I'm suspecting people are using different definitions of "highway" and "freeway". 5 to 30 mph = CITY 35 to 55 mph = SUBURB 60 to 80 mph = HIGHWAY/FREEWAY And of course, 60 mph can be a bit of a challenge to actually maintain considering how many people disobey that speed limit. Driving on a 55 mph road is a different story, but I consider that suburb... and have for many years, since MPG results different so much from both city and highway/freeway.
I too have seen a decline in start up mileage since I got the car. At first I was getting around 12.8 miles then it dropped slowly down to 11.1 miles and hung there for a while. We had some hot weather in September and I accidentally left the AC on for a couple of days until I noticed after a charge the range was only 9.6. I turned the AC off and it jumped to 10.8. It's been hovering around 10.7 ever since. I began tracking mile mileage and found that in general I am getting around 10.8 to 11 miles on a full charge so the start up mileage is pretty accurate. I live in LA so no major cold issues and my daily commute is a 2 mile round trip in stop and go traffic with lots of lights and stop signs. Last weekend I drove to Santa Monica for the first time since I started following mile mileage. It's about 7 miles from my home to Santa Monica Place but all the chargers were taken there (they always are) so I couldn't get a charge for the ride home. I watched very carefully and noted my mileage as the car cut into HEV and I had done 12.8 miles on that charge. I realized that changes in my driving pattern had a major affect on my range. When I first got the PIP my client was in Universal City which meant an 18 mile commute through Hollywood then over a steep hill into Universal City. On the way back I could generate as much as 1.3 miles of range coming down from the top of the pass. In May I started to work with a new client in Beverly Hills and the stop go driving apparently dropped my range by about .4 miles. I also think that tire pressure has something to do with it too. I am currently running 35/37 and I would probably get better mpg if I upped the pressure. So here's what I think. The 13.5 mile start up range that comes as default is a bit optimistic. Toyota would probably be better served using the EPA number of 11 miles as an intial start-up number. Then if people dropped a little they would be less worried and if they really managed 13.5 miles per charge, which some on this list do, then they would be very happy rather than just getting the "expected" range. Noel
I had a similar situation today. My normal home - work & work - home commute is 9.8 miles, with about a mile stop and go run at the start and end sandwiched with a 8 mile interstate segment. During warm months I can make the commute with about one mile EV or less remaining. Last several weeks, I'm having to drive slower on the interstate just to make it and several times I've run short of EV charge. I normally start with 10.1 EV after a charge. Today I took another route, stop and go, lights. etc., with one short stop. I figure I traveled at least 11-13 miles and arrived home with 2.4 EV miles remaining. Although today was a upper 60s temperature day, I was impressed with my EV mileage. Nothing to brag about compared to others, but the best I've achieved in nine months. I still prefer my 9.8 mile, fourteen minute commute, regardless if I can make it 100% EV or not.
