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LA Area Hybrid Park Challenge
I have mapped out a Hybrid Challenge Course in the Los Angeles, California Area. I have driven this course twice in my 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD. With a cold engine and one passenger I got 43.7 MPG over the 8.3 mile closed course in Griffith Park. On the second go around with a warm engine I got 45.5 MPG. A Map is available at:
http://sdctch.com/Hybridpark.pdf On January 29th I am going to go back and try to beat any new records posted. On that day I will take on all at a Hybrid Rally at 10:00 AM at Travel Town. I know there are a number of Hybrids in my area who might be up to my challenge to drive this course and report back on you mileage. I especially would like to hear from the Prius/Insight/Honda folks. I know you are all honest people so I will accept your word of honor on your results. Tomorrow, I will post another Challenge for a closed course through the City of Burbank and my own results. I realize a number of you might not be willing to drive a few thousand miles to accept my challenge but I do know there are many Hybrids in other areas like DC and San Francisco, CA and maybe one of you would like to go out and map your own course(s). The course chosen should have the attributes of a typical City drive (some freeway and clogged streets, or a high speed commute, or a slow hilly area for best mileage. The course should not be over 10 miles or take more than 20 minutes to complete. The course should end at the same place it was begun. Mike |
Hi Sdcatcher:
___Although I will never drive my Insight on your pre-determined course, this is a repost as seen over at Insightcentral.net about 5 or 6 months ago and just one of many interesting experiences I have had with my Little Beauty. Here is an perfect example of what I encountered on my way home from work this evening … I hit a 15 mile Interstate closure tonight on the way home from work due to an overturned Tanker on I-55 at or around Rt. 59. With that, I traveled 25.2 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes while being forced off I-55 onto I-80 which was also now a parking lot, onto Rt. 53, and back onto I-55 near I-355. This is about as inner city urban as you can get! With forced and regular Autostops, first and or first and second gear slow launches without assist with a quick autostop for as long a coast as possible, timing what lights were encountered, as well as anticipating traffic to the best of my abilities while traversing this inner city nightmare detour through Joliet, IL., my segment mpg went from 92.3 mpg at the 16 mile point to 89.1 at the 41.2 mile point. In other words, I was in the worst traffic nightmare you could imagine with a (25.2 miles/1.5822 hours = 15.91) 15.91 mph average speed and I only lost 3.1 mpg yielding ~ 88 mpg in that kind of traffic nightmare. I had 19 bars SOC lit when I entered the traffic nightmare at Rt. 6 while on I-55 and I had 19 bars lit when I entered back onto I-55 25.2 miles later. The only thing I used regen for (hidden or braking forced) was to keep the pack up for all the auto and forced stops she would encounter. The lowest I saw via SOC was 17 bars and it most certainly did not stay that low a level very long. Even with that nightmare as well as multiple other Friday night Chicago rush hour parking lots to drive through, I arrived home in 3 hours 40 minutes and still achieved a 98.4 mpg segment … ___Good Luck ___Wayne R. Gerdes ___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd. ___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
Hey thanks Wayne. Yes, I do want to compare head to head. But after the Prius's and Insight's and the H-Honda's around LA take my challenge and get 70-80 MPG I will then up the ante to betting I can load 10 2 X 4's and 6 boxes of Nails and 3 pallets of roof shingles in my Escape and we will then try the course again, head to head.
Of course, I am kidding. I want so much for all of us alternative vehicle owners to be a community. I know that the other Hybrids that are being sold at the moment cannot match the utility of my FEH, but that is why I need it. I would rather match my MPG over these courses up to the Gas Explorers and Navigators and monitor their emissions the whole way. My challenge is only a game. Not a life and death struggle of mankind. Mike |
Hi Sdcatcher:
___Life and Death struggle of mankind! That’s a keeper :D ___I wish I had the time to take the Ranger for a 600 + mile back road challenge because it doesn’t have an instantaneous or averaging game gauge for a short fuel economy drive unfortunately. I bet it could achieve 35 - 40 mpg hauling the plywood and shingles in warmer temps however? Maybe I have to invest in that scan gauge someone found for $129.00 or so earlier this month? ___I saw you post the challenge over at Edmunds and look forward to seeing others results. ___Finally, I am waiting for 3 more of your tanks as the Hypermiler list needs a Ford Escape HEV to again contain an entry from every representative Hybrid available. Make sure you notify Jason to work on the 2WD/4WD display in the RHMDB. You might even be able to edit this item yourself? ___Good Luck ___Wayne R. Gerdes ___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd. ___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
I must say I was a little disappointed in the overall turnout last Saturday at the LA Area Hybrid Challenge. Of course, those that know me understand that disappointment only stokes my fires and I immediately redouble the effort. Those that were there learned and enjoyed. We are going back on March 26th and this time push Prius a bit more.
At first, I was sure I had won the prize (if there was one) for highest mileage on the two courses with my 47 MPG in the Park and 38 around Burbank. Paul's 2004 Prius demolished that with his 73.8 and 74.5. As far as I know this was the first head-to-head between a 4WD FEH and a Prius under exact conditions on a closed course. Good comparison. Today I received an email from Lawrence Long of Colonial Honda in Glendale asking if we had any HCH challengers. He expressed an interest in the event. I am impressed by their customer relations. I have passed on my desire to Ford that they might also officially take part next time. Edmunds.Com, who are located in Santa Monica, also expressed support. One change: In future challenges I am going to ask that anyone with a desire to attend email me so I can set up a mailing list. This will help to not under-plan or over-plan. I understand that many of you are at other places in the continent but that does not mean you cannot help seed a local grassroots effort to start your own challenge. This type of challenge in no way pits Prius Owners against Insight Owners against Hybrid Escape Owners against Honda Civic Hybrid Owners. I found it actually brings us closer together. I give of my real name and information and I assure you no bad guys showed up in that park in Los Angeles; only new friends with like interests. Mike |
I might be up for it
Originally Posted by sdctcher
I must say I was a little disappointed in the overall turnout last Saturday at the LA Area Hybrid Challenge. Of course, those that know me understand that disappointment only stokes my fires and I immediately redouble the effort. Those that were there learned and enjoyed. We are going back on March 26th and this time push Prius a bit more.
At first, I was sure I had won the prize (if there was one) for highest mileage on the two courses with my 47 MPG in the Park and 38 around Burbank. Paul's 2004 Prius demolished that with his 73.8 and 74.5. As far as I know this was the first head-to-head between a 4WD FEH and a Prius under exact conditions on a closed course. Good comparison. Today I received an email from Lawrence Long of Colonial Honda in Glendale asking if we had any HCH challengers. He expressed an interest in the event. I am impressed by their customer relations. I have passed on my desire to Ford that they might also officially take part next time. Edmunds.Com, who are located in Santa Monica, also expressed support. One change: In future challenges I am going to ask that anyone with a desire to attend email me so I can set up a mailing list. This will help to not under-plan or over-plan. I understand that many of you are at other places in the continent but that does not mean you cannot help seed a local grassroots effort to start your own challenge. This type of challenge in no way pits Prius Owners against Insight Owners against Hybrid Escape Owners against Honda Civic Hybrid Owners. I found it actually brings us closer together. I give of my real name and information and I assure you no bad guys showed up in that park in Los Angeles; only new friends with like interests. Mike |
Thanks. I do have such a site but cannot post the URL here. If you would like me to email you information on future events I can be contacted at sdctcher@yahoo.com.
Yes. We had some people who just stopped by. Each course takes, at most, 20-30 minutes to drive. The real fun is comparing notes in conversation between drive. Mike |
An even easier way of finding Mike's home page is to click on his screen name which will take you to where you can check out his GreenHybrid profile.
Link: https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...php?userid=794 |
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