How to Get More MPG in a Prius
The Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle that has been in mass production since 1997. Until 2001, it was only sold in Japan, but then went on sale worldwide. The 2010 Prius gets an Environmental Protection Agency-rated 50 mpg in combined highway and city driving. Because the Prius is a hybrid and is powered by both a gasoline and electric motors, different driving techniques can be used to increase fuel efficiency.
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Instructions
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Drive the Prius a lot, which is one of the biggest ways you can improve fuel efficiency in your Prius. It generally takes 2,000 miles to break in a Prius to achieve maximum fuel efficiency, but can take as much as 15,000 miles. Once the Prius is broken in, drivers can expect to see a 10 to 15 percent increase in fuel efficiency, which will get them close to the EPA fuel efficiency ratings.
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Select longer routes. The Prius gets its worst gas mileage in the first 10 minutes of driving when the batteries and engine are cold. Combine errands to make one longer trip instead of multiple shorter ones.
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Monitor the energy display on the Prius dashboard to maximize fuel efficiency. If you are traveling less than 40 mph, you can glide without using any fuel. Let your foot off the gas, then gently hit the gas pedal until all arrows on the energy display screen go off. You will now be able to glide without the regenerative braking kicking in, which would slow you down. Also, when you use this technique at speeds less than 40 mph, the gasoline engine is off, which means you can significantly increase your fuel economy with this technique.
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Utilize the all-electric mode at the end of trips, ideally for no more than the last mile. This can be done by releasing your foot off the gas pedal, then very gently reapply the gas until the energy display shows only energy from the battery. If you maintain a constant speed, you will be able to drive in all-electric mode.
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Tips & Warnings
The gliding and all-electric driving techniques require some practice with your foot, so don't expect to master it right out of the gate. Subtle differences in how you release and press the accelerator are required to make these effective.
Attempting to drive in all-electric mode for extended periods of time will discharge the Prius battery, which will require the gasoline engine to be run to recharge it. Only use the all-electric mode technique at the very end of trips to prevent this from happening.
