In this YouTube video, Toyota's Dick Kelley gives tips on driving the 2010 Prius. Not everything he says is 100% correct (EV mode is up to 25 mph, not 20 mph), but it's an interesting video to watch none-the-less.
Wha?!? Lame. The current model is 34 mph with the EV switch installed. I was hoping it would be higher in the 2010 model not lower. What's up with that?
We, in the UK, have a 29mph limit on the factory-fit EV mode on the 2004-2009 Prius. I'm guessing that the limit was set to fit with the UK's 30mph default urban speed limit. 34mph was an accident. The EV switch was never intended to be installed on the North America model, so the limit likely wasn't reprogrammed from someone else's 55 km/h. It's possible that a 10% speedometer fudge factor, as appears to be enabled on my car, was also involved and it's really 50km/h. 25mph appears to be the most common residential speed limit in the US, although it varies by state and county (source). None of this is related to the technical capability of the car, which seems to still be capped at 42mph before the engine starts.
Interesting video. The new EV mode feature on the 2010 Prius is a really good added option and I wish I had one on my 2003 model. __________________ toyota oem parts
Any car that is driven with "smooth foot on the accelerator" will give you the best mpg - km/L Fuel Efficiency. If I stomp on my Polo 1.4 TDI Diesel in town and I drive like a maniac to the next (red) traffic light I get easily 7.5-8L/100km - if I drive it taking care of what is ahead of me and accelerating progressively (BTW I have a manual gearshift), I can get 5L/100km... The video is also wrong, because when you coast and there is enough battery, the gas engine stops and the kinetic energy is kept by just using a little bit of the electric motor to fight off air/tyre drag to keep speed constant.
