[Leica] Fuel consumption when accelerating - was Prius (OT)

[jacques_bilinski at yahoo.com (jacques bilinski)]

>>>>
  I have to agree about the fascination with the MPG readout.  I recently 
bought a 2007 Volvo V70 which has that readout available, and I find myself 
consulting it frequently, which takes me away from looking through the 
windshield. I use it, mainly, to see the negative affect of rapid 
acceleration.
  <<<<
  A low instantanous fuel consumpiton when accelerating is not as bad as it 
seems because kinetic enery is being added to the car which will be used to 
propel it later. In fact competitive fuel consumpion drivers use a method 
called 'pulse and glide' in which they accelerate fairly rapidly and then 
shut off the engine and coast for a while. Internal combusion engines are 
most efficent at fairly high power outputs. The reason fast driving results 
in higher fuel consumption is primarily because of air resistance. At some 
speeds the Prius will cycle its engine on and off which improves cosumption, 
despite all the losses of converting the energy to electricty, to chemical 
energy in the battery, back to electrical energy, and then to kinetic 
energy.     

       
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