I've ordered a TCH which I expect to receive in about a month, maybe less.

I'm really curious as to what kind of mpg I will get. I have a few challenges:

- My commute to work is only 6 miles, so a significant percentage of my driving will be done with a cold engine.
- My commute has to be during rush hour both morning and afternoon, so I can't use hypermiling techniques that would cause me to be a traffic nuisance.
- I live in Austin, TX. It's summer time. The A/C has to be on pretty much all the time, even in the morning.

I don't want to set my hopes too high... what kind of mileage do you think I can get, considering these challenges?

 

Whew, that's a toughie......

Is your commute on a freeway, which will be bumper to bumper? What speed does it normally achieve when you are on it during rush?

The answer to those two questions will mean a lot toward giving you a good educated answer.

 

I'm no expert but I find that my 18 mile commute with 45-65 start road with lights driving gives me 37-38 in the AM where traffic is light, the sun is not up so while I have the AC on it works less. My same drive home gives me 33-34 with 95 degree heat, but AC is on same setting as AM, I have 35% tintied windows and the traffic is heavier on the way home. AM takes me 35 min, PM takes me 45-50min. I fiond the engine warms up in litterally a few blocks on a warm day, so the majority of your commute the engine should be warm, but 6 miles is awful short, I find the MPG really starts to climb through the first few miles and literally does not hit its peak until well past the 50% mark, but as usually your numbers will vary. The good news is I gigured anything over 30MPG was going to be OK for me and make the switch worth my while, so last tank (the first tank) was about 32-33, this tank is averaging 35 so far, but very early into the tank. Also the engine is still breaking in and at 1500 or 2000 miles I plan on switching to 0W20 Synthetic which should give me a slight additional bump!

 

I have three choices of routes actually, which vary in distance (5.5, 6.0, and 6.7 miles), the number of traffic lights, and speed limits.

• The 5.5 route has a long traffic light at which I'd have to wait 2-4 cyles, and a short distance on a freeway (1-2 miles). The freeway portion will have some bumper to bumper and some full speed.
• The 6.0 mile route has several long waits at traffic lights and no freeway.
• The 6.7 mile route has only one short wait at a traffic light and no freeway.

I'm going to probably try all 3 routes several times using a scientific method to determine a) which one gives me the best mpg and b) which one uses less total gas. Just curious as to what you thought might be realistic to expect.

 

If you have a Nav system run all three after resetting the consumption screen each time for comparison. Once you find the best one run it in different ways as well (brisk acceleration & glide / slow off the line & steady.

 

Yes I did order the Nav system. I can't wait to do these experiments. I'm #1 on the list for metallic gray/Nav/bisque interior. I'm hoping it gets allocated next week. Then it's at least another 3 weeks before I get it.

 

I have a similar commute to yours and have been achieving 36 MPG to 38 MPG for the first two months that I have owned my TCH. I drive about 5 miles each way on relatively level local roads, with stop lights and experience some short stretches of stop-and-go traffic. I generally leave the A/C off in the morning unless the humidity is unbearable. I do not employ any hypermiling techniques. I have been very satisfied with my results so far and expect further improvement as the car breaks in.

 

Thanks for that input sallyspal. It's useful to hear from someone who has the same challenges.

 

My commute is all city streets, 7 miles each way. I have myself and two kids in the car, along with an 83 pound Segway in the trunk, which I ride for the last 3.1 miles of my commute. (Segway gets about 620 miles per gallon!!!)

I have four stop signs, 11 traffic lights, and I stop once at a convenience store. I use a lot of hypermiling techniques and try to keep the car in EV mode as soon as the engine warms up. I live in Phoenix, and most of the time, the A/C is on 75 in the morning and 65 in the afternoons.

My current tank is 35.5 and I expect to get better as the weather cools and I can drop the A/C. My goal is to average 38 MPG for the year on this commute.

When school starts, my commute will shorten by about a mile each way.

Good luck to all....