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Car shuffle gas waste :-/

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by cmstlist, Dec 13, 2014.

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  1. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    As of December I can't park on the street overnight and I'm currently living in a 3 car household where one goes on the garage and two in the driveway. So inevitably my car gets shuffled around several times a week now often without actual distance driven. Obviously the money wasted on gas this way is still cheaper than getting a parking ticket, but it saddens me to see the fuel consumption tick higher and higher.

    This morning I was dragged out of bed because one member of the household could not figure out how to disengage a stick emergency brake despite repeated instruction.

    Anyone else have unavoidable situations that are causing a drag on your fuel efficiency?

    Nexus 5 ?
     
    #1 cmstlist, Dec 13, 2014
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no, but a great reason for toyota to allow 60 seconds of ev under 10 mph.
     
    #2 bisco, Dec 13, 2014
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  3. Emcguy

    Emcguy Member

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    Doesn't the c have an ev button that you can use for all your shuffling? The v does.
     
    #3 Emcguy, Dec 13, 2014
  4. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Only works if the engine is warm. Otherwise the engine kicks in after about 30 seconds.
     
    #4 ftl, Dec 13, 2014
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Would love this. Our 2010 gives about 15 seconds of EV at startup. With 3-4 seconds eaten up by boot up and shifting, not enough.

    Yes please toyota, at the least 30 seconds, and a count down displaying how much you have left?
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Dec 13, 2014
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    love the countdown.:eek:
     
    #6 bisco, Dec 13, 2014
  7. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    In practice it does not actually work form a cold start. I turn on the car, press the button and it says "EV MODE NOT ALLOWED". The engine kicks in within 5 seconds.

    30 seconds? On a cold start? I can't remember ever experiencing that long a delay. If the engine is warm yeah but not otherwise.

    Basically, if I just got out of the car and someone tells me I need to move it, I can get back in and re-park it on EV. But if it's been there all night and needs to be shuffled around so that someone else can get their car out, there is *absolutely* no way to do it without gas consumption. I estimate that every cold start consumes at least 50-150 mL of gas.

    If anyone else with a Prius C has a brilliant way to get into it cold, move it out of a driveway onto the street and then shut it off without taking a drop of gas, I'm all ears.
     
    #7 cmstlist, Dec 13, 2014
  8. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    I haven't timed it, but it's long enough for me to back out of my detached garage, hit the remote to close the garage door, and reverse about twenty feet to my turnaround at a moderate speed. The engine comes on just as I start cranking the steering wheel to get into the turnaround.
    I'll see if I can time it when I go out tomorrow morning. Temp will be just above freezing overnight, and the garage is at ambient.
     
    #8 ftl, Dec 13, 2014
  9. Emcguy

    Emcguy Member

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    Ok, maybe I've never tried EV on freezing mornings. I assume in these situations your getting the 'double beep', the same as the v does if I try EV with low battery?
     
    #9 Emcguy, Dec 14, 2014
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    When just moving car into driveway, I come outa our garage like a bat outa hell, lurch to a stop and shut it down. Not good for my heart, lol.
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Dec 14, 2014
  11. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    I just read your location is Australia. That would easily explain the difference in weather outcomes :)

    I forget if it actually double beeps but yes, same error as if the battery were low, even if it's not.

    I don't have an ambient place to store the car so it's going to be cold starts until the springtime. Even in the spring and summer if it's not that warm in the morning the gas kicks in pretty soon.

    Nexus 5 ?
     
    #11 cmstlist, Dec 14, 2014
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    There's 2 kinds of EV available at startup.

    1. 15~20 seconds of EV, which I think is always available. You start up the car, there's always those few seconds, regardless of ambient or coolant temps. It's enough to get your butt out of the garage, into the driveway, if you're really quick.

    2. Extended EV, available only at decent ambient temps, off-and-on. This I've given up on, availability so unpredictable as to be useless.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Dec 14, 2014
  13. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    I timed it from a cold start, and this is with the fan off and not actually going anywhere. 12 seconds of EV. Not long enough to do the requisite shuffling where I live.

    Nexus 5 ?
     
    #13 cmstlist, Dec 14, 2014
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nope.
     
    #14 bisco, Dec 14, 2014
  15. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    LOL it helps to be more specific. You're responding to the initial question I asked?
     
    #15 cmstlist, Dec 14, 2014
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    :) sorry, i was agreeing with you previous statement, 'not long enough to do the requisite shuffling where i live.'
     
    #16 bisco, Dec 14, 2014
  17. SwhitePC

    SwhitePC Active Member

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    you already have a hybrid, why even worry about mpg with car shuffling? I'm sure the fuel lost to it is minuscule...and what if you have a ICE instead? would you complain as well? either change your living situation or prep the day before according to everyone's schedule the next day of who is going out 1st, 2nd, etc...

    or you can always just put the car in N and push each other's cars around for some fun...and exercise...if you really care so much about turning on your car to move it a little

    1st world problems :cry:
     
    #17 SwhitePC, Dec 14, 2014
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  18. irrational

    irrational Member

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    Can't speak for everyone, but my concern isn't the fuel costs... that's almost nothing; it's the wear on the engine to unnecessarily start for only a few seconds. Cold starts can be rough, and only running the engine for a few seconds doesn't do any favors either.
     
    #18 irrational, Dec 14, 2014
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  19. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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    Your concerns might be irrational.







































    Sorry I had to.



    :)
     
    #19 Blizzard_Persona, Dec 14, 2014
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  20. irrational

    irrational Member

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    #20 irrational, Dec 15, 2014
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