What were the RPMs required to sustatin 65mph? With a CVT, the transmission should be in the optimal gear at all times, so RPMs should directly translate into how much power you are using. I believe the top gear ratio for 65mph on the 2006 model is about 2000 RPMs.
Another possiblity is that your tire pressure may have dropped over time. If your tires are underinflated, that could add a lot of drag to your system. It will be a big help to pump up your tires in the morning when the car is still cold from anywhere between the reccomended number posted on the driver side door (minimum, probably 32psi) to the pressure rating on the tire (maximum, 44-50psi depending on brand). Higher pressure means better fuel economy and handling, at the expense of noise and ride comfort. Go as high as you are comfortable with to get the best mileage.
If you were to have some underinflated tires, combined with a headwind, combined with heavy sustained charging (this can be
very signifianct), that right there is a recipe for disaster, as the small engine inside the Civic is very sensitive to load changes -- and would need to wind up to a higher, inefficient RPM range to produce additional power. It may be best to try to minimize motor assist use elsewhere to cut down on this charging.
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When I got on the highway I put the car through it's paces. The Tach was reving up to a 5500RPM and max assist was also occuring, then I gently started easing off. When I settled in @ 65MPH, the trip computer showed me to have lost less than 1MPG overall, no biggie.
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Did you enter the freeway from a dead stop on a short ramp up a very steep hill? If not, it's
very unusual to need to accelerate at WOT like that. I would suggest if your battery is nearly full, go ahead and accelerate normally, but if your battery is already somewhat low, demanding maximum assist will only cost you more in the long-run as that will need to be "paid back" with charging. You can try shifting into "S" to accelerate onto the freeway, this will rev up the gasoline engine sooner and not require as much assist to get the job done. While this will cost you more gas initially, since you have a long steady drive where will not be able to replenish the electric assist with regenerative braking, it should work out slightly in your favor.
Driving at 65mph steady on the freeway for 25 miles or more should typically average in the high 40s to low 50s MPG. Also, was the 36mpg an average for both directions or only one way? It could be possible you were gaining elevation very slightly.