The speed limit is 55 mph for most of it, 45 mph for a small segment. Yes, I shut off the engine when it was not needed.

 

I figured I'd wait for the inevitable "how the heck did you do that?", but after almost nine hours, no one's asked that.

So, I'll ask... How the heck did you do that?!?

What's the terrain on the course like? How about the traffic controls, e.g. lights, stop signs, etc. Did you use the "reboot" method at all? Are you a Jedi Knight?

For the record, it's my opinion that the "reboot" method should not be used for the HCH Marathon. For the average driver in the average situation, it's highly impractical, and even dangerous.

Jedi powers, on the other hand, are completely acceptable.

 

Yes, I am a Jedi Knight.

In reality, the course is about 15 miles of 4-lane rural state highway. There are many shallow hills and one or two major hills to glide down, but you must climb up them also. There are no stop signs and no traffic lights (except that I over-shot my planned turn-around and got stopped at on traffic light where I made a U-turn) . The speed limit is 55mph for most of the course, with a small section of 45 mph at one end.

I coasted with the engine off when I could (on all downhills and even some flats in a P&G mode).

We can debate whether the reboot method should be used, but xcel does not think even 80mpg is possible in the HCH without it. I will try to test the car on the same track, without killing the engine, just to see what is possible there. But if it isn't close to 100mpg, and I don't think it will be, then an HCH marathon without reboot is not worth doing in my opinion.

Frankly, I don't think the reboot is particularly unsafe in the HCH. The power steering and power brakes remain available, and if necessary, you can always put the car into gear, let out the clutch, restart the ICE, and be fully operational. For those who say using reboot is not driving as the manufacturer intended, I submit that driving any car at 10-20% below the speed limit is not what the manufacturer intended, that P&G (even P&G in the Prius), even with the engine on, is not what the manufacturer intended, that topping off the gas tank is not what the manufacturer intended...but we do it anyway (at least many of us do). With reboot, or any of our driving techniques, perhaps all we are demonstrating is what the car is capable of IF the manufacturer would design a smart car that would allow "normal" drivers to take advantage of the realities of the terrain, etc. and only use the ICE when necessary. Perhaps we simply like extreme numbers and we are willing to take extreme meaures to get them.

The only difference between P&G in the Prius and in the HCH using reboot, is which controls you need to avail yourself of. In the Prius you can disengage all power and regeneration with a light touch on the gas pedal (not that the manufacturer intends people to drive this way). In the HCH, you can do the same thing, but you need to use the ignition switch. Both are controls the manufacturer has provided.

May the forced autostop be with you.

 

Bob,
That course sounds perfect for a Prius, except that the speed limit is 55. Maybe one night you could go out and change the signs from 55 to 35. I can envision 125 MPG now.

Clearly this is a case where a course is optimized to the HCH. The Prius would be handicapped by the higher speeds. There is no hack that I know of to stop the ICE from spinning in a glide above 41MPH. Thats just as well because that is a safety feature for protecting the MG's from overspinning. I suppose it would be fun to try the Prius at those speeds anyway, just to see what the hit would be.

Dan

 

Nothing says you gotta go 55 in a 55. I drive 30 in a 65 all the time (late at night).

 

Bob, first off i'd like to say congrats on the amazing feat...way higher than any segments i've ever heard of. Coming back to your comment about Arcade, the highway that runs through runds pretty smooth at about 55, i think the limit drops to 45 in Arcade, but the highway follows a train track for a good distance, though it sounds like you've got a great spot to do it.

 

It would probably be a lot easier in a 2006 Civic hybrid since it's got the improved IMA and gegeneration as well as fully shutting off the intake and exhuast valves both in coast-down and low speed steady state driving. I suspect the '06 Civic will at a minimum match the Prius II finally in the hands of regular drivers.

 

The current 2005 version of the Civic is already a match for the Prius 2 in MT trim. Look at the new database. It is a dead heat.

 

True, although for '06 it will only be offered in CVT trim, making it all the more important that it have advantages over the 05 model. On a side note, if you really want to do your best at smoking the Prius' record, you'll want to select a geographically high elevation area for minimum pumping losses of the engine and aerodynamic drag. I'm thinking either northern New Mexico, Salt Lake City, or perhaps Denver would be great candidates with them all having areas in the 4500-5000' ranges. For a true cheater, you could draw out a nice course doing giant laps around the town of Estes Park, CO or something, which is around 7500'.