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"Best Practices" for highest MPG in CITY driving

15K views 33 replies 16 participants last post by  Moviemike 
#1 ·
In having the new Insight for a couple of weeks, I've noticed that if you use the Regen Paddles at certain times, it seems as though you can preserve some key electric power in order to prevent estimated mpg from decreasing too much. When the battery power gauge goes down to two or three bars - seemingly a really low level that generally brings about that engine whine - I try to use max regen when approaching traffic lights from a distance. In other words, I try to glide to the light while barely - physically - touching the brake. That is, assuming there isn't too much traffic around. Using Regen to glide slowly to stop lights is certainly not pleasant for traffic waiting behind you. In tapping regen paddles at one or more traffic lights, I can often get the battery power gauge up to four or even five bars (if I am lucky) and the car will not as easily default into that high engine whine (and lost mpg). Of course, accelerating too quick from a stoplight will subsequently ruin the hypermiling effect.

I've heard and read that the Prius has a nice system whereby drivers can literally use "one-pedal" braking to conserve mileage. Although the Insight has a much more limited system with the Regen paddles, I think any mpg improvement because of hypermiling is helpful.

What have you all been doing as far as hypermiling in your first month of owning the car?
 
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#2 ·
Hypermiling in this is definitely not the same as my 2006 Civic Hybrid. That thing was a beast at getting good MPG on the highway with the IMA system. Best tank I got out of it was 71 MPG. Very consistently got 63 MPG per tank out of it. Almost all highway with minimal traffic.

This one is going to take a lot more learning to get that kind of MPG out of.

So far, in a touring, we seem to be getting a pretty consistent 51 to 52 MPG per tank. Mostly highway with A/C on. I use the paddles at every opportunity. I use the EV button for accelerating from almost all red lights as it keeps you from getting into the ICE with mild acceleration. Definitely stay out of sport mode. I keep it in econ mode the rest of the time.
 
#3 ·
Tyler,

Thanks for your response. I didn't necessarily think about using EV to accelerate from stop lights (on a town road), as I have been kind of trapped. Trapped as in: when I have pressed the EV button - and almost always on a highway - the car keeps giving me the "cannot use EV mode" signal. In my head, I have been associating the highway as push-button EV time and town roads as not the time to use EV button. I find that I rarely have more than half the bars needed on the battery gauge to work with, so maybe I need to figure out how to more regularly get more bars so I will get my 45-60 seconds of - specifically - push-button EV at high speed. I get plenty of EV action automatically by the car at low, continual speeds...what I want is the ability to use the EV button to play with when I want.
 
#4 ·
"best practices" for attaining highest MPG in CITY driving

I know that this topic has been discussed all across the forums here, but I'm wondering whether we could collectively summarize the best practices that lead to the highest MPG in the Insight.

  1. EV mode?
  2. Use ACC at low speeds (above 25 mph, of course)
  3. Coast as much as possible to be balanced against breaking relatively hard (to increase regen) before one gets to a stop?
 
#5 ·
Leave early so there's no pressure.
Slow acceleration.
Anticipate everything.
Coast to stops when possible.
A/C can be a hit to mpg, but I haven't found it to be significant enough to not use it.
Combine trips - the ICE is more efficient once it's at operating temperature.
Get the 20# bags of concrete out of the trunk.
I only use EV mode for a final push when I know I can get to free energy (downhills).
"Death metal" music is not conducive to efficient driving.

That about sums it up for me.
 
#6 ·
The car seems to 'naturally' optimize itself at lower speeds and city driving (<45), parallel to Honda/EPA ratings for city mpg being better than highway mpg for this car. Most discussion on mpg optimization has been for higher speeds and/or highways (45+), where the gas engine runs more to drive the wheels.

I really haven't had to work hard to get outstanding (60+) mpg in stop-and-go or city conditions:
  • Use Econ mode - which is especially effective in city stop/go driving.
  • "Manage the battery" by coasting as much as possible, keeping a steady speed, anticipating slowdowns, and planning for hills.
  • Try to maximize the time in EV mode when accelerating from stop. Gradually accelerate from a full stop, trying to stay in EV as long as possible, and letting off the throttle once at ~30 mph to bring EV mode back on as soon as possible. The electric motor gives more low end torque (and is ‘free’ energy) vs the gas engine.
  • Use regen paddles if more convenient in stop/go traffic, but it's not ‘required’ for high mpg in city driving (since initial travel of the brake pedal is regenerative as well).
I choose not to use ACC in traffic due to the number crazy drivers around me that can't be detected fast enough by radar or camera. I can also read traffic flow better and manage the throttle more evenly.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I choose not to use ACC in traffic due to the number crazy drivers around me that can't be detected fast enough by radar or camera. I can also read traffic flow better and manage the throttle more evenly.
I've found I can do better than ACC in terms of MPG since I can anticipate better vs. (radar and camera). I rarely use it unless I know there is zero traffic to deal with and the road is relatively flat.
 
#8 ·
So I've only had my insight for 3 weeks....but here's what I learned.

1) City driving is more efficient then highway driving...but about 5-10 mpg. I have my apple map app set to avoid tolls and highways, but keep my Waze app allowing it in case I need to get somewhere quicker.
2) Learn to use the paddles...I really only use the left one. When you see a red light or stop sign use it to slow you down to it and coast the rest of the way. Keep in mind traffic behind you since they might not like it so much.
3) Learn to coast the hills and recharge the batteries. She has issues with really steep hills, so if you have one coming up - use sports mode.
4) Use ECON mode for city driving under 50 mph. Use EV to help with hills and maximize MPG when on flat roads.
5) Lean the technique I call "gun and run" (probably has a better name somewhere). Essentially use smooth acceleration to get to speed, then keep going another 5 mph and then release gas pedal, then slowly apply gas. To get you to speed it'll probably use ICE...but releasing the pedal and catching it again should put it back in EV mode and allow you to maintain speed. You want to be in EV mode as long as possible.
6) If its super hot outside....use open windows for first 2-4 miles...then turn on AC. This allows ICE to kick in and won't hurt MPG too much.
7) Use ECON Drive on left gauge to learn to drive her well...I did a couple days of watching it and got my MPG pretty high up.
8) If you have a fairly straight road for a long period...you can use ACC. Keep in mind that if it does come to a stop and you resume, it accelerates at a not so gas friendly way. So what I do is disable ACC when stopped, accelerate gently, and then resume.
9) Record trips using the current drive power flow and learn what routes get you better MPH.
 
#9 ·
Check and adjust tire pressures first thing in the morning once a month.


As recommended, or above, tire pressures (I run 40 psi front 39 psi rear) to further reduce roll resistance. This means less total power needed to cruise down the road, and more battery regen from longer distances coasting (as described above).



(I checked this carefully in my gen 2 Insight hatchback, and found an amazing 40% mpg improvement.)
 
#14 ·
Well no. The maximum tire pressure is printed on the tire and is a number below my numbers above. The printed pressure is the "cold tire" pressure. So should be, and has been safe.



Mornings would be the coldest and most convenient time to check tire pressures and may add to accuracy. I've done similar amounts of additional pressure in other cars. Tread wear has been even and tire life equal to or greater than design expectation. I've heard it said that under inflating tires build heat hotter and faster making the tire at greater risk of blowout, especially in hot desert areas.
 
#19 ·
After my posting yesterday I did some exploring with using "zero point" instead of light battery charging, on some short downgrades. I found that, yes I got more speed / further distance before the need to add power. Yet later in the drive, less battery charge was available for hill climbs or traffic related speed ups.


I am grateful for the "glide and coast" concept, and will explore it further. :)
 
#20 ·
I have found that if you pay attention to your power flow, if you are driving with the engine running and the battery powering the motors at the same time, you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Back off the acceleration a little and at least get the engine to power the wheels AND send energy to the battery. This way you aren’t drained too low once you get to cruising speed, and can utilize battery power to maintain your cruising speed.

Also, you can manually switch to EV to help get you moving from a dead stop without using gas if you can.

When I know my turn is coming or I see traffic braking ahead I tend to pull the right paddle to kick me out of Adaptive Cruise Control and start lightly regenerating. If I want to slow down more i tap the left paddle a few times to increase regenerative friction.

Also, when braking with the pedal try to allow yourself enough room so that you can fully utilize the regenerative braking and not so much the brake pads. You will see if you brake hard that you can quickly max out the regen rate, and any excess you brake isn’t transferred to the battery. Try to ride that charge meter 50-75% for as long of a distance as you can to grab some blips on your battery level.
 
#21 ·
Two of my errands trips today. One was about 8 miles and the other about 10 miles. Not much traffic out by me on weekends so I was able to “Sunday” drive it. But hey, it’s Sunday...

8 mile trip: 94.6mpg Eco-Mode for cruise, EV mode to get moving from stops.

10 mile trip: 73.3mpg same as above but had the A/C on some of the way (it was about 75* outside and it just felt like I needed a little chill to make it less stuffy in the car). I took a different road on this trip so my average speed was probably higher too.
 

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#22 ·
Two of my errands trips today. One was about 8 miles and the other about 10 miles. Not much traffic out by me on weekends so I was able to “Sunday” drive it. But hey, it’s Sunday...

8 mile trip: 94.6mpg Eco-Mode for cruise, EV mode to get moving from stops.

10 mile trip: 73.3mpg same as above but had the A/C on some of the way (it was about 75* outside and it just felt like I needed a little chill to make it less stuffy in the car). I took a different road on this trip so my average speed was probably higher too.
Those are like perfect conditions for driving the Insight. :smile_big: Sadly, I need to wait till Spring for the warmer weather to make the most of EV mode.


  • Temps around 70F
  • Minimum traffic and people on a Sunday morning to drive at your own pace
  • Smart use of EV only mode like you mentioned to pull away from stops
 
#23 ·
Do you use ev mode to accelerate then switch to sport while driving so the engine stays on longer to charge up the battery? I just recently started driving without ACC and I've gained a good 5mpg from that alone...mostly highway driving and a decent amount of traffic. Acc usually slows down bc of a vehicle I'm trailing then accelerates hard when it speeds up or switches lanes... Im typically getting 43ish mpg driving into work when it's in the 40s and I got 49mpg this am without acc...not bad. Just a little more effort on my part. Lol
 
#26 ·
Normally, if you come to a stop, the car will automatically switch to EV Mode if you have 4+ Regen Bars and you're in Econ. The trick is to keep it in the EV mode as you accelerate. I also switch to Sport and Max Regen going down hills and then back to Econ when the terrain levels off.
 
#27 ·
I pretty much lay off the mode buttons now. I used to fiddle with them when I first got the car, but the Insight is pretty good at managing itself. I'm in ECO all the time.
 
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