Just out of curiosity, on a pretty flat road with mostly ideal weather conditions, at what speed do you get the best mpg? I have tested this on multiple roads and I can't tell too much of a difference between going 65mph and going 55 mph. Maybe I not doing something right. I know that some will say that our cars already get great mpg and they do, but just out of curiosity what is your experience. Be well, Albert be well
i haven't done any serious testing, but have always felt 55 delivers better than 65. 50 even better, but no highways around here you can drive that slow.
I can't drive slower that 65 in my area on the freeway or highways. I will be honked at really bad. be well
The pulse and glide method will give you better mpg than any one single speed, but if you really had to make a choice, I'm pretty certain the most economical speed would be closer to 35 or 40 m/h than 50 or 60, mostly due to the increase of air resistance at higher speeds. This chart starts getting noticeably steep around 60 km/h (37 m/h). For what it's worth: the U.S. Office of Defense Transportation established a national maximum "Victory Speed Limit" of 35 mph to conserve gasoline and rubber for the American war effort. The Victory Speed Limit lasted from May 1942 to August 14, 1945, when the war ended.
It's a balance between wind resistance and engine efficiency. The beauty of the Prius is that the hybrid system can keep the engine close to optimum rpms. So we can go slower without forcing the engine to run a inefficient speeds. For me, the bests is the slowest, but I still need to get where I'm going. In 35-40 mph zones, though, my mpg are really high.
I try to go 60 on the loooooooong trips. Haven't done it in the prime yet (might go to AZ at end of July) but it's just easy to me to figure miles & time by going a mile a minute.
I usually keep my cruise control at 55 when I drive long drives. In City, in traffic, will go below 50, if its a free flow, max 60. BTW, I started being slow and calculated driver with PiP. Before, on my accord, I used to drive aggressively. Prius thought me to be slow, smooth, nice, less risky, mileage conscious driver.
Thank you everyone who has chimed in today. Thank you for that chart. Yes, here in my area in California I will be honked at for going too slow. I've been honked at more than once in a 55 zone for going 55. Highway I try not to be a jerk and stick to the right lane and follow the flow of traffic on that lane. be well
The best testing of past generations indicates peak MPG is at about 15 mph, and clearly in the 10-20 mph range. This is slow enough that essentially all drivers must trade off the values of fuel vs time or traffic safety. In effect, best available MPG speed is therefore the slowest speed that you can otherwise tolerate Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
