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Guide To

Hybrid Vehicle

Pseudo-Hypermiling For

Non-Hypermilers

 

 

By: Joseph A. Poliakon

(Revised Version As Of August 13, 2008)

 

© COPYRIGHT 2008 Joseph A. Poliakon: All Rights Reserved

 

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FIGHTING THE WAR ON

PETROL TERRORI$M

ONE GALLON OF GAS NOT USED

OR PURCHASED AT A TIME

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P-2G ALL-Wx/ALL-TERRAIN PETROL-TERRORI$M WARFIGHTER

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DRIVE "HYPER-GREEN" TO $AVE MUCHO "GREEN BACK" PETROLBUCK$$$

HYBRID HYPERMILING DEFINED: Hybrid Hypermiling is operating a hybrid vehicle using an overall driving strategy that combines pre-operative set-ups with special driving techniques to maximize its gasoline mileage and fuel efficiency to squeeze the greatest distance out of every drop of fuel in a hybrid vehicle's fuel tank. Simply put, Hybrid Hypermiling is just managing and manipulating the inertia and momentum of your vehicle to get it to deliver maximum miles per gallon fuel efficiency.

 

Practicing "strict" Hybrid Hypermiling involves employing driving techniques that most drivers would consider to be “extreme driving.” I operate my hybrid car at a level just below this"strict-extreme" level of Hybrid Hypermiling driving. I call this level of Hybrid Hypermiling driving, Pseudo-Hypermiling and those drivers like me who perform it, Pseudo-Hypermilers.

 

Pseudo-Hypermilers are those hybrid drivers who unobtrusively and inconspicuous use and employ fuel saving driving strategies, considerations and techniques in their Day-To-Day/Every-Day-Commuter driving. Their fuel economy focused driving works to optimize and maximize gasoline mileage and fuel efficiency, thereby, helping squeeze the greatest distance out of every drop of fuel in their hybrid vehicle's fuel tank. A true Pseudo-Hypermiler stealthily applies fuel-saving techniques and would never drive so as to impede or obstruct traffic flow on the highways and byways they travel.

 

By simply applying some basic knowledge about hybrid powered cars along with some key, top-level elements of Hybrid Hypermiling Driving Techniques, any Hybrid Owner-Driver can improve the miles-per-gallon/liters-per-100 kilometers fuel economy delivered by their hybrid vehicle. This article discusses how an every day, non-hypermiler hybrid driver can apply some of these hypermiling driving strategies, considerations and techniques in their "Day-To-Day/Real-World" driving and commuting to become a Pseudo-Hypermiler.

 

ME, MY HYBRID AND THE HYBRID "WATERFRONT": I own a Prius Hybrid and regularly employ Hybrid Hypermiling Driving Techniques in driving it when traffic, road and weather conditions permit. The "reward" my Pseudo-Hypermiling driving effort "Stellar" MPG-FE. Therefore, the discussion in this e-article is centered around applying Hybrid Hypermiling Driving Techniques to hybrid vehicles powered by Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system.

 

The current multiple tank-full average MPG-FE, as read-out from the Multi-Function Display (MFD) of my Prius for my tank fulls of gas in the first six months of Wu Zhi New Year 2008, is 61.8 MPG. This half year of Stellar Fuel Economy includes an ~4± MPG "Hit" from the State Of Florida fuel use mandate that forced me to begin using 90:10 E10 Gasohol. These numbers signal a fabulous "fuel sipping" New Year for me as I continue to fight my personal War On Petrol Terrorism against $140± per barrel crude oil and $4.00± per gallon gasoline --- One Gallon Of Gasoline Not Used At A Time.

 

Vehicles currently using versions and technical elements of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system are the Prius Hybrid and the hybrid versions of the Camry, Highlander and Lexus as well as Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner and Nissan Altima hybrids. The Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner licenses key elements of Toyota's Hybrid System (THS) and the Nissan Altima licenses the complete Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system from Toyota.

 

However, the contents of this article also have general application to vehicles powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) Hybrid Gas-Electric Drive as well as General Motor's Saturn Vue/Aura and Chevrolet Malibu Green Line "Mild Hybrids" and GMC/Chevrolet/Saturn Tahoe/Yukon/Vue Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrids as well as other Two-Mode hybrid Chrysler-Dodge Aspen/Durango, BMW and the Mercedes Direct Hybrid vehicles.

 

GAS-ELECTRIC HYBRID-DRIVE THUMBNAIL OVERVIEW: Let me share some gas-electric hybrid vehicle history with you here. Hybrid cars started being offered by Toyota and Honda and used on the streets of Japan in the late 1990s. The Honda Insight chassis with its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) and the Toyota Prius with its First Generation (1G/GEN I/NHW11) Toyota Hybrid System (THS) hybrid gas-electric drive propulsion systems were designed and engineered as gas-electric hybrid cars from the ground up. Honda’s IMA-Powered Insight was first offered for sale in the U.S. in 1999. Toyota’s THS-Powered Prius started being sold in the U.S. in 2000.

 

The aluminum-bodied 61/65/70 MPG 2-Door/2-Passenger w/ Hatchback Honda Insight is no longer in production (since 2006), but its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) Hybrid-drive solution has been bolted into a standard Honda Civic 4-Door/5-Passenger sedan chassis to form what is today’s 49/50/51 MPG Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH). Until and through 2003, Toyota offered the earlier First Generation (1G/GEN I) 52/48/45 MPG NHW11 Prius with its gas-electric hybrid-drive solution called the Toyota Hybrid System (THS). This First Generation (1G/GEN I) Prius came in a conventional, 5-passenger compact sedan sized chassis design with a conventional, non-hatchback/liftback trunk.

 

In 2004, the First Generation (1G/GEN I/NHW11) Prius THS hybrid-drive was upgraded and the chassis replaced. It was replaced by a new 51/55/60 MPG Second Generation (2G/GEN II) NHW20 Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powered vehicle delivering improved fuel economy along with more electric power in a new, unique low coefficient of aerodynamic drag (Cd = 0.26) 5-passenger 4-Door Sedan Liftback/Hatchback chassis. This 2G/GEN II/NHW20 HSD replaced the 1G/GEN II/NWH11 THS system and has been sold in the U.S. since Model year 2004.

 

The 51/55/60 MPG 2G/GEN II Prius is slatted to be sold until Model Year 2010 when Toyota is expected to offer a battery and hybrid technology upgraded Third Generation (3G/GEN III) Prius touted to deliver 75-85 MPG (best-case expected 100± MPG per Japan's 10.15 Mode Fuel Cycle). This 3G Prius is the “100 MPG” Prius written about in the news.

 

There are many cars being offered and touted as “Eco-Friendly, Green” Hybrids, but, in my opinion, the only technologically “elegant” gas-electric hybrid solution on the market today is Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). Here a listing of the current gasoline-electric hybrid car drive system solutions, versions which are being offered/marketed by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford/Mercury, General Motors (Chevrolet/GMC/Saturn), Chrysler-Dodge, BMW, Mercedes. I will list them next in rank order along with some comments.

 

1. HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE (HSD): Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) tops the list. Its architecture a full “Serial/Parallel Hybrid” and is the only truly “Full-Time” Hybrid System. The 2G/GEN II HSD is used in the Prius, Hybrid Camry, Hybrid Highlander, Lexus LS600hL/LS/GS/RX Hybrids and Nissan Altima Hybrid Platforms, but uses an ICE and control parameters tailored specifically to each platform. Prius is different from the Camry, which is different from the Highlander, which is different from the LS600hL/LS/GS/RX which is different from the Altima.

 

As previously mentioned, a licensed version of the 2G/GEN II HSD is used in the Hybrid Nissan Altima with 21 licensed hybrid patents from Toyota’s older 1G/GEN I THS incorporated into the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner SUV Hybrid design solution.

 

Toyota’s gas-electric hybrid solution combines the characteristics of a pure electric vehicle (EV) drive and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and uses electricity and control electronics and software in place of toothed gears. The Hybrid Synergy Drive is a drive-by-wire system with no direct mechanical connection between the engine and the driver-operated engine controls. Both the gas throttle pedal and the gearshift lever in an HSD equipped car merely send electrical signals to a control computer, which manages and handles operation.

 

The 2G/GEN II HSD hybrid system as installed in the Prius, delivers an approximately 71% increase in CITY DRIVING fuel economy over what the 1.5 Liter I-4 ICE in the Prius would deliver were it to be utilized to power and drive the Prius chassis in a non-hybrid, conventional "Otto Cycle" gasoline-powered application.

 

2. INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) HYBRID: The architecture of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) is more a “Serial Hybrid” or Power Assist Parallel gas-electric propulsion system. It comes in second on my list, a close second, but still second. As the “Assist” in the IMA name implies, it is not a “Full-Time,” hybrid drive, whereas, Toyota’s HSD is “Full-Time.” The basic IMA Hybrid System and follow-on -2, -3 and -4 generations of added technical enhancements, is used to power the original Honda Insight, Accord and Civic Hybrid (HCH) cars as well as follow-on versions of the HCH. The new 2009˝/2010 Global Small Honda Hybrid being introduced in the Spring of 2009, will have the last updated iteration of the H-IMA.

 

Honda’s IMA hybrid car technology uses an electric motor mounted between the engine and transmission to act as a starter motor, engine balancer, and assist traction motor. In its first generation, IMA did not function to power the car on electricity alone, and could only use the electric motor to assist or start the ICE. Beginning with the 2006 Civic Hybrid model, control software changes facilitated activation of the IMA electric motor in the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode while the vehicle is coasting without activating the ICE.

 

Compared to Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) or the GM/Daimler-Chrysler/BMW Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid, the IMA Hybrid has a less powerful motor-generator. The smaller motor-generator permits the IMA Hybrid to slow or stop its rate of deceleration by a lesser extent compared to the HSD and 2Mode hybrids equipped with larger motor-generators. Additionally, the IMA- Powered Hybrid cannot operate without turning over the ICE, which is directly coupled to its electric motor.

 

The IMA Hybrid system as installed in the Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH), delivers an approximately 63% increase in CITY DRIVING fuel economy over what the 1.3 Liter I-4 HCH ICE would deliver were it utilized to drive the Honda Civic chassis in a non-hybrid, conventional gasoline-powered application.

 

3. TWO-MODE HYBRID: The Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid Solution was jointly developed by General Motors/Daimler-Chrysler/BMW to power heavy curb-weight, large mass-transit “city bus” sized vehicles. Its Two-Mode design means it is not a “Full-Time” hybrid drive system. It was developmental test and evaluated and “Pilot Tested with Limited Field Deployment” in the 1990s. As part of this Pilot-Limited Field Deployment, a few hundred city mass-transit buses were put into service in selected cities, mostly in Europe, but otherwise it was shelved without broader follow-on deployment and expanded application into private passenger vehicles until recently.

 

Although it had been shelved by General Motors Corporation prior to the New Millennium, when $100-per-barrel oil approached and $3.00+ per gallon gas happened, GM quickly resurrected and re-embraced the “Mass-Transit Bus-Sized” Two-Mode gas-electric hybrid power solution. They quickly brought it down off the shelf, dusted it off and down-sized and tamped it into and under the hoods of their Full-Sized 2008 GMC Yukon/Chevrolet Tahoe "Family Bus-Sized" SUV Trucks to power these mega-tonnage Gas-Guzzling “Beasts.” In addition, at the Washington Auto Show in January 2008, General Motors Corp. announced it had received orders for 1,732 Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid buses from transit agencies in Washington, Philadelphia and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

 

The Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid System employs a special electronically variable transmission (EVT) with two integrated motor-generators along with using special fuel saving ICE technologies that include cam phasing, variable valve timing (VVT) and Active Fuel Management™ cylinder deactivation technologies. These elements working together, deliver an overall improvement in fuel economy over the equivalent non-hybrid Yukon/Tahoe versions of 40% to 50% City MPG/25% Highway MPG. Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid Yukons/Tahoes are now being offered in limited availability qualities for Model Year 2008 with a Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid version of the Saturn Vue being offered in 2009.

 

Although the 40% to 50% City MPG/25% Highway MPG improvement is a good improvement in fuel economy on a percentage basis, the Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid Solution comes in a distant third compared to the HSD and ISA enabled gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles on total delivered miles per gallon fuel economy. The HSD and IMA used in the 51/55/60 MPG Prius and 46/48/51 MPG Civic deliver twice to three times the MPG-FE that is delivered by heavy curb-weight Two-Mode Hybrid enabled truck-sized 21/21/22 MPG Yukon/Tahoe vehicles.

 

The “Two-Mode” designation comes from the hybrid’s two operating modes that can function singularly or in parallel. One mode is optimized for city driving and the other for highway driving. Under light loads and at low speeds (City Mode), the Two-Mode system can operate either on its electric motors and battery pack or on internal combustion engine (ICE) power alone, or using a combination of the two modes. At higher speeds and with heavier loads (Highway Mode), The Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid System switches to the second mode that runs mainly on the gasoline engine with electric motor-battery available and assisting as and if needed for added power to climb steep grades, tow a trailer, or for added acceleration oomph during passing.

 

Any and all “hybrids” you may see being offered/planned to be offered by General Motors/Chrysler-Dodge/Mercedes/BMW in the upcoming model years, will be based around and incorporate this Two-Mode (2Mode) Hybrid System that was jointly developed by GM/Daimler-Chrysler/BMW to power heavy curb weight SUVs and "bus-sized" heavy-vehicles.

 

4. SATURN “GREEN LINE” MILD-HYBRID: This “Green Line” hybrid solution is called a “Mild Hybrid.” It comes in last and resides at the bottom of the hybrid technology barrel. It is what I call a marketing solution that was cobbled together as General Motors Saturn Aura/Vue and Chevrolet Malibu were scrambling to become “Eco-Green” and “Fuel-Efficient” overnight. They had their engineers throw together a quick and dirty "Battery-Alternator" motor-generator “techno-kludge.” This "Mild Hybrid" solution is essentially an over-sized car-battery that permits the “Hybrid” Saturn Aura/Vue and Chevrolet Malibu to run off their batteries for short periods.

 

The Green Line "Mild-Hybrid" Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) system basically functions like a battery-alternator powered turbo-charger, providing some extra oomph to the gasoline engine when needed through a large "starter motor." It uses a Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) system that employs a special oversized "starter motor" in combination with an oversized, up-voltaged 36 Volt car battery (i.e. essentially electrically equivalent to three (3) standard 12 V car batteries connected in electrical series, 12V + 12V + 12V = 36V). The Battery-powered Alternator-Starter is used to assist and mechanically turn over the non-operating internal combustion gasoline engine (ICE) and power the vehicle until a certain "Start-Up" RPM level is reached. Once "Start-Up" RPM is reached, the ICE "fires-up" and operates using the conventional "Otto Cycle" to power the car.

 

As with a typical starter motor, the electric motor in the "Mild-Hybrid" BAS is not connected directly to the main driveline power train. The gasoline engine starts operating at a higher speed than it normally would without the BAS Assist. Overcoming initial starting inertia and moving the vehicle without using fuel is how "Mild-Hybrid" BAS System works to save fuel. In addition, fuel to the ICE is automatically shut off and the ICE shut down when the vehicle is coasting, braking or stopped.

 

The Green Line "Mild-Hybrid" BAS installed in the Saturn Vue/Aura and Chevrolet Malibu does seem to provide some small improvement in fuel economy (approximately 10%), while keeping complexity to a minimum.

 

There, I have given you a brief overview tutorial on gas-electric hybrid vehicles offered/being offered here in the U.S.

 

FIRST, THE BAD NEWS: If you choose to drive your new hybrid car using the same Gas-To-Go/Brake-To-Stop driving techniques used to drive the conventionally powered car it replaced, your miles-per-gallon fuel economy numbers will not be remarkable. The MPG-FE numbers probably will be as if it was being solely powered by the conventional gasoline powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) installed in it to power the ICE portion of the hybrid gasoline-electric propulsion system.

 

I once owned a 1992 Honda Civic CX. It was conventionally powered by a standard "lean-burn" 70 hp gasoline-powered Honda In-Line 4-Cylinder "Otto Cycle" ICE which delivered an EPA 42 City/45 Combined/48 Highway Estimated MPG and 41 "Around Town"/48 "Open-Road," as measured by me using the Multiple-Tank-Refill Method.

 

The gasoline-powered portion of the Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive system is powered by 76 hp Toyota In-Line 4-Cylinder ICE, operated on the "Atkinson Cycle." Toyota's 76 hp In-Line 4-Cylinder ICE is similar in size, weight and power to 70 hp Honda Civic CX ICE. This means that the inherent, nominal gas mileage of the Prius In-Line 4-Cylinder ICE is probably the same as the 41/48± MPG delivered by the ICE of my old Honda Civic CX.

 

Therefore, if your Prius is delivering less than or equal to 41-48 MPG-FE, you probably are driving your gasoline-electric Prius hybrid using the same fuel consumption inefficient driving techniques you use to operate 100% conventionally powered cars. The consequences of your "hybrid unfriendly" driving habits and operating techniques are that you are effectively "bypassing/overriding" the fuel economy contribution benefits available from the electrical energy regenerating, recovering and storage portions of the gas-electric hybrid system.

 

Continuing to use such old, “hybrid unfriendly” driving techniques and not driving “hybrid smart” will prevent you from “reaping” the incremental fuel economy “harvest” that is available from the battery and regenerative motor-generator and braking elements of the hybrid gasoline-electric system design.

 

A BIT MORE NOT SO GOOD NEWS: Unfortunately, most drivers lack the inclination, dedicated driving discipline and frugality required to “work” at learning to optimally drive their hybrid car, as a hybrid car must be driven to facilitate it delivering its maximum fuel economy benefits and truly stellar real-world MPG.

 

Most first-time hybrid car owner-operators lack prior knowledge on optimal operation of a hybrid vehicle. As a result, when they pick their new hybrid up at the dealer and drive it off the lot, they do so using the same Gas-To Go/Brake-To-Stop manner they used driving the old 100% conventionally powered autos their new hybrid car replaced. These conventional foot throttle pedal punching and brake stomping Gas-To-Go/Brake-To-Stop driving techniques used to operate “conventionally powered” vehicles are the same ones most drivers have used ever since they got their driver’s license in high school and first started driving.

 

Bottom-line --- Driving hybrid cars with a heavy gas throttle and brake pedal foot will result in poorer miles-per-gallon/liters-per-100 kilometers fuel economy as compared to if they are driven in a “hybrid friendly” manner.

 

NOW, THE GOOD NEWS: The good news is that even if a driver operates a hybrid car like he or she is still driving their old conventional, 100% Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered car, it will still deliver “GOOD” MPG-FE, just not "STELLAR” MPG-FE as defined by the EPA MPG-FE estimates. This is because Toyota, Honda and General Motors engineers have optimized the design of the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), "Green Line” Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) "Mild-Hybrid" and Two-Mode (2Mode) gas-electric drive-system control hardware and software of their hybrid vehicles around the driving behaviors and expectations of a "typical driver.” Of course, their assumed "typical driver” is one who only knows how to drive and is experienced in driving an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), 100% conventionally-powered vehicle.

 

To get your hybrid vehicle to meet or surpass the EPA MPG-FE estimates, you have to "learn" to let the HSD, IMA or other hybrid do the job it was designed to do by "staying out of its way" and not using old "energy robbing" driving behaviors and techniques. You will find that adding, integrating and unobtrusively applying new hybrid-focused driving behaviors and top-level, elemental Hybrid Hypermiling Driving Techniques into driving your gasoline-electric hybrid car is a reasonably painless process. Your efforts will be rewarded with delivery of "stellar" MPG-FE and not having to "pay at the pump" as much or as often as you did before you started driving your hybrid vehicle.

 

The more you learn to "drive hybrid smart," and work as an integral part of the HSD, IMA, "Green Line" BAS, Two-Mode (2Mode) or other hybrid system solution and their various features, the more you will converge on meeting or surpassing the EPA Miles Per Gallon (MPG) Fuel Economy (FE) numbers promised on your hybrid "fuel-sipper" of choice's window sticker.

 

LEARNING TO DRIVE "GREEN" TO $AVE "GREEN BACK" PETROLBUCK$...$$$$: Face it, gas prices will likely never be going down. They never have in the past and will probably not start now.

 

Whether we realize it or not, we all are now driving under a new fuel consumption paradigm because gas is selling for $4 per gallon not 25˘ as it was when the fuel wasting on-road driving behavior norms of today were formed. I recognized this paradigm shift back when gasoline was still selling for under $1.499 per gallon. At that point, I changed the driving and fuel consumption behaviors and techniques under which I operate my vehicle and transformed myself into a Hybrid Pseudo-Hypermiling Zen Master.

 

With $140± per barrel oil and $4.00± per gallon gasoline in pursuit of $6, $8, $10+ and beyond, most of us out here in the Yankee Doodle hinterlands want to drive to save "Green" and will do anything "legal" to save a "Green Back" PetrolBuck. I have learned how to assist my Prius in delivering Green Back $aving, "$tellar" MPG-FE to me.

 

I employ a combination of fuel economy enhancing "in-garage" pre-operative set ups along with "on-road" operative Hybrid Hypermiling Driving Techniques to pre-operatively set up and operate my 2G, Generation II Prius to achieve money saving MPG-FE performance. My Hybrid Pseudo-Hypermiling assures that I regularly meet or beat the old Pre-2008 51 Highway/55 Combined/60 City EPA Estimate MPG-FE numbers. Yes, it does require a bit of "Hybrid Driving Work," that for me has become second-nature "Hybrid Driving Play"... or should that be "Hybrid Driving Pay"... as in "Pay Day."

 

My Hybrid Hypermiling enhanced driving is saving and "Paying" my family and me "Big PetrolBucks" by minimizing our family’s monthly "fuel burn rate" and total annual gasoline fuel expenses. Hybrid Pseudo-Hypermiling has reduced the monthly auto fuel expenses for my family's primary transportation vehicle by ~80%. At today's $4.00± per gallon of gasoline prices, this has reduced the projected annual fuel expense for our primary transportation vehicle from $4310± down to $890±. The ~$3420 savings makes the Family CFO, my wife, "Hybrid Happy."

 

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Honey, Guess How Much We Saved In Gas This Week By Pseudo-Hypermiling?

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Real-World Expected MPG vs MPH Trip Planning Graph

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High-Visibility "Lawful Hypermiling" Program Safety Decal

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Motor Oil Grade vs Ambient Operating Temperature

 

NOW HEAR THIS! I HAVE MUCHO PSEUDO-GOOD NEWS: Even without applying full, Hybrid Zen Mastery when operating your hybrid car, you can become what I call a Pseudo-Hybrid Hypermiler. The hybrid model for the discussion that follows is the Second Generation (2G/GEN II/NHW20) Prius with its Hybrid Synergy Drive System. Therefore, Prius owner-drivers who read, heed and directly apply the information that follows can immediately learn how to start converging on "stellar" Miles Per Gallon - Fuel Economy (MPG-FE) numbers to consume even less fuel on their very next drive.

 

Toyota Camry, Highlander, Lexus or Honda, Nissan, Ford, Mercury, Saturn and GM hybrid drivers who read it can gain some overall insight into "hybrid friendly" MPG-FE enhancing operating and driving considerations as well as learn operating techniques they can adapt and apply to squeezing out more MPG-FE from their particular hybrid vehicles.

 

The key to doing this is to understand the top-level operating quirks, idiosyncrasies and characteristics of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system or the other hybrid drive systems, and then using this knowledge to your best fuel economy advantage when driving, coasting and stopping.

 
 
HYBRID BASICS FOR IMPROVED MILES & "$MILE$" PER GALLON
 

             A. LOOSE OLD-BAD, DEVELOP NEW HYBRIDIZED DRIVING HABITS

             B. MPG VS. MPH "SWEET SPOT" RANGES

             C. ROLLING FRICTION AND TIRE SELECTION

             D. ICE FRICTION AND MOTOR OIL SELECTION

             E. HVAC OPERATION

             F. CONTROLLING THE HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE (HSD)

             G. "ICE" COLD START/RESTART

             H. "INFINITE" INSTANTANEOUS MPG-FE

             I. "ELECTRO-GLIDING"/FULL-TRACTION BATTERY ARRAY "EV" MODE

             J. "OPEN ROAD" CRUISE "SWEET SPOT"/ECC USE - DASH (pULSE) & COAST (gLIDE)

 

A. LOOSE OLD-BAD, DEVELOP NEW "HYBRIDIZED" DRIVING HABITS-BEHAVIORS: Unless you are "miraculously" already driving "hybrid smart," you need to "loose" and "hybridize" the old, bad "Gas-To-Go/Brake-To-Stop" driving habits and behaviors you are using when you drive. Hybridize your driving attitude and practices by accelerating moderately and avoiding Jack-Rabbit starts, brake pedal stomping stops and stop-and-go traffic. Try to anticipate traffic lights and maintain a steady and safe travel speed.
 
Adopting an eggshell-under-the-pedal style for operating both your foot-throttle and brake pedals will pay off with great gas mileage.
 
The Pseudo-Hypermiling Fuel Economy points here are:
 

1. Gas-To-Go "Smarts": The "Beating-Everyone-Off-The-Line" when the "Red" Traffic Light changes to "Green" only to race them to the next "Green" traffic signal turning "Red" is a common "around town," in-traffic "gas guzzling" driving behavior that incrementally "robs" fuel economy from you whether you are driving in a conventionally-powered vehicle or a hybrid-powered one. Most people use this "Gas-To-Go" driving behavior because they are mirroring the lemming-like behavior of the "traffic herd."

 

This stomp the "Gas-To-Go" driving behavior was born and established when a gallon of automobile fuel cost 25˘ a gallon. It has persisted, flourished and been accepted as "normal and mainstream" in-traffic group driving behavior through the intervening decades. In today's "Brave New World" of $130+ per barrel oil, $4.00+ per gallon gasoline and gas-electric hybrids, stomping the "Gas-To-Go" DOES NOT COMPUTE for your 21st Century "Green" Commute.

 

I have not driven all the hybrids, but I would guess that most are instrumented much like the Prius HSD. The difference with the Prius Hybrid instrumentation, as compared to that in a conventionally-powered car, is its Multi-Function Display (MFD) that graphically displays and instantaneously feeds back the effects of this "bad, gas guzzling traffic herd" driving behavior to the driver in real-time. If the driver uses this MPG-FE and ICE/Battery operating state feedback constructively, their instantaneous incremental MPG-FE will start to improve markedly. If, on the other hand, they choose a "No One Is Going To Tell Me How To Drive, I'll Drive Like I Always Have" behavior and ignore it, their attainment of "stellar" 51/55/60+ MPG-FE numbers will continue to allude them.

 

OPERATING TECH NOTE: To optimize and maximize MPG-FE in an OEM instrumented Prius NWH20/2G/GEN II Hybrid when accelerating from a dead stop to speeds up to 55± MPH (88± KPH) try this technique. First, depress the foot throttle pedal around 1/3 to 2/5 (30% to 40%), as required to get and keep the instantaneous Miles-Per-Gallon (iMPG) number being displayed on the MFD reading  at about and at least one-half (˝) that of the instantaneous Miles-Per-Hour (iMPH) reading shown on the speedometer display. You can refine and fine-tune the actual amount of throttle pedal that "feels right to your foot" needed to achieve the "˝" value with practice. Using the "˝" Value Rule-Of-Thumb makes doing the iMPG = iMPH/2 math in your head easy as you accelerate from a dead stop in the traffic "herd" to your desired steady state speed.

 

For example, if your desired steady-state travel cruise speed is in the range 45-55 MPH, hold an instantaneous Miles-Per-Gallon reading of at least one-half (˝) the instantaneous Miles-Per-Hour (iMPH), iMPG = iMPH/2, on the accelerator position until you reach approximately 35-45± MPH or approximately 20%± less than your intended steady-state travel cruise speed. As you reach that transition speed point, start "feathering" back on the throttle pedal to produce the iMPG ≤ 1.2 x iMPH economical cruise speed-fuel use value.

 

After the 35-45± MPH point is reached, begin easing up on and "feathering" slightly back on the throttle pedal with your foot to get and keep the instantaneous Miles-Per-Gallon (iMPG) fuel consumption displayed on the MFD reading to a number equal to or slightly less than 1.2 times the instantaneous Miles-Per-Hour (iMPH) displayed on the speedometer. Do this as you "seamlessly" ease into and converge on your desired steady-state travel speed.

 

If road conditions, terrain and traffic patterns permit it, maintaining iMPG ≤ 1.2MPH during your steady-state cruising will keep the ICE operating in the "Sweet Spot" RPM range that delivers optimal miles-per-gallon fuel efficiency.

 

"Purest" OEM Prius owner-operators apply the Foot Throttle Pedal Depression and "Feathering" iMPG = iMPH/2 - Transitioning To - iMPG ≤ 1.2 x iMPH Acceleration-To-Cruise Speed Technique Rule-Of-Thumb to aid them in keeping their Prius 2G ICE running in the Fuel-Economy "Sweet Spot" RPM zone of the engines's operating "Power" band [approximately 1300 to 2500 RPM] during acceleration and to efficiently converge on a steady-state travel cruise speed without having to use an added-on, non-OEM tachometer or other special external instrumentation like ScanGauge II or CAN-View.

 

Mastery and regular use of this foot throttle pedal depression and "feathering" control technique by the "purest" OEM Prius Hybrid driver helps them consume and waste less fuel during initial acceleration and to more efficiently transition into their selected steady-state travel cruise speed with optimal and miserly consumption of fuel.

 

INCREMENTAL FUEL ECONOMY NOTE: Anecdotal reports from Prius hybrid drivers are that regular, skillful application of this Start-Up-To-Cruise iMPG = iMPH/2 - To - iMPG ≤ 1.2 x iMPH throttle pedal control technique can increase incremental Overall Per Tank-Full Average Fuel Economy by 2± MPG.

 

2. Brake-To-Stop"Smarts": The "Beating-Everyone-To-The-Next-Red Light" only to execute a "Brake-To-Stop" maneuver or not anticipating ahead of time the need to slightly ease back on the throttle to decelerate and coast to an upcoming "Red Light" you expect will be changing to "Green" before you get there will cost you "Gold & Green" --- Black Liquid Arabian Gold & Green Backs. This mindless, habitual accelerating and racing from one "Red" stop-light after it changes to "Green," to the next "Green" traffic light getting ready to turn "Yellow" and then "Red" is an all too common in-traffic, "gas guzzling, fuel wasting" City-Driving behavior that "steals" incremental fuel economy from you. This is true whether you are driving in a conventionally powered vehicle or a hybrid-powered one.

 

By not anticipating a "Red" turning traffic signal, a stop sign, coasting and slowing to pull in to a shopping center or just slowing to pull into your driveway will "rob" you of chances to conserve energy already expended to get you up to travel-cruise speed as well as opportunities to reclaim-regenerate "MPG-FE" by converting that velocity energy into electrical energy stored into the hybrid's traction battery array.

 

As with the "Gas-To-Go" driving behavior, most people habitually use this "Brake-To-Stop" behavior because they are mirroring the behavior of or being "pressured" by the I-Got-Places-To-Go...You-Are-In-My-Way...Gotta-Get-To-The-Gas-Station-Ahead-Of-You-Before-The-Prices-Go-Up-Again "Flow-Of-Traffic Traffic Herd" who are beeping, bleeping and looming up in their rearview and side view mirrors to get them waste fuel to speed to an upcoming "Red" Traffic Light only to then rapidly "Brake-To-Stop" once again.

 

OPERATING TECH NOTE: In a Prius NWH20/2G/GEN II Hybrid, "free-wheel coasting" with "ALL BLACK LINES" displayed on the MFD is the best use of velocity energy. In this hybrid discussion, "ALL BLACK LINE free-wheel coasting" can be considered to be an operating state where velocity energy is being converted to "miles" (distance) traveled at a "100% Level of Energy