POLL: What mode do you drive in and why what percentages?

Jim, if your looking at it that way, there are 4 modes.

I guess we have been talking about "driving" modes... EV is more for puttering around and is extremely temporary until we get some real batteries and plugin going down.

 

So far "eco" wins by far, next "normal most with power mode less" and third just plain Normal mode.


This poll is most interesting to me, and the rational and results people feel they are getting too.
The driving experience in the GEN III is so new, I doubt most of us has honestly tried all 3 different modes too much.. at least on a whole tank of gas.
Usually we quickly find what we like and stick with it.

In any test on mpg, there are tons of variables... but by enlarge all the variables remain consistent when its the same car, driver, location, gas, technique etc etc.. thats what makes this so interesting and valid.

Until now, I"ve been running around in eco mode taking it easy while my wife is running a GenII and pretty much does jackrabbit starts and she still gets 3 - 4 mpg less than I do. Of course her car is broke in..

Yes I can stretch it if I keep my speed down and really try, but for the most part I've just been driving normal with a little attention to take-offs.

I'll try to do the same in normal mode for a while and then on my next tank maybe bump up to power mode and see what happens.

 

Sorry for being vague, but I tried to mention it back in post # 9

 

Eco is an excellent too to learn good driving habits.... once your foot gets trained, you may want to bounce back to normal mode.

I drove my GenII for 3.5 years and when I got my GenIII, I too preferred Eco mode.... even thought I felt I was a pretty good driver.

But the GenIII has different software to get used to as its more accurate in giving feedback. Now that I'm used to Eco mode, I like Normal mode better and I feel my foot earned a new degree of training.

Thats why I say power mode would be very difficult to drive economically with unless your foot was very sensitive as very little movement does alot.

When I got used to Eco mode, it didn't bother me until I got back in one of my GenII's as it felt like it had more power than my GenIII just because the pedal was so much more responsive.

 

Good point... finding the magic zone is much easier in Eco mode.
Even in Normal mode, its easier than the GenII.

 

I may be wrong, but lowering fan speed also lowers the cooling needed for the compressor and so less energy. To keep air at a certain temp, is easier if its moving slower because there is less cubic feet of air to deal with per second or minute.
I agree the fan alone is nil.

I also think it doesn't necessarily turn the fan or A/C down globally when going to Eco, but only when it deems its not advantageous to run at high. Then when the ICE is going to run anyway no matter what, it takes advantage of that window and runs the air extra hard to make up for lost time in an effort get the air temp modified to where you set it.
You may be doing your test at times when the ICE is not fully engaged and so the car thinks its a good time to save energy rather than use it on cooling.

I've been running before and all of a sudden the air kicks on like crazy when I didn't do anything, I"m assuming that's whats going on.

Again, I have not studied this but just going by memory of what I"ve heard in other posts..

If there is anyone who has actually done their homework, maybe they will chime in.

 

No worries David... no matter how much you read and learn out here there is just too much to keep up with and you will always learn more.

There some really smart cookies out here that specialize in parts and pieces of the prius.
I'm just a guy who tries to glean enough myself to understand the big picture, but by no means knows much about anything.

Some of these guys are so far over my head I can't even read their threads and make any sense.


But when you get bored John has one of the coolest compilations of facts and information to study and make your head explode. It will give you a good foundation and understanding to go off of so some of the more advanced stuff starts to click.

It is very easy to get tunnel vision when we learn in a few areas but don't see the big picture.

 

Until we go plugin with a vastly bigger battery, EV is of little use, but its not of "no" use.

I use it mostly when I first turn the car on and the prius insignia fires up... if you hit it at that moment, it will lock on and the ICE won't engage unless you breach one of the parameters that forces the ICE to come on.

Its useful if you want to move your car a few feet to wash it, or move it out of the way... or go a very short distance from point A to B "like around the block".. but speed is very limited. "10mph when the ICE is cold"

Its a nice novelty and sometimes actually is a nice tool.. but in large is of no real benefit. But you have to admit, its "cool" to have it and show off when you want to be sure the ICE doesn't come on!

The EV that really puts money back on your pocket is the one that is automatically done by the computer when coasting, braking, stopped at a light etc. And those times are usually not true EV, but the ICE is silently revolving with no spark or gas awaiting its next order to engage.
This allows undetectable seamless injection of power from the ICE when needed.
Every time we coast because traffic is in front of us, but then see it start moving before we get there, and we gently apply the gas again for power and the ICE engages without us ever knowing the difference.

If the battery is charged and we drive on a relatively flat surface 40 - 60'ish mph, it will look like we are in EV mode because we will see 70 - 100mpg on the gauge when in reality the ICE is freespinning or only partially utilizing its power and mostly utilizing energy from the battery.

The Prius is amazing in how it does what it does.
Reading some of the PDF's on Johns page helps to start to understand the complexity and marvels of the prius.

There are competitor hybrids out there that do well for what they are, but do it in a very clunky segmented "non seamless" way thats annoying and by no means leaves you with the feeling of driving a high end luxury car thats built to perfection.
It kinda makes me mad.. because I feel there "must" be a higher profit margin between the customer and the manufacturer to be able to sell so close to what a prius sells for with such clunky simple technology.
Fortunately for them, the public rarely appreciates the complexities of the prius.... they put the icing on the cake that makes it worthy of the party!

Some of those other cars feel more like a science project instead!