How the Prius wastes fuel

[jjackstone]

What's the first rule of ecomodding? [I"]ADJUST THE NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL"[/I]
That would alleviate most bad traffic of any kind. Of course until the autonomous, robotic cars take over this won't happen. I wonder if autonomous vehicles will learn to have road rage with other autonomous vehicles...or even with human driven vehicles. Can't wait to see.
JJ

[EVmetro]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I think most motorists when not using cruise control are spazzes. They couldn't hold a steady speed if their lives depended on it. The eco driver no doubt in some cases introduces a kinetic ripple but then again the whole damn thing is a series of ripples anyway.

A "kinetic ripple" is such an excellent way to summarize what I have been getting at, thanks. I am not so great with words, but that describes in a nutshell what I am talking about. I will probably hijack that term for the future. That kinetic ripple can create an incredible amount of fuel waste in certain conditions, since the ripple leaves a wake everywhere it goes. The kinetic ripple is more difficult to conceive for those who wish to impose the way they think wasteful drivers "should" drive onto them.

[Ecky]

Generally speaking, having cars get behind a slow driver tends to save fuel for everyone. Maybe the drivers are annoyed by the slow driver, but that driver is certainly not hurting their economy.

In many cases, eco-drivers will greatly improve the economy of tens, or even hundreds of cars in a traffic jam by moving at the average rate of traffic, rather than accelerating and braking. Cars behind them end up doing the same thing, and the gas savings are multiplied.

[EVmetro]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Generally speaking, having cars get behind a slow driver tends to save fuel for everyone. Maybe the drivers are annoyed by the slow driver, but that driver is certainly not hurting their economy.

In many cases, eco-drivers will greatly improve the economy of tens, or even hundreds of cars in a traffic jam by moving at the average rate of traffic, rather than accelerating and braking. Cars behind them end up doing the same thing, and the gas savings are multiplied.

I agree that there are many times when you actually can "impose" fuel savings onto wasteful drivers if you know what you are doing. The Prius controls the kinetic ripple, so if you know what you are doing, you can control it somewhat. Kinetic energy is "something in motion tends to stay in motion", and the best way to do this is to not create the kinetic ripple in the first place. If traffic is flowing at 75 mph, but has to temporarily slow to a 65 mph speed limit to navigate around a Prius that is clogging the flow, and then speeds back up to 75, there will be a large ripple in the kinetic energy that will be continuously wasting fuel. If you steady the flow of stop and go traffic by not racing up to the car in front of you and slamming on the brakes, you may be able to actually keep the cars behind you at a more steady pace, preserving the kinetic energy.

[redpoint5]

So, this thread isn't about how the Toyota Prius wastes fuel, but instead about how our behavior impacts the fuel economy of others.

That sounds similar to:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mpg-27196.html

[EVmetro]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

So, this thread isn't about how the Toyota Prius wastes fuel, but instead about how our behavior impacts the fuel economy of others.

Perhaps. I still see the Prius as the most common culprit. There is something special about the Prius that attracts problem drivers, and what ever it is, it makes the Prius into a fuel wasting machine. If you feel defensive of the Prius, you may not ever be able to witness the phenomenon or conceive what the kinetic ripple is, but if you happen to be objective and interested, start watching what vehicle is the source of the clogged roadway. Sure you will see people too old to drive, and maybe a few drivers who have learned how to drive in another country, but try keeping track.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by EVmetro

Perhaps. I still see the Prius as the most common culprit. There is something special about the Prius that attracts problem drivers, and what ever it is, it makes the Prius into a fuel wasting machine. If you feel defensive of the Prius, you may not ever be able to witness the phenomenon or conceive what the kinetic ripple is, but if you happen to be objective and interested, start watching what vehicle is the source of the clogged roadway. Sure you will see people too old to drive, and maybe a few drivers who have learned how to drive in another country, but try keeping track.

In my area, it's usually pickup trucks. Most Prii are here are the fastest cars on the road, doing 70+ in 50's.

[Xist]

I did not think much about Prii until I bought my Forester and longed for far better fuel economy. I would mention it and people would interrupt me to say Prius drivers always cut them off, were the fastest on the road, etc, so I started noticing Prius drivers passing everything. My sister and I drove to California and I pointed out many Prii passing us. I probably stopped caring, that seems more likely than Prius drivers going slower. I see many people complain about people driving slowly in the fast lane, but I have never seen it, I once took a picture of a school bus driving 55 in the carpool lane, but as soon as I got it, the bus sped up. My experience has been like NoD's, I generally stay in the slow lane, but I attempt to minimize how much I am in other driver's way. However, people insist on trying to speed in the slow lane. I imagine we are mutually incomprehensible, if you want to driver faster, why waste time tailgating me, why not just change lanes and drive faster?
Maybe they do not honk, flash their lights, and make rude gestures at NoD, but that is my experience.
Speeding seems far too stressful.

[pgfpro]

In my area the Prius is the car that is always going way over the speed limit also.

My wife and I made a trip last month to the Fairmont Hot Sprigs in Montana. Montana has increased the speed limit to 80 mph on some parts of I 90.

As soon as we hit the 80mph speed limit I noticed all the traffic was now averaging 90 mph. So I increased my speed to 90mph to keep from getting ran over. Then after about 20 minutes I noticed a Prius flew up on me like I was standing still. So I increased my speed to the same as his to see how fast he was going. Well it shocked me we were doing 105mph. My wife woke up from her nap and ask me what the Hell are you doing? I said trying to keep up with this Prius thats in front of us.lol She gave me the look and I slowed back down to 90mph. Then a lifted diesel truck flew past us and was on the Prius ass. The Prius stayed in front and started to pull away from him. Eventually I could no longer see them as they disappeared in front of me. About a 1/2 hour went by and I came up on the same diesel that was following the Prius earlier but this time he was only going maybe 55 mph at the most blowing smoke out from the engine bay.

[EVmetro]

I have seen a lot of posts on this thread where members been more interested in defending the Prius than actually conceiving the kinetic ripple. For those who prefer to debate that the Prius does not cause the ripple, try typing "slow prius drivers" into your search engine, and see for yourself. There must be some reason why there are so many results.