Hi All! I got my Magnetic Grey Prius with pkg 6 about 2 weeks ago here in Houston and am LOVING it. The gas mileage is great, the technology is great, I'm learning something new almost every day and it's fun. Thank you all for the great discussions here on the forum. They certainly help to get us newbies up to speed. -Nitescan
Welcome to PriusChat, Nitescan! Houston is ideal for a Prius: nice and flat and horrible traffic... You'll really like the electric air conditioning this summer.
Congratulations nightscan, I am allso very enthusiastiv about my two week old "black" Prius ! Bill, because of the low temperatures in Austria i did not testet the AC until now. Does it need much energy. Does the ICE stopping when you have AC on and going down a hill or waiting at the traficlight? Greetings, Mike
Ot: Ac Hi Mike. The Prius cabin climate system does not rely on the ICE running. The AC compressor is an electrically powered sealed unit. There are also small ceramic electric heaters, though the bulk of cabin heat does come from the engine. In the summer, the cabin is cooled even when the ICE is off if the car is in READY mode. You can stay cool for about 20 minutes before the HV battery is drained enough that the ICE has to come on to recharge it. Of course, since all energy in the car eventually comes from gasoline, a lot of heating or cooling will lower your fuel efficiency for travel. But also note that the HV battery works best in the same temperature range that you are comfortable. At 35°C (95°F) you will lose power unless you are cooling the cabin. :focus:
Shameless plug, but there's a group for all us Texas Prius owners or would-be Texas owners. (See "Don't Mess With Texas Prius Owners"). I'm hoping to start some discussion on performance of Priuses in TX as well and comparisons of dealers in Texas. Congrats on your new Prius!!
:cheer2: Congrats on your new ride! I too, just bought a grey metallic just two weeks ago... and have nearly 1000 miles on it already. Great car that I know we'll both enjoy!!!
Just curious - I am planning a trip across the country after I get my Prius this June. I was told to avoid Texas, as Prius owners are occasionally a target for police instigation. Have any of you Texas residents experienced this?
huh? never heard any such thing anywhere, including texas. trust me, there are plenty of them down here.
