Hello from New Zealand!

[BlueCoast]

Hi Ecomodders and hypermilers!

I drive a 2014 Toyota Aqua (JDM Prius C). I mostly drive short 6.4km commutes in the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand. I have been trying out some hypermiling tips to improve my driving habits and maximise my car's fuel economy. Already seeing some good results, going from around the EPA rating to about 29% over.

I have grown to enjoy learning new things about my car, experimenting with my driving, and going further on less fuel. Occasionally I take a family roadtrip beyond the Canterbury Plains around Christchurch, heading out around New Zealand. Whilst taking in the breathaking views, there are some moments where petrol stations are separated by long, challenging stretches of roads through steep and winding mountain passes and/or distant rural communities.

Naturally I'm interested in understanding how best to tackle varied terrain while minimising fuel consumption, especially on long uphills. With a 1.5L hybrid engine and 36L fuel tank, it can be a bit nerve-wracking to see my car's approximate range displayed plummet quickly whilst going over a mountain pass. Fuel consumption is well below EPA rating as well, which I try my best to minimise. Meeting and conversing with others who have expertise in this area would be most helpful! Despite being not the sort of car one would take on a roadtrip, my Toyota Aqua has proven itself to be quite the-little-car-that-could. It handled plenty of challenges well, including driving through below freezing temperatures through snow and ice on snow chains. Still, I feel I could be driving it better.

[freebeard]

Welcome to Ecomodder.

t can be a bit nerve-wracking to see my car's approximate range displayed plummet quickly whilst going over a mountain pass...

What goes up must come down again. That's where you can make a difference.

[BlueCoast]

Hi freebeard! Thanks for the welcome!

Originally Posted by freebeard

What goes up must come down again. That's where you can make a difference.

True that! I am actually on a roadtrip today which crossed a mild mountain pass. This weekend is a bit of a long holiday weekend in New Zealand. I "adopted" a ute/pick-up truck towing a camper trailer, following it in the slow vehicle lane as a kind of excuse to not redline my engine and not feeling overly pressured by overtaking traffic.

Currently pulled over in the town after the mountain pass for lunch. By the time I got to the bottom on the other side, my average fuel economy was reading 27.8km/L (~65MPG) Not bad; nearly as high as my more recent commutes.

[freebeard]

Thanks for the welcome!

There is a button for that!