Friday 29 June 2012

Prius MPG Review 29-June-2012

With the roof bars off, the fuel economy has gone back up to 50.9mpg.  In fact, earlier today, on a run to Cupar, the computer displayed average mpg of 51.0.   I am starting to get the fuel economy back to the 54 to 55 range where it was about a year ago (minus roof bars).



One thing I think is going against my favour is that most of my journeys last between 5 to 10 minutes long.  This is to run the children to school - a distance of two miles.  Typically the engine starts from cold, runs to the point where it is warmed up, then, journey over.  I think if I were doing regular, longer runs then I'd see an improvement in fuel economy.  For instance, on a twenty minute run to St. Andrews during the week the mpg for that jorney was in the low 70s.  This was a good straight, long unbroken run on a fairly level road combined with running the engine/hybrid system at optimum temperature - and the results speak for themselves.  There are so many factors affecting this mpg figure, aren't there!

Thursday 28 June 2012

Prius Safety and Euro NCAP Rating

A reader asked me about airbags on the second generation Prius.  The Prius was, apparently, the first hybrid car by the Euro NCAP safety organisation.  It scored the highest - 5 stars - for adult safety.  The video below is very informative - you can see the different airbags that are deployed depending on the type and direction of collision the SRS system detects.


You can read more about the Euro NCAP tests that were done by clicking the link here.  Suffice to say, as a father of two young children, I am reassured for my family's safety.

Thursday 21 June 2012

Prius MPG Review 21-June-2012

As I tweeted the other day, the mpg went up to 50.9, then went back down to 50.8, went up again and today went back once more to 50.8.  All in all, no change.  However, I have taken off my Thule roof bars.  Lets see what difference that makes.  Most of the driving, in fact all of it, has been urban driving over the past week.  That, coupled with the low temperatures (is this really summer?), has no doubt had an effect on fuel economy.  Here are the pretty pictures for this week:



Tuesday 19 June 2012

Adventures with a Tent (and Prius)

A couple of weekends ago, we bravely went camping.  I say "bravely" because (1) we are very inexperienced campers, (2) we have young children, (3) we just bought a new and huge tent that we'd never put up before, and (4) we live in Scotland - land of the mountain and flood!  Just to make plans a little more tight and exciting, we had just purchased a new bike on gumtree for my six year old daughter and were due to pick it up from Linlithgow en route to the campsite.  In fact, we had just secured a tent pitch at the umpteenth campsite we'd phoned just before we left; all campsites were doing a roaring trade due to the public holiday over the long weekend of 2nd to 5th June 2012.

So, with 360 litre roof box back on the Thule roof bars, and with the Thule bike carrier mounted back on the rear tow ball, we set forth on our expedition.  I thought the mpg would take a pounding but it maintained 50.8mpg and the energy consumption chart showed we were consistently getting over 50mpg.  We made Linlithgow in good time.  We picked up the bike - a Ridgeback Harmony - easily secured it on the bike carrier and off we went to the campsite - Linwater Caravan Park.  Now, I don't mind saying I had reservations about this campsite and its location.  We had intended to go to Aviemore near the Cairngorms but were struck by both our children being sick with a tummy bug.  The delay narrowed our options, hence our heading south to the Lothians instead.  Well, I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised with this campsite.  The lovely, jolly woman who runs it was so friendly, welcoming and helpful she immediately instilled within a feeling of relaxed calm.  The surrounding countryside was so green and pastoral it just made you happy to be alive.  The kids grabbed their bikes and off they went exploring within the safe surroundings of the campsite.  This let us start on pitching the tent - a very heavy 23kg of Khyam Harewood.  I think we surprised ourselves at how easily we managed to get it erected.  In fact, from start to finish with tent, beds, kitchen, chairs and windbreak all assembled, I think we were about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Packing it up two days later was a bit more problematical because I had forgotten where some of the poles and pegs went back etc.  We got there in the end though.  The only blip over our stay was me managing to drain the 12V battery.  Actually, I think it was a combination of blowing up an air bed and the kids leaving the doors open/courtesy lights on.  Quick jump start and all was well.  See my post on Prius jump starting.

If you are ever in West Lothian and are looking to camp with a tent or caravan then I would recommend you consider Linwater Caravan Park.  Very near to Edinburgh yet at the same time you can walk from your tent out of the campsite onto a country lane that takes you down to the Almond Valley from where you can walk to the Lins Mill Aqueduct and the serenity of the Union Canal and the passing canal boats.  Best of both worlds really - and their tariffs are very reasonable too.  So I thought I'd share a few photos with you as mementos of this very pleasant weekend.  Enjoy!


Blue Prius / Green Tent.  



5 minutes walk from the tent, the beautiful Almond Valley appeared.  My son said, "Daddy why is that train moving so slowly on the bridge?".  Turned out this bridge was the Lin Water Aqueduct and the 'train' was in fact, a canal boat!  Very pastoral, very soothing - I had snippets of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony in my ears.


Looking westwards along the Almond Valley, with a sixteenth/seventeenth century Scots tower house on the horizon.  I think it is Illieston House.



Ahh - the peace and quiet of a happy camp!  Thanks for getting us all there Prius.

Monday 18 June 2012

How to Jump Start your Prius

A few days ago, whilst camping, I had the misfortune to encounter a flat battery situation.  Now, it doesn't matter if there is charge left in the main 'driving' battery that forms part of the hybrid motive power plant, if the 12V starting battery is dead then the car will not start.  I think this happened due to a combination of starting the car without depressing the brake pedal, blowing up two air beds plus letting the wee ones clamber in and out of the car without shutting doors, leaving the courtesy lights on.  After a quick slap of hand to forehead and raising eyes to heaven,  I consulted the owner's manual.  The jump starting instructions begin on page 362 (my UK Owners Manual) but perhaps this may be different on your Prius manual.  Regardless, the instructions in the owner's manual were useless to me because I didn't have any jump start leads.  I now do.  I recovered the situation by phoning my breakdown company.  A local garage truck shortly came out and sorted the problem within two minutes.  I took the car for a 20 minute drive afterwards just to ensure there was plenty of charge in the small 12V battery.

Having had this experience, I though I should blog about it.  There are various videos on YouTube that show you the procedure.  Here is one such video that is pertinent to the second generation Prius.  Enjoy!


Thursday 14 June 2012

Prius MPG Review 14-June-2012

I realise I have not updated recently and am overdue to post the latest mpg results.  Sorry if you have been waiting.  Drum roll please ..... I am now getting 50.9mpg. Here are the stats:










I have been pleased with this improvement, especially considering I have had the 360 litre roof box ounted for a week whilst we were away camping.  (I'll post about that experience in the next day or so.)  I had a comment from reader discostu about his acceleration technique and how he uses the gas/accelerator pedal.  I have been bearing in mind his technique of pressing the pedal down as if there was an egg underneath and trying not to crush it.  However, I know the bigest impediment to achieving greater mpg at the moment for me is the roof bars and I am going to take them off soon.  In fact, I may take a small video of the process of removal.

That's all for now - watch out for a post in the next day or so about our latest camping experience!

Friday 1 June 2012

Prius MPG Review 01-June-2012


Quick post today.  Mpg has crept up to 50.7mpg. Will update graphs and stats next week. Roofbox back on for camping in Aviemore for the weekend.  The infamous A9 beckons. Give me a toot if you see me.