48.7 average mpg after 2100 miles

Hello all:

I have not reset the MFD mileage calculator for the last 3 or 4 fillups. When I got home today, I saw that the calculator was reading 48.7 mpg. This has made me happy!

I keep my Goodyear Integritys at 40F/38R. I don't really try to hypermile, except that I accelerate moderately fast to get up to speed, and then try to run in EV as much as possible. I also try to not accelerate needlessly, maybe coast a little more when the situation allows for it, and plan ahead a little better than in my "pre-hybrid" days. But that's about it.

My wife drives the car a good amount, and really doesn't do anything special at all. She says the only thing that she does differently is to drive it a little easier than her previous cars, since she enjoys riding in it so much.

Since we live in a rather hilly area, this mileage is probably less than I'd get in a flatter environment. So that makes the mileage we're getting even better, IMO. Actually, I sometimes wish that the traction battery could store even more charge, as I can really build up a lot of regeneration going down the hills. This in turn means more EV mode travel after getting to the bottom.

I'm sure that a good part of the improved mileage we've been seeing is due to the the mild weather we've been getting lately. And the car is breaking in. And the tires aren't quite so new.

And keeping the car clean and polished reduces the drag .


Best wishes,

 

Hello Blauer:

When I first picked up my Prius in March, I was averaging about 44 mpg. The warmer weather has definitely helped.

And maybe the traction battery is working better? I read somewhere that it takes a while for a new battery to fully condition? I do know that even at highway speeds now I will sometimes see only "yellow arrows" (under conditions with very light load on the vehicle), which suprised me at first. I thought that I would only see that at 42 mph or lower. I think that under these conditions (yellow arrows only above 42 mph), the ICE may be turning, but not burning gasoline? This may be called "warp stealth" mode. Anyway, when it happens, it is very cool to see.

Also, possibly the gas stations down here have already switched to their summer blends? I've read that can make a difference.

I read here on PC that accelerating too slow can actually hurt mileage. So I usually accelerate (when possible) at a brisk but not high rate, then back off when I reach my desired speed.

Best wishes,

 

Hello Matt:

Thanks!

I guess for the return that I would get, the effort wouldn't really be worth it for me. Also, I wouldn't be able to get my wife to try it, and in the future she'll probably be driving it more than I will. So if I see a change in the mpg, I wouldn't know if I could attribute it to different driving styles, time of the year, or an issue with the car itself.

When I mentioned about accelerating briskly, I should have qualified that I actually meant that I accelerate briskly when the ICE needs to run because of road slope, traffic, etc.

I actually do try to accelerate slowly to stay in EV mode when city driving (less than 35 mph), with stop and go traffic. This does seem to really help (or even on the expressway, when traffic is stop and go), as you mentioned. One thing that I won't do, however, is hold up other traffic behind me just to stay in EV. So I keep one eye on the traffic all around and behind me, and one eye on the MFD at times.

Lately, I'm getting so accustomed to how the car runs, that I often don't need to watch the MFD. I can tell what it's doing by the sound and the feel of the car.

The challenge around here is the lack of "flat" areas. So even when trying to accelerate very slowly in EV, some roads around have too much of a positive slope to keep the car in EV. Of course, when reversing direction on the same road this will work in my favor, and I try to use this to my advantage when going the other way.

But as the battery has conditioned, and the weather has warmed, even staying in EV mode has gotten easier. The car even does it more often when I'm not even trying to do it.

Thanks for the feedback! (PS: did I describe "stealth warp" correctly??)