P&G has always seemed rather intuitive to me once I heard about it -- so maybe I have it all wrong

Pulse: Use the ICE at it's most optimal power output range
Glide: Engine off, so no idle waste, no partial power drag

Ever wonder about theoretical maximum MPG ? For the Prius:
According to Wayne Brown, on level ground with no wind at 35 miles per hour, steady state energy demands are 3.5 - 4 kW. One gallon of summer gasoline has 36.3 kWh of energy, and the Prius atkinson ICE at it's best turns about 38% into mechanical energy, or 13.8 kWh. Five to 10% is lost in the transmission, leaving 12.4 - 13.1 kWh.

Computing the two extremes of the range:

12.4 kWh/Gallon / 4kW * 35 miles per hour = 108 mpg.
13.1 kWh/Gallon / 3.5kW * 35 miles per hour = 131 mpg.

The best leg of the marathon was about 120 mpg

R2-E2, 2G Prius.
Highway/City/Husband/Wife MPG: 56.5, as of 12/2005, 26K miles

Jac Nasser, Ford President: "We are planning to launch a hybrid version of
this car [P2000] within this year [1998]. We will also make FCEV available in
2004."