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Old 04-28-2008, 07:22 PM
shu246 shu246 is offline
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Hybrids: toyota camry hybrid
Posts: 2
Default Got it! Kick up, cruise down

Still learning with the TCH. No wind and flat ground I can get 40 mpg at 60 mph just setting the cruise control. But I kept getting 20 mpg at 40 mph in town traffic.

Today I tried fairly agressive accelleration (10 mpg on the needle) to maybe 5 mph above desired cruise speed, then letting slightly off the speed pedal and watch the mpg needle.

At 40 mph I got into a mode with the ICE off, running very efficiently on battery; mpg needle pegged at bottom. Of course I would eventually have to recharge and take an entropy hit.

At 50 mph I had to let the speed slowly decay, but being gentle on the speed pedal I could get the ICE to fall into the overdrive mode and get about 40+ mpg.

Won't work in bumper-to-bumper traffic; but in light traffic with suitable distance between stoplights, and due regard for the posted speed limit I should be able now to get a lot better town mpg than I have been.
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