Just got back from a 2,000 mile trip to Austin. We drove through down pours, strong head winds, heat, and snow. The Prius was loaded down and still averaged 45 miles per gallon at speeds ranging from 60-78mph. The car did great! My question is about the hybrid battery. Is highway driving hard on it, or is highway driving like any other car and easier on the Prius? My Prius sees a lot of highway cruising.
When you are cruising, so is the HV battery. The computers are pampering it, and demand is low as the engine is always on above the low 40s.
You could argue that highway driving is actually the best for the hybrid battery since it is never getting quickly drained or recharged and it is always at the perfect charge level to ensure battery life.
I drive 90% highway and have logged 2600 miles in my Prius since I got it 3 weeks ago. My average is 51.3mpg but its usually just me and a weeks worth of clothes in the car. I do notice a significant difference on weekends when we all pile into the car.
