I'm trying to optimize my gas mileage in my 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid with CVT transmission. Going up the hills on country roads in Connecticut is the greatest drain.

I'm trying to determine the optimal speed for long hills that I can't simply coast up with accumulated momentum. On flats and slight inclines there seems to be a "sweet spot" in the CVT gear range at about 42 to 45 miles per hour when the tachometer reads about 1,800 rpm. I can sometimes sustain gas consumption as good as 80 mpg. (If the tachometer is reading higher, I take my foot off the accelerator until the gears shift into a higher gear range and the tachometer drops. With a very light touch on the gas I keep the tachometer around 1,800 and avoid a downshift of the gears and an increase in the rpm. There seems to be a relatively high torque available at this point for the fuel used.)

Long hills seem to be best also around 42 miles per hour although obviously the gas consumption gets much worse as the engine labors even with the IMA boost (which eventually discharges to the 50% on the battery and then the engine even starts recharging the battery a little)..

QUESTION 1: What is the best advice regarding specifics of the IMA boost percentage and speed to seek on long uphills in the country where the speed limit is in the 35 to 50 miles per hour range? (this is already the least hilly route)

QUESTION 2: What about the best strategy for climbing long hills on an Interstate highway where the speed limits are in the 55 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour range?

Many thanks