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http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/../photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Obviously, this one isn't working as advertised. It's partly the technology, which is new. And partly that drivers aren't used to the cars, says Jim Francfort, of the federal government's Advanced Vehicle Testing program, which is overseeing the Seattle project. (seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008771363_danny22.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Cal_Cars_org_Prius_PHEV_News.jpgDanny Westneat - Seattle Times (seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home) - Feb 22, 2009

Yes, this is disappointing but we definitely need more information. Bad driving? PHEV needs a tweak? Normal usage a bad fit for PHEVs? A combination? -- Ed.

Remember last spring, when Seattle's mayor rolled out the city's first car that could be "filled at the plug instead of the pump?"

It's called a plug-in hybrid. They are all the green rage — "possibly the most sought-after technological innovation since Captain Kirk first flipped open his communicator," says The New York Times.

You may have seen the city's cars around town, painted with an eye-catching claim on the rear bumper: "This plug-in hybrid gets 100+mpg."

Also, a greener boast: "150+City MPG!"

Not exactly, it turns out. Not even close.

Try 51 miles per gallon, city and highway combined. Not counting the cost of the electricity....http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008771363_danny22.html

Hi Chuck:

___Even the guys in the article are not sure why yet we all know the reasons.

___Although 51 mpg is quite poor, the Prius-II warm-up hit anytime the button is pushed will kill the conversions on short trips and if these guys do not know that, they should not be quoted about the reasons for it.

___A true from scratch PHEV will not perform like this unless the manufacturer forces it to. Toyota could still have problems with 62 mph EV on its PHEV’s and many other manufacturers have talked about running the ICE all the time for highway driving. Only the BEVs and Volt (if they survive) with an 80 mph EV top speed are going to be true PHEV’s in the near term.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

When I first saw these articles, something was definitely wrong.

51mpg in a stock Prius is not hard to do

Hi Chuck:

___In a short trip and shut down environment that a city vehicle is surely involved in, it is not nearly as easy as you think. Even the 2000 Insight 5-speed is rated at just 53 mpgUS combined for the "average" driver. Without the EV button and a soft foot during accelerations, the warm-up hit will rip the Prius-II PHEV conversion FE capabilities to shreds.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I'm curious whether they are comparing apples to orangutans.

What does a conventional hybrid Prius or say, a Ford Focus, get in similar city fleet use ?

Googole's RechargeIT fleet (in particular the PHEV Prius) mpg history is online and it pretty much indicates what happens when the cars are driven without concern for their particular efficiencies. Results there have been about the same.

DAS

No no no!

You guys are getting it all wrong ...

That's 100+ Marketing Promises, Get it?

(Some people's gullable kids ...)

I'm curious ... What does a conventional hybrid Prius or say, a Ford Focus, get in similar city fleet use ?

The other article has an answer:

"Thomsen notes the plug-ins are outperforming the city's conventional Prius hybrids by at least 11 mpg..."