Pretty-good-miling the HAH
 

I recently travelled from California to Washington state in my 2005 HAH. There were some side trips, but the route was mostly freeway averaging 65 mph through flatlands and mountains.

The best segment's fuel consumption was 38.8 MPG and average fuel consumption was 36.4 MPG for this thousand mile trip. Not exactly hypermiling, but let's call it pretty-good-miling. ;)

A car's cruise control is built from a set of rules, so what rules would a theoretical pretty-good-miling cruise control for the Accord Hybrid have? Some starter suggestions:

• Think way ahead of the car to minimize braking
• Keep the ECO light on (3-cylinder mode)
• Keep the revs down (to say 2000)
• Stay in top gear
• Play the throttle to maximize use of the IMA
• Allow the speed to overshoot or undershoot (by say 5 mph)
• When under load, adjust the throttle to maintain a constant fuel flow (MPG)
• When decelerating/coasting, allow the throttle to close

Your ideas are welcome.

Alan

Re: Pretty-good-miling the HAH
 

When driving in the city, avoid having to stop at light. Starting from a stop seems to be quite expensive in terms of mpg. I try to adjust my speed as I approach a light to maximize my chances of seeing a green light when I get to the light. Also, I have found that accelerating slightly hard to maximize IMA assist and to get to target speed quickly helps mpg overall.

Re: Pretty-good-miling the HAH
 

Thanks for the tips, Gonehiking. I incorporated them into the suggestions below.

I just returned from Washington to California averaging a little over 60 MPH. This trip's average was 38.3 MPG and the best 200-mile segment was 43.5 MPG. :D

I attribute the improvement to inflating tire pressures to the maximum (44 psi on my original Michelins), and to the last two suggestions below.

Alan

Re: Pretty-good-miling the HAH
 

I keep mine at 35 psi. My best segment was 42 mpg over 120 miles. I should try higher tire pressure.

Re: Pretty-good-miling the HAH
 

Mine have always been at the factory recommended 32 psi (+/- dependent on temperature variations). Check out the links in my sig for a sample of my mileage. I generally have a total trip average of around 70 MPH when on the highways. And I really don't do much in the way of hypermiling techniques. Just easy throttle and easy brake usage.