Does anybody find any use for the P&G technique with a 2017 Prius ?? Has Toyota Tech made this redundant, and that a steady right foot now produces the best mpg? Finding that the EV icon comes on at up to 70 mph, I would have thought that this technique would allow even more scope for hypermilers? What are peoples experience of this, or is it now only of historical significance????
Yes, if you're patient enough, and if the traffic is light, it does give significant improvements. A steady right foot is a good start, and is necessry to successfully P&G. ECO Mode gives slower throttle response, and makes it easier to have a steady right foot - though it doesn't actually give better l/100km, just a little easier to control. Some prefer the "punchier" response of PWR mode, though. BUT - it's a matter of diminishing returns when cars get more efficient. (using FUELLY figures) with Gen 2, a 10% improvement will improve from 5.4 to 4.85 l/100km (0.55 litre/100km); with Gen 3, a 10% improvement will improve from 5.0 to 4.5 l/100km (0.5 l/100km); with Gen 4, a 10% improvement will improve from 4.5 to 4.05 l/100km (.45l/100km). Personally - I prefer to let RADAR CRUISE drive for me - I can get better economy doing it myself, but I'm willing to pay that price.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. There's nothing wrong in sticking with the one you like, even if another might be a bit more efficient. Me, I'm enjoying mixing heavy boot with more frugal driving and still I'm getting mid sixties average mpg. Had my 16 for six months now, about 6,000 on the clock and never had so much fun with my clothes on before.
Gen4 can be driven more liberally than previous Gens as it has become a good 20% more efficient than Gen3, and allows to enter EV mode more often and at higher speeds. Ambient temperature still plays a big role. I am doing P&G whenever possible in city traffic, but pre-emptive / predicting driving, that allows for a smoother ride, is what lowers fuel consumption. Useless accelerations to a red light, and braking like there is a wall, when one can brake slowly in SAFETY and not irritating other drivers or slowing traffic (as it seems most Prius drivers like to do in USA, especially in the left lane of the highway) will help improve fuel consumption. On Gen3 I would use ECO mode the whole time, especially in winter has it would not keep the engine on so often at traffic lights. In Gen4 that is not necessary anymore as there is a specific ECO mode for the A/C-Heater, and I somehow achieve better MPGs in driving in Normal Model all the time. I don't like PWR at all, as it is too responsive for the traffic and my driving style. To add to the post above, reported fuel consumption of real drivers in Spritmonitor shows the following: Gen 2 - 5,21L/100km // 45mpg Gen 3 - 5,08L/100km // 46mpg Gen 4 - 4,43L/100km // 53mpg (the numbers for this model are from a more limited sample size) Please also note that the Gen4 has the same performance (acceleration and getting to speed), if not better, than Gen3 having less HP (122 vs 136)....
Using Eco mode, the throttle sensitivity is just right to allow the use of a very smooth brake regen without creating a nodding dog passenger(s). On non-Motorway rural roads, a Pulse & Glide drive style is almost inevitable, as road hazards demand both acceleration and then braking, or at least the development of an 'acceration sense' to get the most glide phase using the lightest braking foot to create EV charge for the longest time. Although maybe with the 2017 Gen 4 this is just not helpful?? But Freeway/Motorway driving is different, and it is tempting to consider that with Smart Cruise Control, Toyota R&D will have the best algorithms for the best mpg, despite the fairly strong acceleration that the car uses to get back up to the Set speed....... a very full fat/high caffeine approach that wouldn't be my first choice I like to think that I am smarter than the car....but maybe I am fooling myself????
Using DRCC, it makes a difference in the way it responds if it loses speed on hills etc whether you're using ECO or PWR mode. I'm not sure how that translates to (l/100km or MPG), though it's response in ECO is more like P&G technique than in PWR where it will sink the boot in quickly and hard, compared with slowly and gently in ECO.
Some users here were beta testing a produce to smooth our small, involuntary accelerator movements that waste fuel. Smartpedal | Smartpedal The PriusChat thread started at (5) beta testers sought for new technology | PriusChat Some Gen 3 users have seen a noticeable increase in mileage. I understand it works on Gen 4 too.
Apparently this device makes use of the drive-by-wire accelerator. It plugs in between the pedal and the wiring to smooth out small unintended pedal movements.
Hello! After reading about Hypermiling techniques here I drove in NORMAL mode, and got a good average consumption and excellent results in SCORE. For example: On an avenue, I want to explore a speed of 40 km / h. I accelerate to 60km / h (following the blue ECO GUINDANCE bar), then I take my foot off the accelerator, glide for a while and keep the 40km / h speed range in EV MODE constantly. In doing so, it is common for the computer to score 60% more in EV MODE for my commutes, and I get a compliment from the dashboard when I turn off the car. "Keep that way of driving" But my question is: is this percentage of EV MODE operation common to you? Could averaging over 50% in EV MODE be detrimental to the battery bank in the long run, despite being praised by the car's dashboard? Thank you
I don't think it's detrimental. I've had short trips of a couple of kms with 100%, other times over 50% - but my lifetime average is about 34%. But your average!!! litres/100km is the best way of assessing how good it is, rather than EV%. The dashboard compliments are from an algorithm which doesn't quite know where you've been - and where you're going next. It's given me a rap over the knuckles on a 3km journey where I used no fuel, ended up with an almost full battery, but it thought I could have done better in every respect. Interestingly with braking too - despite only using them twice gently - instead of running into the car in front. There are some places where forcing EV mode is detrimental to economy. Like if you get to a level piece of road which the computer could have traversed in EV mode - but because you forced EV up the previous hill, it had a low battery, so the ICE runs, including sitting at a traffic light for 2 minutes. But, if you know you've got a decent downhill coming up - you can run the battery down by the top so it fills up "for free". The battery - it's got multi-sensors, and if it's been charged up and depleted a few times in rapid succession, you'll notice that it refuses to go into EV Mode for a few minutes despite having a full battery - till it's cooled down. If you don't have tinnitus like I do, you can apparently hear the battery fan under the back seat spinning faster.
Not necessarily. EV Drive Ratio includes any time that the engine is off so even if you're gliding (no engine power, no battery power), it still counts towards the EV Drive Ratio. Battery temperature is the bigger factor (I don't know if your part of Brazil gets as hot as some desert places in the US such as Arizona, New Mexico or Texas where temperatures exceed 40°C in the summer). If Brazil gets the NiMH for the Prius, it's a very reliable battery.
Thanks. I had forgotten that not using the pedals counts as EV mode. Which justifies my high percentages. Although I live in the coldest part of Brazil, some days in summer are very hot. Let's see how it will behave. It will be almost a fire test.
I just now started using it, along with feathering (I have a 2018 Prius 4). Before, I was using the ECO display and was consistently getting better than 55 mpg average (street), improving to 60+ over time. Switching to P&G /w feathering, I am guessing that fuel efficiency improved by about 5 MPG. However, you need to use the Hybrid System Display and ECO display to feather and pulse properly (Hybrid System Display to glide and feather; ECO display to pulse). This takes a fair amount of practice with the various ICE stages. The idea is to drive in such a way that the ICE runs as little as possible. You pulse the ICE + MG to get up to the posted speed while still remaining within ECO limits, and then "glide" - using MG power alone to maintain speed. You try to anticipate traffic so you can glide to a stop - or even better - glide so that you don't need to stop (e.g. slow down for traffic light so you don't come to a complete stop before the light turns green).
I've gone all eco mode with great results (60 mpg+) except in cold weather (southern New Jersey) on a mostly flat 60 mile commute each way. Coming up on 2 years with the 2017 Prius 2. Based on what I've read here, it's time to experiment with Normal mode just to see. I find the key is the ability to see down the road enough to see the traffic lights, that's the most important variable.
I abandoned Eco mode because I like using DRCC and it is too slow to respond in Eco mode. No need to make the surrounding drivers mad due to varying speed needlessly.
