Thread: Mpg
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Old 05-14-2008, 04:52 PM   #13 (permalink)
Phoenix
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 128
One thing that works is "engine shutdown at idle". I believe that the US Government estimated that 10-15% could be saved if vehicles didn't idle when stopped in traffic.

I know that right after I reset the graph on our Prius after a fillup, when the engine is idling at a light, you can watch the cumulative gas mileage on the screen tick down like a countdown timer.

GM put this in their "mild hybrid" pickup, but the starter doesn't work like the Prius, and there is a slight delay between when you step on the throttle and when the engine starts. They say it can be "disconcerting", especially in emergency situations.

The Prius avoids this via their power-splitting device between the engine (referred to as the ICE/Internal Combustion Engine), the electric motor and the drive train. (Sorry to rant on about the Prius on this Tundra site, but it's the only hybrid vehicle that I am familiar with.)

If Toyota could put something like this on the Tundra, it could increase the mileage by a few mpg, though it's effectiveness would be more pronounced for those who drive in stop-and-go traffic. Those of us who drive mostly on the highway would see no difference.

The biggest design change would be the integration of a new starter motor on the Tundra. Because the electric motor is one of the drive components in the Prius, it is relatively large (in hp); and it can spin the ICE instantaneously. Also, the lag is almost non-existent, because the electric motor produces most of the starting torque to the drive wheels when accelerating. (The ICE is tuned for high fuel economy, and utilizes the Atkinson-cycle, instead of the Otto-cycle used by most cars and trucks; and it doesn't generate much torque at low rpm.)

This is probably one of the cheapest design changes that would work for large vehicles that tow stuff.
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