[Insightful Trekker]

Insight vs. Prius.

Picked this site up from a post in the Yahoo Honda Hybrid group

Lots of *DRY* technical data, but the graphs of battery usage, MPG etc. are interesting.

Enjoy.

http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/hev_test/data.shtml

 

[Guest]

Hi Insightful Trekker:

___Thanks for the link. It appears by the commentary of the data that the Insight handles its battery packs charge/discharge better then that of the 01/03 Prius (graph 4 vs. 5 as well as 6). Looking at graph 9, it appears as if Toyota has a better CAT setup for cold starts however. Overall, I can understand the Insight’s higher NOx output and can accept it for the hwy capable mileage but I hope this too will improve in a future Hybrid/std ICE from Honda. I can’t wait to see similar tests using an 04 Prius and a new HCH.

___Does running A/C really have that much of an effect (graph 1) on the Insight’s fuel economy? I see an ~ 5 – 8% drop in the MDX and maybe a 5% drop in the Corolla but I have never read of a 35% drop from anyone in this forum while using A/C? This would equate to an ~ 70 mpg average to just 45.5 mpg on the hwy on a hot summer day using A/C. This number appears way out of range from what many have posted here?

___Thanks again and good luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:1ciuklnh][email protected][/email:1ciuklnh]

 

[Rick]

It would be interesting to see how the 04 Prius fairs in this same type of testing. That car will not cold fire the engine. Durring initial startup an electric water pump circulates the engine coolant through a flash heater which heats the coolant to 120 degrees before the engine will even turn on. Thus eliminating the cold startup.

As far as 45mpg with the air on depending on the conditions I could believe it. On a trip where I averaged about 80mph with the air on I think I only averaged like 48mpg. It was hot that day too, I don't think the compressor cycled off very much.

 

[Tim Maddux]

SC03 was run at 95F (I am very glad I don't work in this lab!), and has lots of acceleration/deceleration, and 5 full stops during the test cycle. The site did not say whether they ran with the climate control in ECON mode or not, and the site did not say what temperature they set the climate control to.

http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/hev_t ... ures.shtml
http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/hev_t ... gure.shtml

I have not seen such bad mileage from my Insight on a steady highway cruise, but I would not be surprised to see it if I were driving hard and trying to cool down a 95F cabin with the A/C on full blast.