I'm a proud new owner of a titanium TCH. it is barely two days old (in my possession at least), and I'm loving the driving experience.

My observations from this car:

1. It is easy to become obsessed with the ICE turning on and off and trying to not use a spot of gasoline whenever you can.

2. It's easier to get the HSD to work after the car has warmed up a bit. It seems when I'm just starting out, the ICE wants to run most of the time with the exception being stopped at intersections and the like.

3. I pay attention a lot more about how I drive than I ever have.

4. My girlfriend believes I'm obsessed about the the FE on this car. She and I went to lunch today and it was let's say interesting. She made me change the display screen so I couldn't see what was powering the car.

5. I bought the car because it was luxurious and plush and loaded with features I've never had before. It screams luxary to me and is in a class different than anything I've ever owned. THe HSD was just an added bonus over the XLE.

6. When gas hit $3.05 this week, I smiled.

7. THe learning curve is steep.

I'm looking for tips and input on how to get the most FE out of my new TCH. There are some good things on this site. I do have a question, though.

Have you found it normal for the ICE to kick on from dead stops at intersections to get the car up to speed?

THanks.

Several notes in reply to your post.
1.) Yes it is easy to become obsessive with the TCH FE. You can't help it.
2.) Almost every start uses the ICE unless you are starting from a roll heading downhill.
3.) The ICE will start up about 10-15 seconds after start button when the engine is cold. (This is to warm the catalytic converter as I understand).
4.) Running the AC on high even with ECO on can and does effect overall fuel economy. Just ask the guy in Las Vegas about that.
5.) You will read, about lurching, lunging, jerking, hesitating, from a lot of people when the ICE engages at a stop. It is normal and almost imperceptable after you get used to it.
6.) There are sweet spots that you will find when you can run at a consistent speed for long periods of time with the ECO guage on 60 or even in the BLUE ZONE. I have found 40 miles per hour is one of those speeds for me.
7.) for an impressive thrill, shut off the AC the next time you approach a stop light and just laugh at the total DEAD silence!
8.) It is fun to drive by the gas stations at $3 a gallon!.

Welcome to the forum. Yes everything you are seeing is pretty normal. The HSD wants the ICE at a good operating temp as it is better if the engine is warmed up when it kicks on vs being cold. Also the ICE coming on when you are accelerating from a stop is normalish too. If it is downhill or dead flat I can accelerate a bit on just the motor if I am careful, but a good stratigy for fuel efficency is to quickly accelerate to your desired criusing speed and then "pulse and glide" at that speed. You will actually get better economy doing this than trying to slowly speed up to the speed you want to go (assuming the ICE will be on during that acceleration).

Read around there is a good thread on getting the best economy.

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Congratulations on your purchase, and welcome to GreenHybrid! I don't have a TCH, but from my reading it sounds like its hybrid systems are somewhat similar to those in my Ford Escape Hybrid in terms of ICE on/ICE off behavior. With that in mind, I'd say it is normal for the ICE to kick on from dead stops, especially if you accelerate briskly and/or the road has a increasing grade (causing more load to move the same distance on flat ground.) Even minor road divots are enough to change your pressure on the accelerator pedal enough to tell the vehicle that ICE is probably going to be wanted so, and thus it turns on in preparation.

Different hybrids and different hybrid drivers have different theories and rules of thumb on whether one should accelerate briskly up to speed (though not a jackrabbit start) or do so gingerly/slowly. I myself accelerate at a moderate pace to get up to speed and decelerate the same way via engine braking and actively braking.

If my experience and that of others is any indication, you may also find it's easier to keep the ICE off as the vehicle gets broken in.

Hehe... She has a point -- it is very easy to get distracted as a new hybrid driver, and the last thing you want is to crunch your new baby. You already have a target painted on you reading "HIT ME" because you're in a brand new vehicle (trust me... I had someone lock their brakes up on me and skid within a foot of my rear bumper because they were too busy on their cellphone to bother with braking as I began to brake preparing for a 90 degree turn into a Post Office parking lot.)

That said, you may find she warms up to it in time and flips through the screens as you drive. My husband does that when I'm driving, and when he drives he has a particular routine of viewing the real-time fuel economy/elapsed FE screens and the energy management screens when he wants to be aware of the ICE off and power distribution. He also gets competitive, reporting his fuel economy after using my car for the day or whatnot to see if he's "ahead" of me.

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

Congratulations on your new TCH! I've had mine 2 weeks now. My wife drives our FEH, and my dad has a Prius!

The ICE will run until warmed up unless you stop for more than about 7 seconds. It warms up very quickly. I'm in San Diego and mornings are often 60F. I'm sure that helps somewhat.

The feedback from the instant MPG gage and hearing the soft whine of the regen when braking definitely make you more aware of what the car is doing. I admit to also paying more attention to how I drive and obessing a bit over the FE. Hard not to do when it's right on the dash.

I also bought the TCH over the Prius because of the features and confort. Don't get me wrong; I like the Prius, but I like the TCH more.

Suggestions for better FE:

1) Air up the tires to 42psi front, 40psi back. The ride is not any rougher, and the car handles better.

2) Don't try to accelerate from a stop on EV (ICE off) unless you are just moving between lights or stop signs on a level road. It is normal for the ICE to start right up when accelerating from a stop at typical rate.

3) Once warmed up, the ICE will stop almost instantly when coasting at speeds under 40mph. Take advantage of this by braking early and coasting up to red lights and stops.

4) EV mode has enough power to easily maintain 35mph on level or gently rising roads. Use EV mode if possible when driving around in residential areas before parking. The ICE will recharge the battery when warming up.

5) Accelerate with traffic or perhaps slighty faster than you normally would (assuming you are not used to driving a sports car!) until you are 3 to 5 miles per hour over the speed you want to travel. Then back off until the instant mpg gauge reads 60mpg and slowly drop to the speed you want to travel over the next mile or two. I find I can often keep the mpg between 50 and 60mpg on level roads up between speeds of 40 to 70mph!

6) Anticipate traffic flow by looking ahead a 1/4 mile or more. Backoff the gas and avoid braking, or brake lightly for maximum regen when possible.

I'm getting 44mpg after 550 miles on my 2nd tank following these methods. I'm sure others will have more comments!