Portland to Florida trip round 2
 

Looks like I’m doing another coast to coast trip! I’ll be documenting my experiences here.

This time is different because I’m trying the box cavity flares at the end, taped front rims, and some wheel flarings ti deflect airflow around the tires and catching the wake ( not best shape but some mock ups)

First 200 miles - 57 miles per gallon at 78mph cruise control. Not too bad

Caught a small tail wind next 150 miles and averaged mpg bumped up to 64. With AC ON! Still cc at 78mph

Two of the foam wheel flares flew off though.

610 miles on first tens of Gas at highway speeds with mountains. Not bad. All wheel flarings have blow off besides the back two rear wake ones at the rear wheels. Other than that it’s just no mirrors, wheel spats, cavity fins, and taped front wheels

Did you go back and pick up the pieces?

Only one flew off. Would’ve been difficult to get it. The others kept coming detached and flapping around. They were being held on by gorilla tape so I just ripped them off and threw them in the trunk.

Caught a tail wind in Utah. Whenever the load is reduced at high speeds, my car behaves this way and does it’s “ lean burn” mode or whatever you want to call it. High elevation at 5k feet and tail wind. Car charges the hybrid battery to the max then switches over to engine only versus engine and battery charging. The mpg goes insane and stays this way for a long time. I wonder if the car would behave the same way if I dramatically lowered the cars CD with a full boat tail and other mods? Just random thoughts. But mpg in the 60s while going 88 mph is just wild

Strikes me the easiest would be to keep the battery max charged or spoofed that way

I wish there was a hack to change it and make the car do that. The switching to EV mode works a lot better with city driving versus high speed interstate

Salt lake to beaver Utah at 88 mph did the lean burn thingy again and averaged 51mpg with 3mph cross wind.

Then from mountain pass to lake Powell Arizona averaged 68 mpg. Average speed with tons of hills and mountains was about 73-74mph. Not too bad. Had like a 4mph tail wind but super rough desert roads.

Today is just uphill the whole way to flagstaff Arizona so won’t report on mpg

Heading to