View Single Post
Old 08-04-2009, 10:22 PM   #14 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
Left Lane Ecodriver
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Posts: 2,257

Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
Thanks: 79
Thanked 287 Times in 200 Posts
Though I haven't gotten my Insight out of the driveway yet, I expect the biggest gains vs EPA to come from driving technique. Conserving momentum, DWB, and EOC will drastically boost FE around town.

There are two reasons this car will be a P&G champ. One, it will roll very well due to low rolling and aero resistance. Two, check out the sweet spot on the BSFC plot. It's at 4000 RPM, and probably around 50HP! So it's not only okay to accelerate quickly, it's encouraged (as long as you put 100% of your newfound kinetic energy to good use). Google the Insight 1-2-5 shift.

An Insight's boattail can be much shorter than on most cars, because Honda already tapered the body down to a small area where the car abruptly ends. However, due to the small cross sectional area of the rear wake, the benefit of a boattail would also be smaller than on a Civic hatch. Still maybe worth doing.
  Reply With Quote