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Old 05-09-2008, 11:01 PM
gumby gumby is offline
Energy Independence
 
Real Name: Steve
Location: Richardson, TX
Hybrids: '06 Civic Hybrid Magnetic Pearl w/Navi (as of July 1, 2006)
Posts: 1,067
Default Re: Estimating/Modeling Hybrid MPG from EPA numbers

Quote:
Originally Posted by gpsman1 View Post
Bob- based on the two routes, I would guestimate your time is worth about $6 an hour.
But, I got twice that (nearly $12 an hour), at current gas prices

Gallons of Gas Saved per week = 4.05 - 2.29 = 1.76 gallons
Money Saved per week = 1.76 gallons x $3.60 a gallon = $6.34

Extra Time per week = 5 days x (21:56 - 15:30) = 32.167 minutes.

$6.34 saved per week / 32.167 minutes extra time per week =
$0.197 per minute = $11.82 an hour.

Not so sure that's exactly a raise for an engineer, but it's not bad for Bob's own (potentially) free time.

Now the REAL question is how much worse would Bob's mileage be if he drove the Prius on the same route as the Echo (3 more miles each day), with the same speeds (faster, so presumably less MPG), and compare using THOSE numbers. I suspect that comparison might show a much less hourly rate for Bob's time! (It might be less than $6 an hour, then.)

Or Bob could take his 10-mile Prius route, and just drive that 35 miles per hour leg faster (51 miles per hour?). and maybe on the freeway (to avoid 2 lights), which would minimize the time difference, yet he'd still get significantly better MPG than in the Echo. This could boost his hourly rate.
I'm sick, I know...

.

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL
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