=== Mileage hints for Prius drivers === Do not disconnect your 12V battery any time within 2 weeks or so before the event. The car's computers learn certain values as you drive, and use them to create best-economy running conditions. If the battery gets disconnected, those learned parameters get erased and fall back to internal defaults which may not be as optimized for mileage performance. Have all of your tires inflated right up to the allowed maximum pressure. Tire inflation is one of the most key things to good fuel economy. Think "bicycle". The harsher your ride feels, the better you're probably doing! Have the engine fully warmed up before the startpoint, and the cabin at a comfortable temperature too. If the previous night was chilly, warming the cabin also helps warm the hybrid battery to its optimum operating temp. Batteries are happiest in the same "comfort zone" as people are, in fact. Make sure you are in full "stage 4" operation, in which the engine reliably shuts down under low demand and allows you to "glide". You don't reach this mode until the engine is fully warmed up, and you bring the car to a complete stop and wait for the engine to run about five more seconds and then shut off. Just before starting your run, force-charge your battery up to 8 green bars by putting the shift into "D", holding the brake firmly, and pressing the accelerator. The ICE will start up and charge the battery. When it's nearly done, you may hear the engine's note change as charging current drops off, emitting less of a "metallic" sound from the inverter electronics. This should take about 2 - 3 minutes. Be VERY careful not to let off the brake while doing this -- if you do, the car will LEAP forward. When the battery shows full, release the accelerator first, then the brake. The engine may randomly start and stop a couple more times after this -- that's normal, don't worry about it. The point is to begin your run with a little more helpful energy on board. For the run itself, don't use the heater or A/C. For '04 and up, best is to set the system to "max cold" and make sure the A/C is turned OFF, and then turn the fan control OFF which disables the entire climate system and helps keep heat up in the engine where it belongs. Keep the windows closed, or mostly closed. Wide-open windows cause turbulence. Two diagonally opposite windows open a short way give a good air cross-flow without messing with the aerodynamics too much. While driving, try to "pulse and glide" and either use the engine in its most efficient mode or not at all, but be careful not to delay or confuse following traffic. Try to read your upcoming terrain and use the engine to get up hills, momentum and a little bit of battery on the flat, and regenerative capture on the downhills and when stopping. Note that "babying" the car on acceleration may actually hurt mileage, because the engine runs less efficiently when lightly loaded. Try to anticipate everything and avoid sudden stops. Remember, your car's momentum is also a form of energy storage and should be used wisely. If you have a GPS, sometimes it is helpful to anticipate upcoming bends and intersections where you might have to slow or stop. Use this to your best predictive advantage. If you have terrain-based mapping loaded, you may even be able to anticipate hills. Use Neutral for some downhill gliding when appropriate and safe. You can reach engine-off speeds of greater than 41 mph, using less energy than the delicate "warp stealth" state that spins the engine despite using no fuel. Be sure to pop back into Drive to slow down, or braking won't regenerate back into the battery. Don't count on being able to do this through a typical rural "town-in-the-valley", though, since speed limits often go down to 25 mph through such areas. Your EV switch, on the other hand, may be useful through slow-n-go town traffic. Avoid bumps while braking. Bumps have a nasty tendency to create torque "blips" through the drivetrain and confuse the regenerative system, which then cuts out and leaves you on physical brakes for several seconds afterward [such that you lose the energy recovery on that stop]. You can often feel when this happens as a "sag" in braking force. If it does happen, your best bet is to use "B" to try and recover what you can. But remember to switch back to "D" when you get going again! Leave large following distance whenever possible; this gives you more leeway to optimally control your speed and anticipate events. Don't worry about other vehicles jumping into the gap -- they're usually gone soon enough, and allowing them more maneuvering room actually helps smooth out traffic flow *ahead* of you. Most importantly, remain aware of traffic *behind* you -- if you pick up an impatient tail, do not try to deliberately slow then down, but find a safe way they can pass you. This may be a mileage run, but we also have to interact with real-life everyday traffic around us in a sensible, aware manner. When going around a bend to the left, lean your head/body to the right so you can see around the A-pillar. And as you've heard many times already, play nice with other drivers, enjoy the landscape, and have FUN! _H* 060310