Question about hybrids and fuel efficiency ratings.

[funflower]

When a hybrid car is rated as getting X mpg, does that apply only to the time when the car is running on gasoline or is it an average that includes the time when the car is running on electricity?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. The rating would be for all the time it's running...

Honda and Toyota have different philosophies for how their hybrids work-- one has the electric motor as the primary power source, and the other has the gas engine primary. (forgot which is which, but I think Honda has the gas engine primary)

In either case, the electric and gas engines work seamlessly with each other and the mileage is simply what you get when driving from here to there.

[KlatooBNikto]

2. Yes.The ratings are simply based on how much gasoline was

consumed when go from point A to Point B. During the times the car is only on battery power, the gas consumption is obviously 0.0 Gallons and that is included in the average.

Toyota/Lexus Hybrids can run on battery power alone.Honda cannot.

The two seater Honda Insight is a great runabout gets 60 odd Miles to a gallon.Once you have two adults seated, you will have to look hard to seat a gerbil.

The Lexus, of course, is the best. It gives over 30 Miles Per Gallon in the city and has enormous power and acceleration.Great cars all.

[Massacure]

3. The cars aren't actually driven to get their fuel economy.

Instead if I recall, the engines are run and the exhaust is measured for how much fuel was burned. Then that data is used in a formula to come up with the ratings. The formulas are not completely accurate but they give a ballpark figure.

[solarpower6]

4. i think they are actually driven to get their fuel economy

I think the highway mileage is done at 48mph, which means that cars will actually get less mpg than they are rated for.

[Coastie for Truth]

5. That may be the "EPA Dynamometer" Test

Like the run that the EPA uses at its North Ann Arbor lab.