Second trip - erratic IMA

[adric22]

I posted a few weeks ago about my trip from Fort Worth to Austin and how we got 50 mpg. Well, today we went from Fort Worth to Abilene, which is roughly the same distance only in a different direction. This trip was full of hills, really steep ones. In fact, it borderlines being termed as mountainous region. There are signs instructing trucks to use engine brake on the way down hills, and we passed many trucks climbing hills at 10 mph because that is the best they could do.

Well, the Insight II did not like this at all. We had the cruise on at about 75 mph. But when we'd go to climb the hills, the car would start charging even though the battery was at 50%. I've seen other people talk about this phenomenon, but so far I have not witnessed it at all. In fact, at times the charge/assist guage would bounce back and forth between charge and assist even though we were going a constant speed up a constant incline. We averaged 39 mpg for that trip of about 175 miles. Much worse than our previous trip. But I also found out the elevation of the city we were going to is higher than where we were coming from. So on the way back we achieved 46 mpg. Much better, obviously, but still not as good as the flat-land trip we took before.

So, anyway, I guess this explains why some people have had such drastically different results. Appearently the terrain has a lot more to with things than I realized.

[arkjones]

I am going to be heading up into the Ozarks this weekend and look forward to seeing how the i2 does in the mountains. Really high humidity and temps in the mid 90's will be interesting for the new ride.

On my daily commute to work I travel up hill just about the whole way there and down on the way back (about 10mi one way). To work I have bested at 40 or so, going home 70. So the hills are havoc on the little motor. BUT 40 is WAY better than my 12 my pickup was getting LOL

I have noticed however that 70mph seems to be the breaking point in MPG. If I inch over 70 the glow starts into the blue no matter what I do (other than let off the gas ) and the MPG's start to drop quick after 70. Riding in the 65-70 range I can easily push 50+ on my longer trips down the highway. But over 70 will start to drag it down into the low 40's.