kgenaidy
11-14-2009, 07:09 AM
- Realize that mpg is dependent on the choices and compromises that the driver makes. The first consideration should always be to drive in a manner that is safe for you, your passengers, and fellow motorists.
- Inflate the front tires to max sidewall pressure, rear tires to max sidewall - 2 psi. This will help the HS250h roll easier and improve mileage. It will also firm up the car's handling a bit. This may be a foreign concept to your dealership ... so you may have to be firm with them or specifically tell them not to adjust tire pressure once it is set to your preference.
- The warm up period is about 5 minutes in Texas. It will probably be more in colder climates. During this period ... there will not be great mileage. Just try to drive as economically as conditions allow.
- Drive in "Eco" mode whenever possible. Try to stay in the green band whenever possible and avoid the power band if at all possible. The lime green band will provide average results at best.
- When the HS250h is warm ... try to start from a stop in EV mode (slowly apply gas pedal while keeping it w/in the green band ... at about 15 mph apply more pressure into the lime green band ... this will start the ICE (internal combustion engine) and accelerate no harder then eco mode will allow. This approach will get you up to speed in most circumstances ... just maybe not as quickly as other traffic might like.
- Play with trying to use the least gas pedal pressure possible for a given speed. Reduce gas pedal pressure while trying to stay at the same speed. At first I was surprised how much less pedal would maintain the same speed.
- Try to keep the battery SOC (state of charge) above 60 percent ... this will help avoid forced battery regeneration which will hurt mpg's while it is happening.
- Once warm, depending on load, battery SOC, ... and up to about 39 mph ... you can get hybrid system to switch to EV (electric) mode by releasing the gas pedal for 1 to 2 seconds and then slowly reapply gas pedal pressure while staying 1 "mark" or more below the green/lime green point on the eco gauge. Another way to tell is to have the MFD in instant mileage mode ... wait for the mileage to max out (90mpg) and then slowly reapply the gas. This is the start of learning to Pulse and Glide (a hypermiling technique).
- The cruise control will not give you the best mileage in hilly or rolling elevations. It aggressively compensates for any decrease in speed (reads pushes engine into the power mode).
- When the car is warm and the battery is sufficiently charged ... consider EV mode in your neighborhood or a shopping complex. You will get a mpg boost. This is especially useful at the end of a drive ... since the cost to recharge can be a by-product of the next warm-up phase of the HS250h.
- In summer ... keep the interior of the HS250h as cool as possible (windows cracked, sun-visor, etc). This will make cooling the car easier when it is being driven. Using the AC will decrease MPG's. Try to find the highest temperature setting w/AC that you are comfortable with so the AC load is decreased. When you don't need AC ... turn it off.
- Consider reading, learning, and practicing some of the hypermiling techniques. The Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid share the same type of hybrid system ... the same concepts apply to the HS250h ... however some of the measurements discussed will be different.
- Buy a Scanguage or equivalent ... so you can know what the HS250h is actually doing. Suggested settings for a SGII might be MPG/RPM/TPS/IGN.
Hopefully this will provide a starting point for improving the mileage with your Lexus HS250h.
- Inflate the front tires to max sidewall pressure, rear tires to max sidewall - 2 psi. This will help the HS250h roll easier and improve mileage. It will also firm up the car's handling a bit. This may be a foreign concept to your dealership ... so you may have to be firm with them or specifically tell them not to adjust tire pressure once it is set to your preference.
- The warm up period is about 5 minutes in Texas. It will probably be more in colder climates. During this period ... there will not be great mileage. Just try to drive as economically as conditions allow.
- Drive in "Eco" mode whenever possible. Try to stay in the green band whenever possible and avoid the power band if at all possible. The lime green band will provide average results at best.
- When the HS250h is warm ... try to start from a stop in EV mode (slowly apply gas pedal while keeping it w/in the green band ... at about 15 mph apply more pressure into the lime green band ... this will start the ICE (internal combustion engine) and accelerate no harder then eco mode will allow. This approach will get you up to speed in most circumstances ... just maybe not as quickly as other traffic might like.
- Play with trying to use the least gas pedal pressure possible for a given speed. Reduce gas pedal pressure while trying to stay at the same speed. At first I was surprised how much less pedal would maintain the same speed.
- Try to keep the battery SOC (state of charge) above 60 percent ... this will help avoid forced battery regeneration which will hurt mpg's while it is happening.
- Once warm, depending on load, battery SOC, ... and up to about 39 mph ... you can get hybrid system to switch to EV (electric) mode by releasing the gas pedal for 1 to 2 seconds and then slowly reapply gas pedal pressure while staying 1 "mark" or more below the green/lime green point on the eco gauge. Another way to tell is to have the MFD in instant mileage mode ... wait for the mileage to max out (90mpg) and then slowly reapply the gas. This is the start of learning to Pulse and Glide (a hypermiling technique).
- The cruise control will not give you the best mileage in hilly or rolling elevations. It aggressively compensates for any decrease in speed (reads pushes engine into the power mode).
- When the car is warm and the battery is sufficiently charged ... consider EV mode in your neighborhood or a shopping complex. You will get a mpg boost. This is especially useful at the end of a drive ... since the cost to recharge can be a by-product of the next warm-up phase of the HS250h.
- In summer ... keep the interior of the HS250h as cool as possible (windows cracked, sun-visor, etc). This will make cooling the car easier when it is being driven. Using the AC will decrease MPG's. Try to find the highest temperature setting w/AC that you are comfortable with so the AC load is decreased. When you don't need AC ... turn it off.
- Consider reading, learning, and practicing some of the hypermiling techniques. The Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid share the same type of hybrid system ... the same concepts apply to the HS250h ... however some of the measurements discussed will be different.
- Buy a Scanguage or equivalent ... so you can know what the HS250h is actually doing. Suggested settings for a SGII might be MPG/RPM/TPS/IGN.
Hopefully this will provide a starting point for improving the mileage with your Lexus HS250h.