WOW! That was a really informative read. Today it was -10 when I started my car. I'm on my second tank of gas, but this morning I only got about 38 mpg, but my average on my first tank was 45 mpg. I attribute it to the cold weather and the fact that I turned my car on with the defrost on full for about 15 minutes before I got in. I noticed that mpg had dropped from 51 to 15. HAHA. This may take some getting used to, but I am becoming obsessive with the mileage.

To answer Georgia's question I am in the freezing mountains. It has been unusually cold, but I blame that on the greenhouse gases.

I just hope that I made a good first purchase. My parents were advising me to buy something cheaper (they are always worried about me going into debt) because I might not always have a place to plug it in. My sister said the same thing about the plug. So did my editor. And this morning, the guy I share an office with asked me how often I plug it in. My managing editor asked me where the plug comes from, as he looked over the hood. I think people are scared of the hybrid car. My dad talks about my car like it is a communist conspiracy. I find it interesting.

Hot_Georgia, what do you mean by that? Did I miss a joke, or do you bring a bucket of ice into the car literally? How do you utilize the ice?

That brings up an important topic guys......

How could we go about trying to rid the "general public" of that ignorance? I mean, we are all proponents of Hybrid cars and want them to succeed, right?

So what could we do as "Hybrid Activists" to bring to world into the know about how hybrids work, all the advantages, and the fact that you DONT PLUG THEM IN ????????

I'd love some ideas on how to promote that knowledge better, because obviously, the car companies are not doing a good enough job.

Hi Lars-ss:

___The best way to remove some hybrid ignorance is to put a plug in the darn things! We aren’t ready yet but another 5 + years and you will definitely want a plug with a then included much larger cap pack to get you around locally without using the ICE at all.

___Benb, ICE is the Internal Combustion Engine.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

I understand the conflict there, Wayne, I really do. But personally, if I could do so, I would LOVE to have a plugin option and spend 5 cents every night to charge my hybrid battery to full and help me maximize mileage with my existing design.

Hi Lars-ss:

___$0.05 might be a little low but … Yep

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

welcome benb! its great to see another pennsylvanian on the site! i hope you enjoy your hybrid as much as the rest of us do here. unfortunately i don't live in pa as of now, but that is do to my current career choice of the military. eh well.

the '05 hch was my first car as well, and im enjoying it immensely. i wouldn't dream of purchasing anything else.

enjoy!

Wow! Sorry for the late response to the questions.

Actually a small 6-pack Coleman cooler. Summers here are brutal and the torture of steaming in a closed, hot car isn't worth the extra cost of A/C. When I'm alone on my daily commute I don't want to run the A/C so I'll toss a pint or so of ice cubes & a little water into the cooler before I leave. An occasional swab and I'm a happy camper.
I'll cycle the A/C on/off as needed if I have passengers.

We could take advantage of the ignorance too...I had a fun idea a while back;
Many malls around here have those EV charging stations near the handicap parking. We could tie a rope, one end under the hood and the other end to an EV plug. Just drive up to the EV station and "plug her in". No more fighting a crowded lot for a premium space.
(I'm only kidding folks, don't try this at home!)

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

l3ement, A fellow Pennsylvanian? Where are you from?

I have another question about increasing mileage. I drive over a lot of hills. It is really killing my mileage. I try to drive "with a load," but it doesn't seem to help. I just tend to slow down and get just as little mileage as I would going faster up the hill. Any tips for driving in a hilly environment? I'm getting about 42 - 44 mpg, which I think is good. Also, If I let my car heat up for awhile in the morning it kills my mpg for the rest of day. Any tips on defrosting without wasting too much fuel?

One thing to quickly remove frost is to use your windshield spray and wipers. It may ice up again depending on the temperature but just give it a blast and it will be clear again.

I don't know if this is bad advice or not but it works for me.