Prius Chicago to New York CBS news

I mentioned CARBON emissions. SMOG emissions are different. There are 2 types. Only 1 is tied to efficiency.

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And both are bad.

This as beneficial as your posts in this thead... This guy can get 59mpg in a plain old Accord. Beat that, punk

Good night.

 

If I might ask? Why does our John dislike CleanMPG's Wayne?

Do they even know each other? ever met? what's the beef?

 

Wayne fought me pretty intensely years ago, dead set against Prius. Later on, he figured out what I had been talking about and took those statements back. I accepted it as an apology.

But apparently, some still believe the publicity of an on-going conflict would be a good attention getter... I disagree and just respond by stating purpose.

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Thank you John. I didnt mean to turn the thread into something ugly. I read your site regularly and happen to like it a lot. You come across as knowledgeable and a nice guy to boot.

I continue to learn from all of you "experts" and am enjoying the heck out of it too!

 

The things you list are all common sense, and I don't think John has ever stated to not do those things.

You failed to mention the average speed of each driver, 45 mpg @ 65 mph?, 71 mpg at 47mph? The majority of the difference in mpg is due to speed.

In a 20 mile commute from cold start, differences in the highway portion of an 80% highway commute wouldn't stand out at you at the same average rate of speed. I've done multiple tests of cruise control vs throw every technique at it in my commute and the gains have averaged 2-3 mpg. shm doesn't really get going until 10 or 15 miles into the highway portion of the drive, coolant temp really isn't an indicator of full highway capability. When I hit the same portion of highway at the end of a long trip I can put up bigger numbers.

If someone wants to get every drop of fuel out of their prius, just drive it is the wrong advice in my opinion. Saying that hypermiling for the masses in all conditions isn't feasible is also correct. Common sense driving is applicable in all conditions. You're changing your own definition of hypermiling when its convenient.

 

If it's any help, Wayne absolutely loves Priuses now.
.
John1701a -- to your great credit, may I point out that "just
drive it" doesn't necessarily cover "just analyze it", "just
write it up in astounding day-to-day detail", etc, all of which
you've done the net a great service by doing? That's why we
have a community, right?
.
These early-on differences are probably about as important as
that guy in the SUV who flipped you off three weeks ago. Over.
.
_H*

 

Hi Douglas,

790 / 14 is 56 mph, not 65.

 

Once upon a time there was a discussion about two drivers traveling from Chicago to New York. But along the way:

• One driver reset his MPG display so they used the EPA mileage numbers, not the gas receipts.
• The other driver reported gallons burned that did not match the miles per gallon and distance.
• The 'driving time' was reported in hours.
• No consistent driving log or trip records from both drivers.
• Inconsistent performance, 85 MPG on the first leg, suggests pre-test preparation that was never explained.

Now this thread has wander off into areas even further removed from science and engineering and demonstrates why I sometimes send folks to CleanMPG. Folks need to be where they will be happy and avoid places where that is unlikely to occur.

Bob Wilson

 

Does he now own a Prius or any hybrid?

Bob Wilson

 

I was asking, didn't know. 45 @65 seemed like a number a reporter would put up so I used that in the example.

Sorry just got annoyed by a poster who doesn't even own the car of this forum making a statement that hypermiling was the reason for a 26 mpg increase and that same increases could be seen in a 20 mile commute when the car doesn't magically put up 71 mpg highway segments a minute after hitting the start button.

These are the times I find this forum interesting, Bob is interested in the science of the numbers, John is interested in educating the common driver, I enjoy your posts on technical things explained in a way I understand in other threads (even though you were saying I can't divide ).

Well tomorrow I'm going to indiana for the 500, out of curiosity I'll be taking the state highway instead of the interstate to see if I can replicate some of the numbers.

 

Hi Douglas,

I was not thinking you could not divide. More like you reversed the numbers. Which happens to most of us, myself included.

 

I've been reading about and somewhat practicing (I thought) the techniques such as P&G since I bought my Prius in November 07. I've had some limiited success, but had resigned myself to MPG in the low 50's in even warm weather. I had written off the FE that some were reporting as those that live in warmer climates and drive down hill both ways to work and back. On my current tank, I had driven 75 miles, and had an average on MFD of 50.7MPG.

Then I read this thread (which seems to be two in one kind of thing), and was inpired to go to cleanmpg and read Wayne's instruction on hypermiling. After reading that and about his trip to DC from Chicago (no palm trees there), I decided to give hypermiling a serious try on the way home from work. The results, or answer to "what's the point?" -

left work with average of 50.7 on my tank of 75 miles. I made the changes in route, accelaration, speed, gliding, etc. When I got home, a 25 mile trip, my tank average read 54.7mpg at 100 mile. If I did the algebra correctly, I averaged 66.7MPG on my 25 mile commute. This morning, on my commute in, I averaged 65.5MPG. I know this doesn't go in any record book, but I am thrilled. I'm now inspired to work at having tank averages at 60MPG or more. I did this safely and drove reasonable speeds when others were behind me. Wow, this is fun!

 

Keep it fun and you'll be in good company. But sometimes folks get a little anal about their mileage and that can be a joy killer. When you are ready, we can go over how to max out your MFD display and record 99.9 MPG for any non-trival distance:

The trick is to combine the AND of these elements:

• tune your vehicle tires, wheels and transaxle for minimum drag
• tune the engine
• use a maximum energy fuel
• find a route that allows steady cruise at optimum speed
• wait for optimal weather conditions
• stuff vehicle energy and warm-up "off the clock"

Once folks have maxed their display or achieved some personal best, they often calm down and become good company. They realize there are many excellent things our Prius can do and what they can do with their hybrids to extend the envelope:

• hotel Prius
• Prius UPS
• Prius emergency AC power
• Prius tow vehicle
• towing a Prius
• stretch Prius
• photocell Prius power (to traction battery)
• Prius kayak carrier
• Prius data and systems

One of the best things about general hybrid and Prius forums is enjoyment of our vehicles and the whole experience. We do engineering studies to figure out how they work and equally important, how to extend the life of our hybrids. We find the maximum speeds and fuel economy at that speed. We address hybrid skeptics who would take away our toys and sales critters who would take our greenback dollars. We even find quite places to silently glide without scaring the critters or stinking up the planet. Driving becomes fun again.

Now if you really want to get serious about mileage:

Shell Eco-marathon - Shell Eco-marathon

Realize that anything we do with our COTs vehicles will never reach these heights. These are the true mileage champions whose performance is measured in thousands of miles per gallon.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

Why does your wife get mad if you set the cruise at 50-55 mph. I mean - Isn't that the speed limit?

 

Bob,

thank you for making this posting. In my heart of hearts I was beginning to
think that you were a hopeless tek-no geek wedded only to numbers. There
is pure poetry in your posting... I humbly apologize, I can now see that you
have a soul.

Now please, please tell us supplicant near- and actual Newbies
"how to max out your MFD display and record 99.9 MPG for any
non-trival distance"

"When you are ready, the teacher will come."

We are ready...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit: The above should not be read as sarcasm, it is not --
light-hearted, yes; anything else, no. I really meant what I said.

Bob, you made the offer, I for one want to hear what you have to say.

 

No More Updates? . . .

 

Could it be that you found what you were looking for? I mean, to enter into an investigation with preconceived ideas is not a good scientific method to follow. I suspect that the difference in numbers were the fact that figures were being relayed by phone and sometimes through multiple persons. Bestmapman already mentioned the fact that he misspoke when he reported the first border crossing so it stands to reason that it could have happened again. Where us humans are involved, we make mistakes sometimes but some of us just have a harder time coming to grips with that. The weekend before the trip that Wayne made(5/16-5/17), I went from Elkhart, IN to Cincinnati, OH/Fort Thomas Kentucky area and, at an average speed of ~45 mph, I averaged 76.1 mpg over 255.6 miles there and 70.0mpg over 256.6 miles on the way back. These figures support that it was indeed possible for Wayne to have done what was reported on the trip from Chicago to New York. Unless of course you think I reset my Scanguage/FCD as well?

 

Readers, Bob has started a new thread to discus "how to max out your
MFD display and record 99.9 MPG for any non-trival distance:"

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/47913-mfd-tricks.html

 

Hi Larry,

So now the reported facts and data have changed? This is the problem when a test is not properly instrumented. But as pointed out, I have no further technical interest in this entertaining TODAY story because of the problems listed.

A well tuned, NHW20 at 45 mph should get ~70.0 at a steady state speed on level ground on a closed loop:

If you follow the projected NHW20 line from a recent Texas driver report the numbers look the same. He reports using just cruise control.

Bob Wilson