Best strategy for a long cruise down hill

Engine braking should be at high vacuum, but then so is common Otto-cycle engine idling.

 

Not really. The engine components involved run constantly "wet" with oil.
The little time you would actually spend using "engine braking" is a tiny fraction of it's overall total use.......and wear.

 

To B or not to B, that is that question.

 

And thus the native hum of regeneration
Is powered o'er by ersatz brakes of Jake
And declinations of great pitch and momentum
To MG1 their currents turn awry
And lose the name of amp-hours.

 

I personally use “B”.

Helps control the speed without wearing out the brake pads.

Also helps me keep the car at about 65-70 mph without going too much over the speed limit, where most people would be without knowing it during descent.

 

I use the B position two places. I use it on steep hills when I find myself riding my brakes (not in Indiana).
I also use it in stop and go traffic so I am not constantly tapping my brakes.

 

Not in Florida, it isn't. . . The highest elevation in the entire state is 345 feet!!! B Mode??? What's that...?

And here's a mildly amusing twist: one of the towns near this nosebleed inducing peak is Crestview. I've been through and to Crestview many many times over the years -- and I've never noticed much of a crest, nor is there much of a view...

And a super supreme irony: the thing that finally killed my poor old 2004 Prius? A massive brake overheat!!! A caliper on the front decided to stick while I was making a long distance run down I-10. I noticed the mileage dropping into the high 30s, but it was an old car and heavily loaded, so I mistakenly chalked it up to that. By the time I stopped and noticed the smoldering brake, the damage had been done. Imagine -- a near brake fire -- in Florida. . .

Apologies for veering off topic -- but it was fun...

 

I did see the 100 foot waterfall in Florida once.

 

On US 301 somewhere near Stark, there is a railroad overpass that has a sign at the top which says: 6% grade ahead.
It lasts about 100 yards.....or less.

 

On the way up Mount Seymour there's a hairpin turn you can take (comfortably) at around 40 kmh (maybe 25 mph). There's a sign just ahead of it saying to slow to (IIRC) 15 kmh. Just for giggles I did that once (no one behind us), it felt like I was moving backwards, lol.

 

It's been a while since I've been through there. Have they installed a runaway truck escape ramp yet? I bet a couple bored FL-DOT guys decided it would fun to put a steep grade sign SOMEWHERE, just so Florida has one...

 

Like the DOT guys who were so OCD that they installed this - in a very back road 2 hrs from here: