Posts Tagged ‘Toyota Prius’

2 Jul
2009

When does a Toyota Prius lose the MPG battle?

Posted by easy eco blog, July 2nd, 2009

I got blown away by a Prius doing probably 90+ on the highway.  Gotta wonder if the driver understood the reason people by Prius’.

Check out this video.  Shows that a lead foot on a Toyota Prius loses the gas economy war to a high performance BMW M3 sedan.

3 Dec
2008

Hybrid Car Mileage Tips

Posted by easy eco blog, December 3rd, 2008


It is hard matching EPA estimates for any car, especially hybrids. I found some helpful Prius Mileage tips, some of which are counter intuitive.

“..rapid acceleration to speed followed by cruising is actually more efficient, though counterintuitive”

“, keeping the windows open is more economical. The rationale: Battery drain from air conditioning uses more gasoline than aerodynamic drag caused by open windows.”

This one will have everyone passing you: “Remember that for every mph above 55 in a Prius, you could lose up to one mpg, mostly due to atmospheric drag — even with its advanced aerodynamic body.”

“..motor-generators (MGs) reach their maximum rpm at about 42 mph, which forces the engine to run to prevent damage to the MGs. So at speeds above 42, the engine must run, which creates added friction. This must be compensated for to maintain speed, causing a reduction in fuel economy.”