+ mpg. With the wind, cold weather & hills, I'm happy with that. The weather is warming here & the last 1,000 miles I am averaging 51 mpg. I live in the country & drive appx. 80/20 split on miles, 80% highway & 20% city. My worst full tank was with brand new tires, miserable crosswind, winter & significant hills. Lexington, OK to Muskogee, OK for those familiar with the terrain. It was like 48 mpg. Some cars of the same make/specs just simply do better than others. But the drivers themselves can really make quite a difference. Like I said, I just try to drive reasonably prudent & it works for me. I'm happy with my mileage for the most part. Others may need to work at it a bit to improve their driving style & mileage. I'm not suggesting anyone doesn't know how to drive. I am saying some vehicles & drivers get better mileage than others.
thanks for the quick calculations. to assist, i am actually getting 7.1 L / 100 kms. i converted as it appeared the majority of the posts from the US. i am driving the car in Calgary and commute is approx 10 kms each way.
Yeah but 6 miles at 45mpg (min EPA for the Prius) would be 10.09L, an additional savings of 3.67, an additional 27% savings. The fact of the matter is that cold weather combined with short trips is basically the key weakness of the Prius. I don't think anyone here in their right mind would suggest that pickjs artificially extend his commute to 20 miles LOL. EBH would help, grill blocking too. I'd just wait for the coming summer months and see how mileage improves.
Which was Pat's point exactly. A short trip is a good thing, even if it doesn't produce great mileage. My commute to work is exactly zero, so my commuting mileage is either zero or infinite - one of those darned indeterminate points. Either way it is a good thing. Tom
They drove it as a racing car, as if entered in a race: accelerating as hard as possible to the next corner, at the latest possible place to brake, then slam the brakes on to drop speed to the highest speed they think it can corner at, and accelerate to the next corner. The only time it would hit constant speed is once it hits the speed limiter. Should be possible to hit 100+mph on that track. The Prius was therefore stuck in fuel-enrichment mode (at top end power, cars add more fuel than necessary to ensure all oxygen is used up, and to keep combustion chamber temperatures down, to prevent damage) and using large amounts of fuel. It would also be unable to get any regen charge - slamming brakes on uses friction braking - and have to direct some engine power to keep the battery charged. The following BMW M3 was simply trying to keep up with the Prius, so was able to accelerate more slowly, within its (relatively) efficient power band. Result, less fuel used. The piece, and the bit afterward, were incredibly well written. They managed to insinuate all sorts of rubbish without actually saying anything actionable.
As a zero kms. commuter myself, I applaud the motion. And, seriously, couldn't it be a lot better to think different about "going to work"?
You think the reasonabely priced car reached 100+ mph on the straight? I doubt it. Maybe the Prius can, once, twice, maybe three times. By then the batteries are knackered and the car is overall lurkier and youd not even reach 100 on a long motorway strech. Also, with such race driving the batteries overheat and is completely cut off from the hybrid system. it happened to me on a strech of countryside road and had to catch a ferry (from Dunkerque to calais) The batteries were at 52C (122F) and totaly useless.
i read this post before any replies had been made, but chose not to answer as i would have only been a smart nice person. i myself am not a slow driver and still manage 41-45 mpg regularly. so my tip to the troll would have to be, when coming to a stop, instead of putting it in neutral and bouncing off the rev limiter, take your foot off the gas
I wouldn't be surprise if they have the parking brake pushed in a bit. They got caught lying about Tesla running out of battery. Who knows how they drove the Prius to get that kind of MPG.
That would be awesome - just think the Dead Milkmen could do a reunion tour with a new song - Bitchin' Prius.
Hmm...., I was at 62 mpg at 200 miles on my tank, then we had some heavy rain then cold and headwinds come through here, and now I am at 59.7 mpg at 250 miles on the tank. He might learn how to do it eventually. But, if he is taking lessons from that incompetent on the BBC, he might not.
