Another 15 pounds off the car tonight and over the past few weeks:
• Rear hatch upper trim: 3.2 lbs
• Intake resonator: 2.0 lbs
• Rear seat headrests: 2.8 lbs
• Rear floor panels: 3.8 lbs
• Trunk cover: 4.2 lbs
I've decided on two winter projects, as well. First, rear wheel skirts. And second, I'm going to try a base plate (
Task 12.3 here). I'll use a Torklift Ecohitch, which should have the least drag penalty of any hitches available for the Prius as most of it is hidden under the plastic diffuser panel rather than hanging below it, then steel box section out the back and an appropriately-sized base plate with cutout at the end (the lowest-drag configuration found by the MIRA researchers, at 6.4% reduction). The idea is, I'll be able to pop this on the back for long road trips, like the two I have planned next year, but when I've reached my destination I can take it off and it should be small enough to store in the hatch so I can drive around downtown Houston or Seattle without being inadvertently rammed.