What every newb should know

I've just joined this forum having been a member of the UK based EcoCarsUK group and its predecessors for many years. I got my first NHW11 Prius back in March 2001, being fascinated by the then revolutionary technology with its Atkinson Miller cycle engine, regen braking etc. I was one of the first 200 people in the UK to have a Prius (I know because the UK government back then had a £1000 money back scheme to promote the adoption of hybrid vehicles). I kept the NHW11 until 2009 when I sold it to my brother. He still has it, it's still going strong as he does very little mileage and it is still passing its annual MoT test (a mandatory annual car safety test in the UK) with its original corroded but still acceptable stainless steel exhaust system! Not bad after 23 years!. I then got a 2009 Prius, followed by a 2016 Prius and since 2021 I've had a plug-in hybrid Prius, the Business Edition Plus with the smaller more efficient 15" wheels. It's the first PHV Prius I've had and the nominal 34 miles EV range is more than sufficient for my usual daily driving needs, but I've got the economy of the hybrid engine for longer journeys. I find the EV range drops to about 29 miles in winter, whilst at the moment during the warmer weather it's showing just over 36 miles. One of the other threads stated in a post by user Gokhan that the real battery EV only capacity of the 8.8kWh (total) battery in the Gen 4 PHV (Prime in the US) is 6.34kWh. Which means that in terms of miles per kWh I'm getting between 4.5 (in winter) to 5.7 in Summer, pretty impressive! On longer journeys such as a 2000 mile motoring trip to the Alps including high speed German autobahns and steep mountain roads (obviously benefitting from the regen on the downhill sections) overall I got about 66miles per (UK Imperial gallon), which I thing equates to about 55 miles per US gallon.

The one thing I don't like in recent years is the trend to getting rid of the space saver tyre/tire. I don't like just having a repair kit with gunk, which only works for some punctures and which means after use the tyre can't be repaired and has to be scrapped. So I bought a 2nd hand space saver on ebay for £50 which I take with me if I'm going on longer journeys.

Looking forward to reading and contributing to this forum.

 

Would it be possible to fill up drive somewhere, make note of the miles before and after the drive then fill up again and calculate to find the mileage?

 

That is normally how it's done. But the person you're responding to has a 2nd generation Prius, which has a bladder in the gas tank. That makes every fill up a unique experience.

 

Even so, the law of large numbers will still do that voodoo that it do so well.

 

In other words, it'll average out over the long run.

 

Exactly. Due to vagaries of gas station pump shut off, compounded by Gen 2 bladder tank, the mpg calculation for a single tank can be off, but stick at it for 2~3 tanks and it averages out.

Maple Leaf (Toyota Prius) | Fuelly