Converted Plug-In Hybrid Achieves 110.5 MPG Over Two Month Period

Oct. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- PAPILLION, NE --  More than a year ago, EV World (http://evworld.com) publisher Bill Moore and his wife converted their 2009 Toyota Prius into a plug-in hybrid, enabling them to drive much of the time on electric power only.  Over the last twelve months, the Moore's have averaged the equivalent 70.5 mpg, which included both winter and summer extremes of temperature in eastern Nebraska.  

This week, the Moore's, who live in Papillion, NE, refueled the Prius after driving 961 miles since last refueling it on August 24, 2010.  Their average fuel economy calculates out to be the equivalent of 110.5 mpg.  

In addition to the 8.69 gallons of E10 gasoline consumed, Bill Moore estimates, based on daily meter readings, that the car also utilizes approximately 4.3 kilowatt hours of electrical power for his wife's daily 11-mile round-trip commute. Based on local power rates, plus the price of gasoline at $2.65 a gallon, the cost of driving to and from work every day is 3.76¢ per mile. Daily electricity to charge the car's 6.1kWh battery pack, which is some 4.6 times the size of the original Prius NiMH battery, is about 30¢ a day.  A comparable 25 mpg automobile would consume 38.5 gallons of fuel over the same distance, costing more than $100 or the equivalent of 10.5¢ per mile.

"Our experience is significant, because recently concerns have been raised about the fuel efficiency of cars like the new Chevrolet Volt, with suggestions being made that it's fuel economy is no better than a non-hybrid," said Mr. Moore. "Our car offers only a fraction of the electric range of the Volt, and yet in daily driving, we achieved better than 100 mpg in terms of the gasoline we consumed over the last two months.  Most of the energy used to power our car comes from the local electricity grid, not imported oil.  That's why we did this. Saving money on my wife's daily drive is frosting on the cake."

EV World.com is an online journal reporting on  global developments in sustainable transportation technologies, policy and people. The Plug In Conversions Corporation (Poway, Ca.) conversion kit costs $11,500 and took two days to install. It is only kit of its kind that allows the car to be driven at highway speeds on electricity only. A similar kit has been installed in an Omaha Public Power District-owned Prius.

CONTACT
Bill Moore
402.339.9877
editor@evworld.com
EV World

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