Hi Rick,

Excellent question which I tried to address in the Prius FAQ but let's go over some options:
Your first trip of the day has these distinct phases:

1) warm-up - on the first trip in the morning, the vehicle systems have to warm-up and operate in relatively inefficient modes. For example, the catalytic converter has to reach operating temperatures of seveal hundreds of degrees. If at all possible, try to minimize the engine load by keeping the speeds in the 25-30 mph range. For example, taking a route through your neighborhood rather than a direct route to the nearest cross-town or higher speed road.

This is really just for the first trip of the day. For lunch or subsequent trips, the vehicle will already be warmed and you can just drive it like you would in the "operating mode."

2) operating mode - once warmed up, drive the car normally but there is a significant improvement if you can keep your speeds below 40 mph, 38-30 being idea. So on my commuting route, I drive on the access road in the right hand lane. The other drivers just pass me on the left, our access roads have two lanes, and there is no problem.

If you need to take a higher speed segment, try to keep your speed at 50-65 mph by staying in the right hand lane. If you see a large slow moving vehicle, follow it. There is no need to draft it, just follow it. The other traffic will move around.

Also, you don't pay a penalty for taking a short cut that has lights and stop signs. In my case, I cut out at least three extra miles by taking two short cuts:


3) EV mode at end - when you get within 1-2 miles of your destination, choose a route at speeds of 30-35 mph so you can maximize your electric vehicle mode. The NiMH batteries lose charge overnight so parking with them fully charged isn't a good use of that energy.

As for accelleration, I just move out to my target speed. In fact, I kinda enjoy leaving the ordinary cars and trucks behind after the light changes thanks to the low-end torque of the electric motor. But once I reach my target speed, traffic OK, I stick in the right hand lane and let folks pass me. The key is staying in the slow lane and not trying to be a traffic obstical. It is a different style of driving. But you also need to pay attention to the mechanical state of your car:

1) oil level 3/4 between E and F to minimize engine drag
2) tires at 42/40 (42 front) to reduce drag and improve handling
3) air filter, clean or change at least annually

The 'road warriors' won't notice or care if your car is well maintained.

Avoid AC use but don't be scared to use it. Think about what you would do in a convertable or on a motorcycle. But when it is hot, keep yourself cool and alert.

Bob Wilson

 

njkayaker:
Just a friendly note to the fact that some non-hybrid vehicles are beating the pants off comparable hybrid cars regarding MPG.
This isn't a jab at anyone- there are alot of factors which contribute to that.

-Steve

 

This evening a compact pickup was weaving down the freeway at 85mph. Would the way not to offend him be going 90mph? Maybe he would get incensed and do 95!

All we can do is reduce the temptation for most people not to snap on the highway. The rest are nutcases that we can only hope get apprehended by the authorities sooner - not later.

 

I just got my 06 Prius. I also have an Audi A4 3.0. Prior to getting Prius I drove 80 MPH like everyone else, changing lanes, trying to get ahead. Guess I was bored but having fun. With the increase in gas prices and my concern about the enviroment, I slowed down and drove 65 MPH in the slow lane, in my Audi! I was getting 35MPG! I was so proud of myself. Each day I tried to beat my record, even if was by tenths of a mile per gallon.
Now I have my Prius and park Audi-which I still totall love- and still drive in the slow lane. I did want the carpool stickers cuz I drive 35 to work, mostly freeway. But to be honest, if I drove in the carpool lane, I would be the target of road rage and dont want people angry at me, so if I dont get the stickers now cuz they run out, thats ok.
So each day I play a game to see if I can beat my milage. So far I am not bored but am having fun. Iit is amazing how people complain about the price of gas but dont want to do one of the easiest things- slow down, drive the 65mph speed limit or slower. See you in the slow lane.

 

About a month ago I was driving about 50MPH in the far right lane of a 7 lane 55MPH limit nearly abandoned freeway at 2:30AM in the morning.

Some car pulled up behind really close behind me. I knew it was one of two things:
1. Cops checking out my registration and trying to decide if I'm intoxicated (Been pulled over for this twice before)
(or)
2. Some jerk with nothing else to do other than bother somebody plodding along in the Right lane

So I drove with a tailgater about 2-3 miles when the set of blue lights came to life.
"Great" I thought....

But wait...Those blue lights are behind the car tailgating me...and sure enough they were being pulled over!
I can't say if they had an issue with their own registration but I like to think they got a tailgating ticket.

-Steve

 

YES!

 

Rick,

As much as it's tempting to wish for higher gas prices to cause some radical changes, you can't assume that $8.00 a gallon will only effect what you pay to drive from point A to point B. That would throw us right into a recession. Everything that has to be transported would go up in price, whether it's vegetables in the supermarket or the Prius coming from Japan. Plastics and foam are made from oil, they would go way up. Right now consumer confidence is low with gas at $3.00 a gallon. Could you imagine where it would be at $8.00 a gallon? My wife and I own a small retail furniture store. With gas at $8.00 a gallon I can almost promise bankruptcy.

I did read one post where it was suggested putting a large tax on gas, but using tax cuts elsewhere to offset it. Might work, but I think it would be a progressive tax. Those with little income would not see much of a tax cut, but might not be able to reduce their driving and would be the ones least likely to be able to go out and buy a new car.

Not an easy problem.

 

There are many non-hybrids that are reasonably priced and are decent cars that do quite well in the mpg department. I don't think, though, there are any cars that compare (at a significantly lower price) to the Prius (for example) which actually "beat the pants off it" mpg-wise.

Anyway, unless one is actively in the market for a car or really wealthy, being able to respond to high gas prices by replacing what one is currently driving isn't really practical.

Poor people are already either driving a car they can afford (maybe a cheap older lower mpg car) or driving a car with decent mpg. $8 a gallon gas is going to do nothing to change this in any useful way. It will, though, make them poorer. Why would anybody want that? A rise in gas prices won't appreciably change the behavior of people who can afford $50k Hummers (ie, wealthy people). I suspect that rapidly rising gas prices will have the largest impact on middle class people looking for new cars (ie, people who can afford to buy Priuses).

Fixing the mpg problem requires anticipation since it's so long range. That's why the CAFE stuff is so important.


Driving slow, varying speed (slow up hills, fast done). Yup, one would look very suspicious to the cops trying to hypermile, especially at 2:30 am!

 

Like I said, I do NOT wish ill will on folks via higher gas prices, but the fact is that the rich will ALWAYS suffer less thant he poor. The reason I would like to see gas prices spike is because I realize the ONLY WAY (if not the fastest way) to make the auto industry CHANGE is for the consumer to SCREAM... and very loudly. Even at that, it will quite literally take the consumer to BOYCOTT the purchasing of new gasoline vehicals. It would be great to see people stop driving their personal cars and begin to SERIOUSLY CONSIDER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. But many of us, myself included, will probably tolerate the higher gas prices UP TO A POINT... and that point has yet to be reached, and therefore there is absolutely NO INCENTIVE for the gas and oil industry or the auto industry to change course as rapidly as they should.

 

I suspect that people, for whom it's viable, are already using public transportation. (You will see a minor shift to public transportation with significantly higher gas prices.) For many others, public transportation is more expensive (even with $8 a gallon gas), and it takes much, much longer than driving.

Poor peole will certainly get screwed with higher gas prices and the other stuff may happen. How well did this work in 1972? How well did it work in 1981 (supposedly the highest inflation-adjusted gas prices).

I certainly don't need to have my income be reduced (effectivily) with higher gas prices (and I drive a fuel efficient car and have done so for 10 years). I certainly don't see a real value in giving all that extra money to the oil companies or the Middle East. Merely raising gas prices is an inefficient use of capital.