Hey! You guys made the news! "Starting tonight, a four-man driving team will attempt to achieve the highest mileage-per-gallon ever recorded in the sporty Toyota Prius: 100 miles per gallon. The men -- Dave Bassage of Walton, W.Va., Dan Kroushl of Pittsburgh; Wayne Gerdes of Chicago; and Rick Reece of Greenville, S.C. -- met online in forums and discussion groups for Prius owners. Their shared interest in maximizing their gas mileage led them to devise the experiment that they will conduct this weekend, essentially comprising two steps: Step one: Fill up the gas tank of a Prius. Step two: Drive nonstop until the gas runs out." ""It'll be four middle-aged men spending a hot weekend in Pittsburgh going nowhere -- and calling it fun," said team spokesman Bassage." "Bassage, administrator of the office of innovation in West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection, said that Prius enthusiasts tend to be either "enviros" like himself, whose primary interest in the vehicle arises from environmental concerns, or "techies" like his teammates, who delight in the car's mechanics. With oil prices topping $60 per barrel, and gas pumps consistently registering $2.25 a gallon or more, their ranks may soon be swelled by "cheapies" -- people who just want to save money." LOL! Cheapies! Too bad they didn't identify Priuschat.
I hope the guys have been dieting for the last couple weeks. As a tip, I suggest they fold the seats down for aerodynamics.
Well, supposedly they aren't modifying the car, so they can't take the seats out. But I'd take out all of the regular mats and the Exact Mats if they had them. Those things are heavy. And clean out the glove compartment. No need for the owners manual. Take all of the loose change out of the center console. Did they wash the car and give it a good wax to be more aerodynamic? Well, I hope so. It will look better on HBO.
Later this evening we will make sure that all excess weight is gone. That will make up for gaining two pounds last week. I did wash the car, but it is raining right now and a few of the team members are out practicing. So much for the car wash. :-(
I'll bite, just what are the other guys practicing? As for folding the seats for aerodynamics, that's what I tell people I do when I'm trying to eeck out the last bit of mileage.
Hey guys -- please try to keep some nominal track of your engine RPM ranges as you're out there, if possible. I still think that [and the kW demand implied thereby] has a lot to do with it. . Best of luck, and we'll definitely be rooting for ya at the NE gathering on Saturday. . _H*
Thanks Hobbit. I still have an intermittant tach. One second it shows good data and the next two seconds it shows 4990. From our practice run yesterday, we were in the 2000 - 3000 RPM range while pulsing up hill. Pulsing on flat terrain was more in the 1500-2000 RPM range. Rick Reese brought a scanner that plugs into the system under the dash. He was also monitoring RPM. I will ask him to take some notes this weekend. Good luck at your gathering. Dan
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"113921)</div> Isn’t that kind of cheating? Why not also drain all the gas and refill it in 1/10th increments as it is being used. That would save carrying around a bunch of dead weight, and technically speaking, it would still be one tank of gas. :roll: The idea is what you can do with a Prius, not what you can do to a Prius. .
well... borderline I guess. I mean it's not extreme as to remove the rear seats, remove the centre console tray, remove the glovebox tray, remove the tonneau cover, remove the rear floor and tray etc etc.
Post Gazette has already posted the follow-up story. Hybrid drivers complete run for record breaking mileage 2 days, 1,400 miles, 110 mpg 1 tank "The men -- Kroushl of McCandless, Bassage of Walton, W.Va.,, Wayne Gerdes of Chicago, Rick Reece of Greenville, S.C., and Bob Barlow from Fredericksburg, Va. -- drove continuously, stopping only to switch drivers every four hours like a NASCAR crew. Their journey was chronicled by an HBO film crew, who recorded their every moment, even a brush at a local BP station where they were run off the property because only CBS affiliates could film at the station. And Barlow, the lawyer in the group, was pulled over by police yesterday at 2 a.m. because he was driving too slow. In order to achieve extreme fuel economy, the team primarily used a gas-saving technique called pulse and glide. It's a form of coasting that involves releasing the gas pedal, then pressing it slightly again to disengage the electric motors. And as they glide, the drivers glance at a built-in screen displaying vital statistics like average miles per gallon. "It's like playing a video game," said Bassage."
Here's a few more. I looks like it made the TV news on two local stations. What a Ride 110 miles per gallon Duplicate of Post Gazette And AP picked it up: It's the second article of the three.
