Has anyone else noticed that their approach to traffic has changed since driving the Prime? My commute includes about 10 miles local roads, where I use EV and 25 miles highway, where I switch to HV. If there is a slow up or stopped traffic, I switch over to AutoEV and watch the battery regenerate when I coast or brake. I wonder if I could apply for a break on my health insurance premium since it does wonders for my blood pressure during my commute.
Indeed My driving habits changed since I got the Prime. Just by exploring this car's driving mode features made me to the slowest part of the driving flock - especially on highway. Moreover doing the daily commute in EV mode I found out that the EV range was increasing and recently stabilized at 32-33 miles. I believe it is due to my evolving eco-driving habits. Let's see how will it play during long road trip I am yet to take. Kris
Yeah, I think any hybrid will change your mindset. Well, can, if you'll let it. Around here we have madman Prius cabbies, for a counterpoint. And once you get in that zone, you will be hypermiling no matter what you're driving. I'm even trying my guts out, driving our daughter's Pilot, lol.
Yeah, I so enjoy just riding along, listening to sooth jazz on a great sound system, and letting life pass by. Have never had more fun with a car.
I guess the Prime is perfect for riding along. Yet have to see how it behaves on long road trip though. I used to drive BMW 328xd SW which was efficient and fun to drive - especially on fast long trips (40+ mpg @ 80+mph avg.) and switched to Prime for practical reasons (short commute and less long trips in sight) but Prime re-defined the definition of having fun with a car for me. I am so much impressed by the car so far. It's quiet, and responsive with so many features which make big difference in driving experience. For the first time I am no longer bothered with Houston traffic - just set the DRCC and enjoy quiet ride with all the hassle passing by..... Kris
It's definitely a "zone" and after 4 1/2 years of Pip, it seems second nature to be aware of kinetic energy management. back in the 80's I got to see Bob Hoover demonstrate his "Energy Management Series" maneuver at the Rocky Mt Airshow outside of Denver, where he shut off the engines on a Twin Commander and proceeded to perform a series of aerobatics for a couple of minutes. Here's a long treatise on energy awareness in aviation that may be able to be translated into our everyday driving: Energy Awareness and Energy Management
There are at least two accounts here that I can think of that tell about long tips in a Prime. Fun to read.
As Mendel said, yes, driving a Hybrid will definitely change your driving habits. I'm generally a safe driver. Even before the hybrid, I tried not to go faster than 70 -- and only would go up to 74 if it was late at night driving home in little-to-no traffic (and this is California, where you can easily add 15mph to the above speeds for what a lot of people do). I don't go in the fast lane unless I'm passing, and it's rare that I need to pass. When I got my hybrid, I tried never to go above 70 (for the mpg), even late at night when I'm tired and want to get home. But I have to be honest: if I use someone else's non-hybrid car, I will creep back up to 74/75 for those late-night, empty freeway drive homes. When I'm back in the hybrid, I'll try not to go above 70 or 71. But interestingly, I'll continue the gentle accelerations (no jack-rabbit starts) even in an all-gas car. So I guess having a hybrid does keep one in line... but while I might inch the speed up just a bit if driving a non-hybrid car, a lot of the good, gas-saving habits still remain and are firmly in place.
My 08 Gen II definitely changed my driving attitude. My competitiveness was channeled into maximizing mpg rather than speed and aggression. Those changes have pretty much persisted in 3 years with my Subaru Forester. SM-T530NU ?
As I think back on it, I've always been a bit of a hyper miler. Back when I was driving a '65 Chevy station wagon, I was trying to get better than 20 mpg. Then with the motorcycle, I was always looking for better efficiency in spite of an occasional hearty twist on the loud stick. I'm still not a bonafide hyper miler, but I am cheap.
My battery was almost spent today, and I was driving around (street) to something just a couple miles away, so I decided to have fun with the ECO/NORMAL/POWER switch for what was left of the EV mode charge. A big part of the ECO/NORMAL/POWER difference is psychological -- how much (or little) you have to physically press the accelerator before the car accelerates. In Eco mode, you have to press down a lot to get the car to move. In Power mode, you barely touch it and it zooms ahead. It's psychological because I believe if I absolutely floored it even in ECO mode (haven't tried it yet) it would go pretty fast too, like Power -- but you'd physically have to push a lot more (whereas in Power mode you barely step on it and it shoots ahead). But since I had to charge my battery tonight, and there was just a bit of charge left close to home, I decided to have some fun, and put it in POWER mode. Wow, was that fun. Step on the "gas" (at some point that phrase will have to be renamed in the future) and it's like a bat out of hell in EV mode. Love it. And I love that the Prime has that option, even though, at least for myself, I'll probably never use it again (defeats the purpose of trying to eek out every last bit of energy/gas). But nice to see that the car has that option..
Try Normal. Our 2010's been in that mode for about 6 years now: nice linear pedal response, can't fault it.
I used to look at prius drivers with scorn and grouped them into the same category as really old drivers and nerds. Now I have so much fun regenerating power Im sure the rednecks passing me in their pick up trucks think the same of me. Karma i guess.
I have been assimilated. Yesterday I traveled 360 miles, with no additional charge than the full one I started with, and achieved slightly over 80mpg. Air temps are up, and I have found that EV mode down mountains has a huge impact on overall MPG due to the efficiency of regen. I also found a semi yesterday doing 65. With DRCC set to 1 bar of following distance, the car managed the electric pulse and glide very effectively. I have gone from 7 over, to driving at or below the speed limit. I try to use semi's for both drafting, and ignoring the speeding hordes passing me on the left. I have a huge semi in front of me, so they were going to need to move left and pass anyway. I don't have to keep an eye out for law enforcement. My brain does not need to operate my right foot. I have been successfully re-programmed.
Fyi - car companies & insurers are working on building sensors into the car that would track your health as you drive. So yes, in the next 10 years, you might have the option of a car insurance policy that lowers your monthly premium because your new commute/car has significantly reduced your BP, chances of stroke etc. I know that Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota are all thinking along these lines. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
