On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:18:56 -0600, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:

Roger (K8RI) wrote:

The Toyota Prius has the capability of running all electric in Europe.
There's a big button on the dash to put it in the all electric mode.
That makes them capable of over 100 MPG. Without it we seem to be
averaging a tad over 47. That option is not available in the states
so they could push the warranty up on the battery. In town and out in
the hills it's possible to get much better than the rated 50 MPG, BUT
to use the driving techniques required to get that kind of mileage
would make you the target of everyone else on the road:-))


Not to be a smart ass but wouldn't putting it into all electrice mode make
the car go INFINITY mpg?

It would if they ran all electric all the time, but the battery pack
isn't that large. Normal mode to get to town and then drive around
town using all electric. Also at present the electric power is much
cheaper than that derived from gas.

Still a realistic mileage would require recording the KWH used for the
miles driven.

Figure the HP required to maintain 50 or 70 MPH, multiply by 0.746 to
get KWH and multiply that by your electric rates. The results should
come out with the gas costing 50 to 100% more for an hour at a given
speed IF your electric rates are 10 cents per KWh as they are here. In
California it's probably cheaper to use gas. :-)) OTOH if your car
already gets 50 MPG there is little if any savings by going to
electric. A Prius in California would probably cost half as much to
drive as an electric car. The problem is making these kinds of
comparisons requires a LOT of assumptions.

It's like solar panels in the SW where they see paybacks in only a few
years and that is with some hefty subsidies. Here in Michigan we
receive so little sunlight on average we aren't even on the payback
charts which only go to 20 years and we receive no subsidies for solar
installations.

Roger (K8RI)