Just filled new blue 2006 for the first time - 36 mpg Ten mile ride to work - lots of stop and go. It seems rare that it moves on electric alone - even when I start slow. Real slow. Is that normal? It is cold here (20's) in PA. The ICE (love that sort of talk - I guessed that means the motor) shuts off when I stop at a sign or light - but starts up when I touch the go pedal (can't very well call it a gas pedal). Hoping for warmer weather.
You said it all. It can be cold in PA, I know I have been there done that! The car is keeping itself on and you warm. Do you have the front defrost on? That is almost an automatic turn on for the ICE. You are doing well. Wait till summer you will do better than I will, but you will sweat and I won't! Work with the car.
New driver, new car, cold weather. I agree with Hdrygas: you're doing well for your first tank, in the winter. Give it time and don't overreact. Settle in, read some threads, and WELCOME to Priuschat!
I usually have better luck kicking it into electric only if I accelerate briskly, then back off the accelerator. I'm getting 41 on my first tank with lots of stop and go and hills; but moderate temps. You'll definitely do better with warmer weather.
That is quite correct. Prius will blow your mind later this spring. None of those factors will apply anymore. You'll be absolutely amazed. I can easily do stealth at 20F degrees. But after over 5 years (107,000 miles) of hybrid system awareness, my foot just naturally knows what to do without any thought required.
So that's the secret, huh ? I was wondering about that, too. I only been on test drives so far, but it seemed to start the ICE fairly quickly. I could stay in electric with slow parking lot driving, but that's it. Hope to be able to post a pic of my new Prius within a week.
jimfah: Your doing fine. I am also a new 2006 Prius owner as well but I have been reading PriusChat for many moons already. You are getting good advice in response to your question. I got 43mpg on my first tank but the way I see it that is twice what I would get with my other car (2002 Saab 9-5 / 4 cylinder). So, until my foot learns more I'm very happy. Enjoy your new Prius.
I don't get much better than that, (well, I get 41-45) on my 8 mile drive to work. There is something I want you to try though. Don't start slowly. Accelerate "briskly" to cruising speed then back off the accelerator and try to maintain close to that speed without a lot of pedal. The reasoning behind this is that the engine works more efficiently at 70% of top speed. It also runs more until it warms up trying to get to its most efficient mode (warmed up). I babied mine for a tank and got 42 mpg. Next I drove it more like my old car for a tank and got 45 mpg. Then the winter gas mix (it is a leaner mix in the winter) and cold weather hit and I hover slightly above 40 most of the time. The only time I get electric alone is the last 1/2 mile in my neighborhood on the way home ICE = Internal Combustion Engine Tony
I asked the dealer if there was an adjustment to keep the electric motor on longer. They answered, "it's all controlled by the computer and no there isn't an adjustment." My first tank gave me 52 mpg, second, so far is 53 mpg. I'm real easy on the happy pedal. Fredric
This specific question, in the situation that's described here (short hop work commute) is what prompted me to order my EV mod. B)
The EV mod will get you going, but unless it is all downhill with air (hot or cold) and defrost off, I doubt you'll get 10 miles out of it. SOC has to stay above 2 and you have to either enter EV immediately on startup or wait for the engine to be warm enough to achieve EV (and stay under 34 mph and not be too demanding per our other thread ). That said, it is truly a neat feature... you'll enjoy it and enjoy capitalizing on its benefits (better mpg 'round town not to mention the nearly on-demand ability to scare your neighbors as you shoosh by).
I know EV's not the perfect answer, and I'm under no delusion that I didn't buy an all-electric car that goes zero to 60 in 8 seconds... but it seems to reason (in my peabrain ) that EV's going to help me a lot on this particular 1 or 2 mile stretch of city road between here and my house: it's flat and there are lights every few blocks and moderate traffic. ICE kicks on and off (mostly because of accelerating to speed -- car's warm by the time I get to this point) especially when I time the lights wrong. Appreciate it, though, and I'm stoked to scare the neighbors! B)
