I'm a new 2010 Prius owner and I'm still trying to figure out how to drive to get the best gas mileage. I've noticed that around 35 or 40 MPH I can get up to speed, then back off the pedal enough to get the car to shut off the ICE, then maintain the speed under electric power only (assuming the ground is reasonably level... Which luckily pretty much all of Florida is). Is it better to do this and try to stay in electric mode as much as possible or should I let it keep the ICE on at 35 or 40? There are only a few roads like this on my commute, so it doesn't run the battery down low enough that it forces the ICE on just to run the generator. It generates enough power during the rest of the commute when the ICE is running anyway to keep the battery charge up. I know I could probably do better if I actually did P&G, but I'm not sure I'm quite that advanced yet. Thanks, Brett
The whole idea of electric-assist hybrid is to let generated electric power (be it incidental ICE or regenerative braking) help power the car and reduce your gas mileage. If the computer is letting the car run on electricity, go for it. In hilly terrain, the ICE will shut off at even higher speeds going downhill, which makes me smile.
If you can drive naturally (accelerate and then ease off) and it goes into EV then that'll be good. It's working hard to keep it in EV that's generally less efficient. Standard pulse and glide isn't that hard to do in a Prius. Finding opportunities to use it without inconveniencing other drivers that may be more difficult. But if you have the opportunity, you can have a go. In http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...pulse-glide-warp-stealth-help.html#post922878, Ken@Japan gives the basics of it.
