What sort of tires and what pressure do you run them at? Is nitrogen an option in your tires? Good for you I wish there were more hybrid owners and initiatives, tax credits etc.

They're the stock tires that came on it, "Goodyear Integrity", with whatever air pressure they came with from the dealer (which I should probably check).

There was some discussion earlier about Toyota's switch to these tires and the fact that they are not technically "low rolling resistance" tires.

As for how I did it, mainly, I drove. Mrs. Leadfoot consistently gets 10% or so fewer MPGs than me. Today we didn't run the AC because it was pleasant outside and we just rolled down the windows if it got hot. That probably helped.

Plus I was trying to get maximum MPG, so I was careful to anticipate red lights and stops, not accelerate hard, generally drove the speed limit, and overall just kept a light touch on the gas pedal except as needed and used cruise control where it was practical. Sometimes it seems like it's better to accelerate a little harder to get up to speed and then let it glide into electric or electric/assist mode.

Probably got some bonus from the fact that we went about 75% of the way around Cades Cove loop on battery power, and charged the battery real good coming down off the mountain which let it run more in battery assist mode on the way home.

Do you use the brake feature on the stick to charge? I was told to use this on downhill and to decelerate from fast speeds.This is supposed to charge batteries faster.

Have you seen the electric conversion kits

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11303_7-6406442-2.html

Do you use the brake feature on the stick to charge?

Yes, in fact I did for a bit coming down off the mountain, mainly to help keep off the brakes. It did seem to make it charge a little harder. The battery charge indicator was full green when we got to the bottom. I'm going to start paying more attention to using that when appropriate.

And yes, I've heard of that conversion kit and some other plug-in mods (plus another one that will let you use your Prius as a backup power generator for your house in case of power outages). Since our Prius only has about 1800 miles on it I'm not quite ready to start hacking it.

But it's puzzling why they don't offer the plug-in option or the "electric mode" button in the U.S. There have been lots of times when I wondered why it wasn't running electric only, and wished I had an option to force it. I blame Dick Cheney.

But seriously, the Mrs. and I were talking about it, and I think the next generation hybrids should focus on battery technology first, and then a plug-in option to help keep it topped off when not in use. It's weird how ours starts the gas engine a few seconds after backing out of the garage. I'm assuming it's to charge the battery.

Charge your car at night when rates are cheapest and demand is low -

I didn't think TVA rates vary around the clock. I'm almost sure they don't--am I missing something? Some places like Cal. and maybe eventually here, though.

Am I missing something, or are people totally out of touch with reality?

They sure are. Especially us "fiercely independent" Tennesseans! Why have 76 degrees when you can have 70 degrees and shut out the horrible outdoors too? Course if it's winter, you'd set your heater for 76 degrees.

Very cool on the 65.9MPG! I try and make it a habit to always drive in the manner described--easy on accelerating, letting up long before stops, etc. Makes a big difference. Better for the car too.

I bought me some new tars yesterday and Fisher filled 'em w/ N2. I didn't look at the receipt, but I hope they didn't charge extra. I have a hard time believing they really think it has any effect other than as hype to sell.

Your posts about the new car are sure to inspire everyone. I'm learning a lot.

Am I missing something, or are people totally out of touch with reality?

Or maybe they are doing what I do, which is to rely on the excellent air circulation provided by the fans in my Honda to bring the outside air in without losing MPG by running the AC or by having the windows open.

Seems as though your car would give an articially high MPG number for a trip if the battery were fully charged at the beginning of the trip and near depletion at the end.

Especially on a trip where you spend 70, 80 or 90 percent of the travel time on battery power.

But in reality, while these factors negatively affect fuel economy, the difference is almost negligible.

This is one of those hard to prove either way things, but I would argue that A/C is usually more detrimental to mileage. Most articles that tout aerodynamics as more than compensating for the drag on the engine are industry pieces. The auto industry wants you to be happy and comfortable. I think it depends mostly on the aerodynamics of the particular car, windows up and windows down, and of course speed, which causes drag to increase exponentially.

Certainly in low speed stop/go city driving, the A/C would only be another load for the engine. The aero effects would be very small compared to the BTUs needed to dehumidify and cool.

As for cruising, drag varies considerably by car model. Consider how different wind noise can be in different cars, say, when you're driving with just rear windows open. Some are very noisy, others not so much.

The simple test in the link is pretty much just anecdotal for one set of conditions.

FWIW, no matter how hot it gets I usually remember how things were before A/C and just tough it out, except on the interstate for more than a few miles.

Practically everybody I know is doing something to conserve. Two of my neighbors and I frequently carpool on grocery runs. Meanwhile, take a look at this item in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Hill Online

... and TVA allowing you sell the electricty generated by PV panels on your home at a higher price than you purchase it are a good combination...

Are you kidding? Those bastards at TVA aren't "allowing" anything. It's a federal law on co-generation that they would rather be exempt from.

I didn't think TVA rates vary around the clock.

They do, but I doubt very seriously that the bill you get in your mailbox every month is from TVA. KUB and other electric distributors in this area typically do not meter this way. It requires the customer to install a special (read: expensive) meter, and is generally reserved for industrial customers.

KA Hole

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Mental
Evaluation
Needed
Semi-
Annually

Ha! I spit on your 65.9 mpg! As we speak, my Civic sits in the carport with the indicator reading 103 mpg for this tank.

"This tank," of course, being what we used on the 2 mile drive home last night from the Sevier Avenue gas-station-formerly-known-as-Pilot.

:)

For the first 10 years of our married bliss we did not have A/C in a car and barely had any A/C in the house. One summer evening it was so hot we went outside to throw the frisbee to cool off. Years ago my Dad and Mom drove us to Houston TX in the middle of the summer with no A/C in the car. We hung our heads out the windows like dogs. My parent's house (about 2,800 sq ft) still has a single window A/C unit to cool only a few rooms. They have lots of trees that keep the house pretty cool. Their neighborhood is usually 5-8 degrees cooler than other areas in town.

Sure I appreciate A/C. It really helps to prevent mold. I really like fresh air. I frequently have my windows open in the car, "increased drag co-efficient" be damned. We're adding more screen doors to the house this year.

"Consider how different wind noise can be in different cars, say, when you're driving with just rear windows open. Some are very noisy, others not so much." Our Freestyle rear windows can be quite noisy when opened to a specific point. They made such a weird, loud noise on the interstate one time I stopped to see if there was a problem with the car, tires, etc.

Seems like most cars can't be driven with only back windows open, there's so much buffeting. But there apparently is a lot of variation in noise for other windows and the sunroof, which I'm sure affects the drag, sometimes considerably. I remember Click and Clack discussing this a few months ago where I believe they were lamenting that many cars just aren't friendly to riding with the windows opened.

Maybe if newer generation cars are generally worse w/ windows open and better w/ them closed, then that supports the argument that A/C is better for mileage while cruising. But most people seem to just keep the A/C on from April to October wherever they go.

I remember the long vacation we took out west in our '63 Buick Special wagon. They said it was over 100 degrees when we stopped in Little Rock. My dad got a window-hanging "swamp cooler" from Sears for the trip. We kept telling mom to pull the string to chill the measly air flow out of the thing. Never seemed to help at all.

I've noticed that it helps considerably to roll the rear window down a bit when the front window is open.

I didn't own my first air conditioned car until I was 34, now there's no going back*. I belive my mom didn't own her first air conditioned vehicle until she was 71. It seems she finally figured out that Xtreme frugality has its limits.

* well the AC on Ye Olde Vanne is long since gone, but I've found this has the side effect of encouraging me to get out and get hauling errands done early in the morning.

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Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Some folks, like my significant other, uses the a/c in the car because of bad allergies. The s.o.'s eyes and nose will get all runny and irritated driving with the windows down.