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There is a "sweet spot" where you have neither engine or electric motor providing power in your Prius.
The best hill strategy is to either maintain your speed uphill or let it gradually drop as you climb the hill. On very slight uphill grades you can store energy in the mass of the vehicle with very little loss in MPG. Then on the downhill grade you can travel a considerable distance without any consumption of fuel or electricity.
Your goal is to optimize the 0 consumption time periods, while minimizing the energy cost of the climb portion of the scenario.
Very slight grades can actually give you better average MPG that flat conditions (0 grades).
No matter how you accelerate uphill (withing reasonable limits) the longer you can maintain the 0 energy coasts the better your mileage will be. There are factors that will affect that mileage, like traffic, and the amount of the grade and adjustments to your technique will improve the mileage even further.
regards
mech
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