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First highway trip of over 100 miles!

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by managerman, Mar 31, 2012.

  1. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Drove from Columbus to Cincinnati this morning. Took the "Eco" route the nav showed..total 112 mile trip. About 80 miles of 65mph interstate the rest 45-55. Some observations....

    1.) This car rocks the MPG! More than I would have expected. See photo below.:D

    [​IMG]

    2.) Cruise control was set at 65 for all the highway miles. Decided to try drafting to see the effect....Holy Cow...it works wonders. Stayed about 5-7 car lengths behind a FedEx semi who was going 65...instant mpg quickly jumped up and varied between 65-80 mpg...once the truck exited I drafted a minivan. Same effect. Just a week ago I would have been the nut passing at 80...

    2a.) Only downer was steep uphill grades with out a corresponding downhill grade....

    3.) Pulse and glide between 45-55 works as advertised...anytime the HSI indicator is in the lower green area even when ICE is running MPG jumps to between 75-100. I getting the hang of it..

    4.) Car is very fun to drive and takes corners very well....reminded me of my Infiniti a bit...my wife was very happy that she for once did not hear me yelling at other drivers to "move over" or "get out of the way". Hanging in the right lane has never been so fun!

    5.) I saved almost 16.00 in fuel costs vs my previous Infiniti G37 on this trip! That's real money!

    -M
     
    #1 managerman, Mar 31, 2012
    3 people like this.
  2. Teacake

    Teacake OohShiny

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    Congratulations! I can't wait to try these techniques in my own hybrid one day. And thank you for mentioning "drafting." I've never heard of that technique, though I've heard mention of getting behind a semi or such and it kicks up your mpg. I'll have to look into this.
     
    #2 Teacake, Apr 1, 2012
  3. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    5-7 car lengths is way too close. 65mph = 95 1/3 ft/s Toyota Camry length = 15.767ft 65mph ~= 6.047 Camrys/s
     
    #3 ItsNotAboutTheMoney, Apr 1, 2012
  4. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    You are probably right...what is the sweet spot of safe distance and maximum effective draft?

    -M
     
    #4 managerman, Apr 1, 2012
  5. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    You can be quite far back and still benefit from a draft. Even 15 car lengths is a bit too close yet large gains can be had. Get a Scangauge II and you can read your instant mpg and find the sweet spot (good gains yet remaining relatively safe). I sometime use a big rig as a blocker when I want to drive at or just below the speed limit. There is plenty of room for someone to merge between the rig and I yet I still get some aerodynamic benefit.
     
    #5 F8L, Apr 1, 2012
  6. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    I am ordering my scanguage II tomorrow morning...I will give it a try when I get it all setup...

    Thanks

    M
     
    #6 managerman, Apr 1, 2012
  7. priusCpilot

    priusCpilot Active Member

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    Nice MPG for such a long drive. Driving close to the trucks or cars unfortunately is rock chip heaven. Its like shooting your front end with a bb gun. A clear bra would be good to protect a lot of it.
     
    #7 priusCpilot, Apr 3, 2012
  8. Tek55

    Tek55 Junior Member

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    I drove about 100 ft behind a semi from Houston to Fort Hood almost 200 miles and averaged 53.4 mpg going 75mph the whole way, at one point I was at 59 but the hills brought me down to 56 then the semi turned and I had 40 miles to go.
     
    #8 Tek55, Apr 3, 2012
  9. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    I know you all are having fun and challenging yourself to get better mpg but I strongly caution anyone against drafting. I know it really helps but, it doesn't pass the "safety logic test". Meaning the benefits do not outweigh the risk. Don't put yourself in harms way to gain 2mpgs. That's my humble opine.
     
    #9 usnavystgc, Apr 4, 2012
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  10. PR_Prius_C

    PR_Prius_C New Member

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    I just drove mine home from the dealership and got almost the exact same numbers...
     

    Attached Files:

    #10 PR_Prius_C, Apr 15, 2012
  11. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Awesome job!! This car keeps growing on me everyday! I love it...Had a 30 mile trip, highways 65mph, and secondary roads at 40-50 mph...over the weekend and got 64.3!

    Congrats on your new "C"

    -M
     
    #11 managerman, Apr 16, 2012
  12. LaGrilla

    LaGrilla New Member

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    I took a 100+ mile trip to visit my parents and got over 60mpg. I didnt go over 55mph unless instant mpg was over 75 or to prepare for upcoming hills. Sorry i took the picture of the wrong screen but i reset the Trip B when i started. ( I didnt know any better back then).
    :cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

    20120406_192222.jpg
     
    #12 LaGrilla, Apr 23, 2012
  13. frugaldriver

    frugaldriver Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse - Cato

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    What kind of MPG's does the c get with cruise control over 100+ mile trips, or do most individuals here refrain from using cruise (as I've heard that it decreases you MPG's with the c)? This drive would be on mostly flat highway with no significant hills or dips.
     
    #13 frugaldriver, Apr 24, 2012
  14. donny612

    donny612 "Captain Jack Sparrow"

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    Forgive my ignorance but with all the information that we are given with the stock displays on the C why would we need another such device? Seeking education please...:noidea:
     
    #14 donny612, Apr 24, 2012
  15. vinnie97

    vinnie97 Whatever Works

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    Even with all the info given, there is still more that is not being shared (i.e. RPMs, engine and/or coolant temperature). I'd like one myself but too broke at the moment.
     
    #15 vinnie97, Apr 24, 2012
  16. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Here is why I got the scangauge II...

    1.) I wanted to understand more how the operation of the Hybrid Synergy Drive worked so I could maximize the methods to get the highest MPG. Much of the detailed information on how the ICE and Traction battery function can be obtained from using the Scangauge II

    2.) For me it is a three pronged approach....When I drive I use the Eco Score/HSI screen on the MID, The instant MPG display on the 6.5" screen and the Scanguage...It gives me a complete picture of what's going on.

    3.) I use the following gauges on the Scangauge. There are at least 50 different parameters (standard and xgauge) that can be monitored...the following is what I like to use...

    RPM - I like to understand when the ICE is running, when it is off, and when it is in "fuel cutoff" mode (when the ICE is turning but no fuel is consumed...usually 992 RPM that is usually confirmed by the instant MPG hitting 100)

    SoC - State of Charge on the traction battery. Ranges from 40%-80%. Good to monitor in more detail than the battery display on the MID. I use this in conjunction with the AMP parameter..

    AMP- Monitors the electricity flowing to and from the battery....I can then see how much and when the ICE charges the battery...I can also see the electricity headed back into the battery from the brake regen...

    ICE Coolant Temp - I monitor this since there are multiple warm up stages in prius. This determines when the car can run in EV mode and at what speed in EV mode, It is also important if you want to block the radiator in the winter to get the Prius warmed up faster, but not overheat..

    A search of the Gen III forums will yield a ton of threads that go into great detail about the use of the ScanGuage II.

    All in all just more info to try to get more MPG....plus....most of all it's fun!!!

    Hope that helps...

    -M
     
    #16 managerman, Apr 24, 2012
    1 person likes this.
  17. donny612

    donny612 "Captain Jack Sparrow"

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    Thanks for the explanation! I'm going to check into the Scanguage.
     
    #17 donny612, Apr 25, 2012
  18. Econ

    Econ Member

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    Not a good idea if your annoyed with chips and dings from the road debris . The cost of a windshield and repaint of the hood and etc will eat up your fuel savings..and it is very dan-ger-us!!
     
    #18 Econ, Apr 28, 2012
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