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My New Prime - Only 19.5 Miles Range?

Discussion in 'Prime Fuel Economy & EV Range' started by cirruspete, May 7, 2018.

  1. PCPrime

    PCPrime Member

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    What would you say if it was you?
     
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Maybe electrons but not gas. You need the engine to spin at a reasonable rpm to get to its efficient range (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption or BSFC). This is where the "Pulse & Glide" technique came about - the pulse part is when you accelerate with the gas engine revving up in its efficient rpm band to make the most power with the least fuel (And of course if it happens to be producing excess power, it can send it to the battery).

    Yes but the glide part loses speed. The idea is that you glide for as long as possible down to a set speed (typical is 35mph to 25mph. In km/h, I use 60km/h to 40km/h). Once you get below 30mph, the car will slow its rate of deceleration due to efficient tires and drivetrain that have minimal drag on the car so the most efficient part is the 30mph to 25mph speed section. Also, at those speeds, aerodynamics play a very small role; friction plays the larger role.

    Anyway, so yes you are changing speeds which means you have to blend this technique with traffic by reading the traffic lights and judging the traffic flow (e.g. speed back up before the guy behind catches up) or if you're on a road with light traffic such that the people can go around you.
     
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  3. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Wow!
    And this is proven over just sitting back with the cruise control on set at a decent speed?
    Sounds like a lot of work to save ?? how much on a typical back road commute?
    You don't do this on the interstate during a road trip, do you?
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    not proven in a lab, but easy to get an extra 5-10 mpg on back roads, rather than steady gas pedal. especially on gen 2.
    on gen 3, toyota realized their mistake and incorporated the tech into the software, upping their epa numbers.
     
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  5. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    Pulse and glide is a great way for most cars to maximize fuel economy. In a Prius, you have great aerodynamics which allow you to glide longer than in most other cars.

    As far as "a lot of work to save"? This sums up that pulse and glide isn't for you- it isn't for the vast majority of drivers. No big deal. The proponents and detractors both have a tough sell to convince the other side to start driving differently. I like PnG but don't care if anyone else does.
     
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  6. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Strange.
    Can it be that you are just spending more time at 25 than at 35 on your yo-yo cycles?
    This could be tested, somewhat, with repeatable results.
    Maybe you average speed ends up being half way between 25 and 35 and you'd get the same MPG if you set the cruise at 30?
    And then there is the time difference to these driving styles.

    Do you guys do this on the Interstates? Dang....
     
    #26 Bill Norton, May 10, 2018
    Last edited: May 11, 2018
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you can't do it above the speed the particular gen spins the ice. that's another reason why it worked so well with gen 2.
     
  8. Helen Prieto

    Helen Prieto Junior Member

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    Sometimes i can see where the Prius is parked and sometimes i dont see it. Does anyone know what im doing wrong or not doing. I have a 2018 Prime advanced and i have added the entune app to my iphone.
     
  9. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    Doesn't work well on the interstate, cruise control is better. PnG works best when the roads are scarce. You don't want someone close behind you while you are gliding.

    I pulse above the targeted speed and glide down to a bit below. If I have someone behind me, then I'll pulse to the speed limit and take my foot off the gas for a moment and then hold steady. Either way, I'm getting to my desired speed quickly and in Power mode, as long as I don't have a stop light or stop sign waiting for me.
     
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yup. Worked on our 2002 Camry XLE 4-cyl with a 4-speed automatic. Normal driving conditions - 10.9L/100km (21.6mpg). P&G (well pulse and coast since an ICE car can't glide) - 8.4L/100km (28mpg).

    Of course with our old Gen 2, the best I got was 3.9L/100km (60mpg). A few times I did a "drive normally" tank in the summer and it was 4.7L/100km (50mpg).

    It seems like a lot of work, but if you plan your route, you can figure out where to pulse and where to glide to a traffic light that you would've stopped at anyway even if you were driving normally. It's basically learning how to take advantage of your commute route - using terrain, traffic (both vehicle volume and traffic signals) to your advantage. Once you master this, you'll come to realise how all the other people are wasting their gas and brake pads unnecessarily by staying on the accelerator longer than necessary and braking harder than necessary.


    No I don't use this technique on the interstate during a road trip. On a road trip, I want to be relaxed so I let radar cruise control (on my Gen 3), do the job. I may go into Super Highway Mode (SHM) if the highway speed limit is near 50mph but once it's 60mph or 70mph, I use cruise control.
     
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  11. PCPrime

    PCPrime Member

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    I can do P&G at 60 mph, just not so efficient as with 55 mph
     
  12. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Here's a test scenario:
    Start a timer, P&G your way to a destination a reasonable distance away. Preferably a round trip.
    Record MPG and calculate your average speed using time and distance with the timer.

    Now do that same trip, same conditions, with the Cruise Control set to that Calculate Average Speed from the P&G test trip.

    MPG and Cost differences?

    Differences to those around you? :whistle:
     
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  13. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    Not sure what the purpose of the timer would be because PnG is not designed to get you somewhere quicker. Ideally, you'd spend very little time at the top speed and hopefully spend much more time gliding slightly below the speed limit.
    Conventional driving, where one drives at or slightly above the speed limit and brakes when very close to the stop sign should be faster.

    As Tideland Prius wrote, it's designed to take advantage of your commute and the terrain. If you try PnG on a particular commute and the trip mpg is lower than conventional driving then scrap the idea. If the PnG is effective, but the route is too congested that day to safely use it, then scrap it. If the mpg is improved but it's too much effort for that particular commute, then scrap it. After a while, you'll learn where to best use it- if you're interested. Again, the vast majority of drivers are not interested in PnG.
     
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  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    The point of the "timer" OP is suggesting to use is so that you can accurately measure average speed it took to complete the round trip and use that calculated average speed to set up the cruise control for the second part of the test. I use to do P&G on my Gen3 time to time, but with so many pick-up trucks on the back road I drive, I never felt safe to use it long enough to see the benefit. I would be interested in seeing the result of this test.
     
  15. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    I see.
    I'm leaving on a 50 mile round trip in about 15 minutes, one which I make 4 times a week. There would be around 3-4 miles of that where I could use PnG. In real world driving, highway speed and busy traffic limits my ability to use that method as often as I'd like.

    This PnG video below helped me when I first bought my Prius. The site referenced there taught me a lot about increasing FE.

     
  16. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    This could be an opportunity to prove these claims,,,
    If it was longer than only "3-4 miles".
    And round trips on the same day take out elevation, wind and temp changes.
     
  17. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    I'm a big fan of the cruise control for the Prius, I think it's very efficient. In fact, whenever someone posts about bad fuel economy, I recommend for them to take a round trip on the highway with the cruise control set. At 60-70 mph, they should get 50+ mpg.

    But, for me, it's challenging to find an overlap between cruise control and PnG. When I try using the cruise control at the speeds that I find to be ideal for PnG, the traction battery engages on the high end (not good) and I quickly use up the electric battery.
     
  18. Andyprius1

    Andyprius1 Senior Member

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    Post 2, good point. When finished, what is the total range completed? That, you have control over thru conservative driving.

    What is PnG ?
     
    #38 Andyprius1, May 21, 2018
    Last edited by a moderator: May 21, 2018
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Pulse and Glide
     
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  20. Andyprius1

    Andyprius1 Senior Member

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    Ah so deska, TY.
     
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