He New Toyota Prius It has not yet reached the European market, but for the moment it leaves a great calling card: it has managed to travel more than 5,000 km with an average consumption of 2.5 l/100 km. And not in its PHEV version, but in the plug-in hybrid version.
This brand has served him well to set a Guinness recordin which a carefully thought-out driving experience was key. But it is still a stratospheric figure that will be difficult to beat. And very similar, if not better, than records achieved by diesel cars.
Passing by the gas station only three times
Wayne Gerdes at the controls of a Toyota Prius 2023 series (what It is already sold in the USA), has been the one who has signed the feat. He began his journey signed at the end of May this year at the City Hall of Los Angeles and arrived at the City Hall of New York, completing a total of 5,168.7 kilometers.
The average consumption recorded for those almost 5,200 km was 2,525 l/100 kma figure with which it has become the Most fuel efficient hybrid car from coast to coast in the USWith this mark it has managed to dethrone the Kia Niro, which held this record since 2016. The South Korean recorded 3.07 l/100 km from coast to coast, although it must be taken into account that its journey was longer: 6,000 km.
These are figures similar to those achieved by diesel cars, setting efficiency records, or even better. For example, almost 10 years ago, a Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC achieved an average of 2.8 l/100 km on a journey of almost 13,500 km. And a Peugeot 208 also broke the world record by travelling 2,000 km on a single 43-litre tank and an average consumption of 2.0 l/100 km.
Although it is not indicated how many times he stopped to refuel, if we take into account the consumption and the tank of the Prius (43 liters), Gerdes would have stopped every 1,700 km approximatelyThat is, about three times during the entire journey.
Hands matter and planning even more. These two feats in long-distance efficiency tests with a hybrid car have something in common: on both occasions Wayne Gerdes was at the wheel. and hypermilerexpert in efficient driving.
He explains that he tried to make it as realistic as possible and by a route that did not particularly favor low consumption. Gerdes says what The journey included mountain roads at an altitude of 2,100 m.There were also stretches with extreme temperatures, as the route crossed the Mojave Desert with temperatures exceeding 40ºC.
Although to be fair we are talking about May, a month that is generally mild in terms of temperature. It does not indicate the average speed for the entire journey either.
“To try to break a record like this, you need to plan a lot”Gerdes says. “You have to have a plan, but you also have to be able to work on the fly. So if things change, you have to modify your plan. Reorient. Think about what you’re going to be able to do to achieve that goal.”
Less than 4.0 l/100 km on a daily basis? This is far from realistic driving unless we are faced with such a challenge or want to win an efficiency bet. But Gerdes points out that in everyday life, without going too crazy, it is possible to reduce consumption by following some basic tips. In fact, many drivers probably already apply them.
For example, accelerating smoothly and progressively after stopping or maintaining even pressure on the accelerator. Also, releasing the pedal before braking when approaching slow-moving traffic and always lifting off on downhills and descents.
In any case, achieving those 2.5 l/100 km or getting close to it will be difficult: as Toyota recalls: This variant of its new Prius is approved in the EPA cycle (stricter than the WLTP) a mixed consumption of 4,1 l/100 km. That is, 1.6 l/100 km more than the figure achieved by Gerdes.
But it may be possible to mimic this average consumption by driving efficiently without becoming obsessive, which is already remarkable for a compact car equipped with a hybrid system, so it is not a featherweight. And in this model The autonomy is set at 1,036 km, precisely that of a diesel.
This plug-in hybrid Prius is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with an electric motor to produce 194 hp. Its battery, like any plug-in hybrid, is very small, which barely gives it any autonomy in electric-only mode.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
