just got my 2012 prius c, have been driving the 2005 / gen 2 for two years- I noticed the first day driving it around the city extensively that at 45mph it goes into the EV indicator. You can also glide at a higher speed such as 53 where EV is not seen but energy bar is in the lower 25% and your MPG is max. This suggests to me that the engine is more capable in terms of the electric drive - as I am starting from stop, in ECO mode, I can use ev to climb to speed much more easily, to a higher speed, than the gen 2--- one of the big reasons that the city MPG is far better. As long as you do not go below 4 (of 10) battery bars still trying to stay in the EV speed range. but i'm trying to determine is this the best glide for the c? or do we have two different, electric assisted and full
I drove in Eco mode for as long as I was able to stand the low engine. What this does (I assumed it was similar in higher numbers in Prius GenX) is reduce the effective cycle of from 1.5l to 1.2l. This reduces the power of course but does not make for greater efficiency. It is great for a drive where you don't want to automatically push it, and you do have a reigning in. That is a very interesting notion, that the engine timing can be changed to create a smaller profile of operation. But something else really awesome happens in the car that we have no switch as such for, and it happens most out of the Eco mode. You do not want to use Eco mode for freeway on-ramps. So when you press the button and feel the torque of 1.5l, keep it there at speed and let easy on the gas pedal even as you maintain speed. Get someone to watch the energy graphic. They will see that it goes back and forth between shared fuel and battery power to fuel power only when higher than 45. That creates a higher mileage figure than using gas alone but lower obviously than when on full EV.
