Quote:
Originally Posted by Vekke
I would agree on petrol or diesel cars, but this ev keeps the speed much steadier and on downhills it recharges battery so energy is not "lost".
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That depends on a lot of factors, mainly the driver.
Diesels and gassers are more efficient near full load. I find I get better fuel mileage going over certain hilly areas than non-hilly areas (unless I pulse and glide on purpose). The trick is to slow down towards the top and coast down the other side. As long as the hill isn't too steep or too long you don't have to brake. I had one friend that lived some 15 miles out of town with some hills that were just perfect for this kind of driving. It was easy to get +50mpg in the full sized Avalon on that road to her house.
On the other hand you can do that with an electric, but there's no advantage. Actually running closer to full load is probably less efficient as far as the battery is concerned. Of course at least you get the regen if it is too long and steep. This is why I'd love to increase the HV battery size on the Avalon and Prius for those mountain passes we have here in Colorado.