How Long Till We average 49 MPG? - Page 10 - GreenHybrid

Mr. Kite · #91 (**permalink**) 08-20-2006, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silvereagle

Has anyone gotten over 60 mpg on a hot day with their a/c on and going 55mph or up ? Now that is a challenge. I think it also would be useful to post your a/c on vs. a/c off numbers so people thinking of buying a hybrid can see the truth of this. Your ICE will never shut off at stops if your a/c is turned up more than a notch or 2 making a big dent in ones city mileage.
I suspect Honda should offer a non a/c hybrid for the most advid fans here since the 100 lbs in unused hardware would contibute even more to their mileage.(just kidding

)

I have gotten over 60 using AC. If it is hot, I use the AC on freeways. At slower speeds, I usually just roll down the windows. I think the temp was about 90. I started the AC temp at about 80 and slowly worked it down to a comfortable level (I can't remmeber exactly--but it was 74-76).

I reset my trip odometer at the beginning of the day. I did just over 100 miles that day and my average fuel economy was 64 mpg. Approximately 50 of those miles were freeway. It is hard to say exactly what the freeway fuel economy was, but I'm pretty sure it was over 60mpg.

My freeway driving style is mostly going with the flow in the right lanes. I have my tires at about 40psi.

rgx · #92 (**permalink**) 08-20-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny

Hmmmm.
Maybe I'll just take my AC out since I never use it.
Does it really weigh 100 lbs?
Seems dumb to be carrying around a 100 lb dead weight for no reason at all.

It's probably not far from it if you include the radiator, condensor, fluid, valves, belt drive and all the hardware around it.
One thing I have been thinking of is to take away the drive belt for the A/C. As far as I have been able to see, the drive belt is there ONLY for the mechanical side of the A/C compressor, no other components are driven. And from what I understand, the mechanical compressor drive is only there to spoil the US customers, getting 20 deg indoor temp in just a few minutes at idle, even at 50 deg outdoor temp. This kind of oversized AC wouldn't be needed over here.
And I guess the belt drive itself takes a few hundred watts, even with AC off. Which (guessing again) translates into a few mpg. Hope Honda lets us deselect the mechanical compressor option for the HCH3.

cherokee180c · #93 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 04:10 AM

My last tank I got 48.5 mpg average with my wife driving the car most of the time. I think this is great with only 1400 miles on the odometer and my wife does not get anywhere near my mileage. We took a trip up to PA yesterday and I filled up with regular non RFG gas with no Ethanol to see if it makes a big difference. We had 548.5 miles on the car and the fuel light had been on for about 20 miles. The last 10 miles had no bars on the fuel gauge. My wife was flipping out and thought we would run out of gas. Even I was surprised to find out that it would only take 11.3 gallons and we had another 60 miles left to we ran out!