[Dozer42]

Thank you to abqpete for posting this extremely simple how-to on pulse and glide in the CT200h (it was in another thread).

I've read about it before, but nobody has laid it out to be this simple, and even after just one trip from Foster City down to San Jose last night I was able to eek significantly more mileage out of the CT.

It seems to easy, accelerate up to 40mph in a 35 keeping the needle pegged at the edge of 'power' and 'eco', then peg it on the lower line of 'eco' and charge letting it drift down to 35 or 30mph.

Rinse and repeat.

Not quite sure WHY it works, maybe it's sucking down the battery in glide mode, but it does seem to work!

Thanks!

I come from a 2010 Prius so it is easy for me to apply the standard pulse and glide techniques to the CT, especially since it uses the identical power train. Though I am only halfway through my first tank, I am getting about 57 indicated (so about 54 actual) overall. City only driving nets me in the low 60s depending on traffic. The technique that I use in the city is rather simple. Accelerate so that the needle on the Hybrid System Indicator is at the top of the ECO band but not into the Power range. Your target is about 5mph above the speed limit. Once you've reach the target, immediately lift off on the accelerator and then reapply slightly until the Hybrid System Indicator is riding the line between Charge and ECO. If you are using the energy flow indicator on your nav screen, you are trying to achieve neither engine nor battery usage. This dead band is the most efficient. If you have trouble holding the dead band, try for as little battery usage as possible. Glide (coast) until you are about 5mph below the speed limit and repeat as needed. If there is a stop coming up, just keep coasting in the dead band until you need to use the brakes.

 

[Chik3nPoo]

I never knew about the pulse and glide!
I want to try this and thank you for posting

quick question: do you have to do this in a specific mode? eco normal sport?

update: just tried to do this but failed miserably. how do you know when you are "pulse and gliding?" are there any differences in how the car runs etc etc?

 

[Dozer42]

I never knew about the pulse and glide!
I want to try this and thank you for posting

quick question: do you have to do this in a specific mode? eco normal sport?

update: just tried to do this but failed miserably. how do you know when you are "pulse and gliding?" are there any differences in how the car runs etc etc?

No, AFAIK no special mode is needed. I'm in Normal mode most of the time, unless I find a nifty corner where sport is more fun. ;] I can't find any real use for 'Eco' mode.

There's no difference in the way the car runs, the difference is in how you run the car.

Specifically I'm using mine like the throttle is an on/off switch. I've either got the throttle on the upper line between 'Eco & Power' (that's pulsing), or I'm on the lower line between 'Eco & Charge', that's gliding.

Simple as that. I'm either pulsing and gaining speed (to 5mph over the speed limit), or gliding and losing speed (to 5mph under the speed limit).

This of course is only for around town, haven't quite figured out how to apply it on the freeway, steady state throttle still seems best there, but I do now automatically 'glide' when a mile or so away from my exit on the freeway.

Certainly seems to be helping, but I need a ton more practice. It's kinda fun really. =]

 

[Dirvin]

I'm either pulsing and gaining speed (to 5mph over the speed limit), or gliding and losing speed (to 5mph under the speed limit).

I would hate to be in the car with you or behind you on the road But then again, you get better mpg than me.

 

[insurable]

Just got my first fill up and averaged 46 mpg.
I drove most of the time in Eco mode...
Can anyone explain the difference between Eco and Normal?
And why on earth do I have an EV mode, the car never allows me to drive in EV?
Thanks.... oh, I am happy about the 46mpg..

 

[prosperity]

I was in a traffic jam the other day and stayed in EV mode keeping up with the slow-moving traffic for twenty minutes. That's what I think EV mode is for. Needless to say, all around me cars are idling, using petrol and pumping pollution into the atmosphere while I am single handed saving the universe.

 

[Sleepypete]

Hi Insurable,

Yep - EV button is a little pointless because the car will turn the engine off at appropriate times and go EV anyway. However ... if you're just moving the car a few feet (crowded drive, letting someone out), then starting the car and hitting EV means the engine won't come on for its warm up cycle. Or I'll occasionally hit EV as I'm approaching home as it's mostly slightly downhill.

Kinda like occasional use button only where you'll think "I coulda hit my EV button there and actually used the mode"

Oh - EV will also turn the heater off (I think), from remembering using EV button in stop/start crawly traffic on a chilly day .

EV isn't always available though, unless you hit the button quick after startup there's a warmup cycle where EV is disabled. The max EV speed limits then gradually get relaxed as the car warms up. It'll also be unavailable above 45mph.

Eco vs Normal - Eco dulls down the throttle response (more throttle input needed for same response) but it'll also reduce the energy going into the Air Con and a few other things. I'll use this when I hit stop/start traffic, kinda like a trigger to make me think "we're not going anywhere quick in this traffic, time to chill out a bit".

I suspect there's a bit more cleverness going on in the software between Eco and Normal, like Sport definitely holds on to the engine more when you're slowing down.

Pulse and glide - I dunno. I think I'd probably earn a fair bit of rage on UK roads if I tried that. People here don't think of the limit as a maximum, they think of it as a minimum. I suspect the theory relies on you freewheeling as much as possible, with engine and motor disengaged so you don't lose anything from having them spinning.

 

[Ambu]

Just got my first fill up and averaged 46 mpg.
I drove most of the time in Eco mode...
Can anyone explain the difference between Eco and Normal?
And why on earth do I have an EV mode, the car never allows me to drive in EV?
Thanks.... oh, I am happy about the 46mpg..

I find that hitting the EV button just after powering on, it will stay in EV mode for som more time (than the usual 10 seconds) unless hitting the throttle hard. I find this wery useful. In this manner, i can back the car out of the garage, letting my MC out, and then drive into the garage again, without the petrol engine ever starting. This saves one unnecessary cold start for the engine.

 

[midijab]

Woa Dozer, this stuff actually works. Drove down 87 Miles on the freeway trying to keep it between 75 and 70 staying in the #2 or #3 lane and managed to eek out 45MPG. Is it better to try and keep it in a 5 MPH range as opposed to say 10 MPH range? There are yahoo's on our freeway who drift 15 MPH all the time cause they're busy on their cell phone.

 

[mdman]

Eco allows the electric engine to solely operate at higher speeds. In my car, the petrol engine always kicks in with sport above 27mph regardless of acceleration.