My Commute MPGs

**jeff652** · 12-08-2011, 02:43 PM

I have to share this with people who would appreciate it. My wife and co-workers think I am crazy hahah.

Fist of all, my commute right now:

This is my first week commuting this distance with IMA. Previously I was on ICE only and getting 55-58 average MPGs while targeting a 58-61MPH top speed.

Freeways are pretty open due to the time of day I am driving. I hit moderate to heavy traffic for the first 10 miles in the morning and that's it. I take the 'hilly' route in the AM to avoid traffic. I take the 'flat' route coming home because I work later in the evenings and the traffic has blown over.

Interestingly, I seem to be getting the same (maybe even better) MPGs on the hilly route due to the frequent downhill coasting. I would expect to increase my daily MPGs in the evening (on the 'flat' route) because I am not climbing all those hills. I am only able to push up my daily overall MPGs 0-2 MPG during my return drive, and I feel like the car is fighting to keep momentum all the way home. I would have thought the difference between routes would be more.

Monday: I targeted an average speed of 60MPG. My tires were inflated to 45PSI cold. I focused primarily on MPGs and didn't regen much on downhill stretches. My BetterBattery lost about 2 bars overall during my commute. Coming home on the 'flat' route I almost felt like my MPGs were worse than the morning. Overall, I got this:

On Tuesday morning, before leaving the house, I aired my tires up to 55PSI and headed off to work. I took the same route, and targeted the same 58-61MPH average speed. I hit heavier traffic during the first 10 miles of my commute, which hurt my overall average. During my return drive, I was able to daft a truck at 60-62MPH most of the way home, but I think my effort to stay behind him burned more gas then the draft benefited me. After all my effort, My MPGs were only up a hair to:

(more coming after lunch)

Eli · 12-08-2011, 02:47 PM

How are you seeing the elevation data in Google Maps?

**jeff652** · 12-08-2011, 02:52 PM

Wednesday I started to slow down. I was getting more comfortable ignoring the traffic zooming around me and not feeling pressed to maintain speed going up hills. There is a zen to driving this car, and I was starting to feel it. I dropped my target speed to 55MPH and started focusing on regen during downhill stretches. It's weird slowing down while going downhill but it made a big difference in the battery usage during the trip. My speeds dropped, my battery was at almost the same charge when I arrived as when I departed, and my MPGs were up!:

This morning I was able to take it to a new level. I am the slowest guy on the freeway, but I am getting in tune with this car. I was targeting 48-51MPH, and using regen to recharge the battery pack whenever I could. I caught myself dropping into the mid 40's MPH on many occasions, but I didn't let it stress me. I hit my new personal best overall, and I did on the 'hilly' route! Here's the money shot:

All this is without MIMA. I will probably drive it for a few more weeks and see how high I can get before installing the MIMA! Maybe that will be my Christmas present to the car hahah

**jeff652** · 12-08-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eli

How are you seeing the elevation data in Google Maps?

RidewithGPS.com

Eli · 12-08-2011, 03:03 PM

Good stuff.

Don't expect any instant miracles with MIMA. It's like playing a brand new game on a gaming console you've never used before. There's a pretty steep learning curve. After a few months though, you'll be kicking butt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff652

RidewithGPS.com

Ahh, nice. I've been using http://www.geocontext.org/publ/2010/04/profiler/en/ but that may be better. Thanks!

Cobb · 12-09-2011, 08:02 AM

Try adding a phev kit to it.

Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

**jeff652** · 12-12-2011, 04:50 PM

Hit a new personal best morning. I've figured out a (slow) way to climb light to moderate moderate hills without using IMA. Downshifting to 4th and slowing to mid 40 MPHs will usually get me up the hill in the 60-75MPG range without engaging the IMA. This really helps preserve the average MPGs and minimize the regen hit. My Battery was fully charged when I left home and when I arrived at the office. I will test further in the next few days and see if I can refine this technique and get even better results.

I still have no under-engine aero panels and only one front bumper strake (left side is missing). I look forward to fixing that and building a full engine panel like Blue-Civic-Hybrid did and seeing what impact that has on my MPGs: Work in Progress: DIY under panel..

EDIT: I should ad that I am by far the slowest guy on the freeway, driving 45-50 MPG to get these results.

diamondlarry · 12-12-2011, 04:58 PM

Very nice Jeff!

I know that slowest-on-the-highway feeling well.

Cobb · 12-12-2011, 07:46 PM

Isn't it interesting that the less you use of the
Hybrid system, the better the mph is?

Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

Eli · 12-12-2011, 07:54 PM

That's typical overall. It takes fairly specific conditions for the hybrid system to help MPG. It seems nearly worthless out on the open highway.

It definitely makes the Insight more fun to drive though. The car is almost scary-gutless without IMA working.