Prius Marathoners Top 100 MPG

[Beaverhausen]

Ok- this came in my Toyota Hybrid email newsletter but I thought it was interesting!

http://www.toyota.com/html/hybridsynergyview/2005/fall/marathon.html

Testing the Limits of Fuel Economy

We all know Prius gets great mileage, but what are the limits to Hybrid Synergy Drive® fuel economy? A dedicated group of five hybrid owners recently assembled near Pittsburgh to answer that very question.

The result was a Prius "hypermileage" marathon. The team drove 1397 miles along a 15-mile course on 12.8 gallons in just under 48 hours. The result: a whopping 109.3 average miles per gallon! It's an unofficial world record. The highest mileage on a single shift was 120.6 mpg, logged by Wayne Gerdes.

The team used the "pulse and glide" technique, which seeks to minimize energy conversion whenever possible. Energy conversion occurs when fuel is converted to kinetic energy (motion), when kinetic energy is stored (charging the battery) and when stored energy is converted back into kinetic energy (discharging the battery). Each conversion results in losses that consume more fuel.
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more at the link

[Massacure]

1. /* Massacure puts down his 2 x 4

For a moment, I thought you were going to mention how a car could get 64894215451 miles to the gallon using electricity. Some people don't seem to think about the fact that when you burn a gallon a gas, you go a certain number of miles; using electricity for a part of it is cheating. Anyhow speeding up and coasting down doesn't seem very practical for real life either, or at least not at the extrem of getting 120 mpg.

[rfkrfk]

2. this is the stupid way to do this

weight, is tire drag.

rip out everything you don't need, such as the hybid stuff.
put in the smallest engine that would maintain speed.
also consider sails and draft animals

[Ready4Change]

3. Working the system

Sounds like they are looking at their existing equipment, and finding out how to maximise it's potential. Very human.

We're used to hot rodders doing this, ie: finding ways to get more horsepower out of their engines. First they look to driving techniques like optimimum shift points, etc... Then they move on to engine modifications.

I suspect we'll see much the same with an MPG focus. These guys are working technique. Some people have applied plug-in mods. More will come.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. If you drive in hilly terrain you do this anyway. Burn gas to go uphill...

but in a Prius you RECAPTURE the energy coasting downhill. I could really have used one of these vehicles when I lived in West Virginia! The actual mileage wouldn't be great, but it would be hugely better than a conventional vehicle on the same terrain.