Luna is a 2005 Toyota Prius with Option package #4 (driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags; Smart Key System; High Intensity Discharge headlamps; fog lamps; and Vehicle Stablity Control). The EPA figures are 60 city, 51 highway, and 55 combined. Actual mileage is known to vary, but I will try hard to come close to these numbers.
My long range plan is to transform Luna from a standard hybrid to a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) in the later part of 2007 or whenever I top 100,000 miles. Several organizations have teamed up to help promote the concept of replacing the standard battery pack used in the Prius with a Lithium-Ion pack. Additional components are added which allow the Prius to run on straight battery power for up to 35 miles under real test conditions. One of the prototypes recently won the 2005 Tour de Sol 150-mile loop by ending the route with an outstanding average of 102 mpg! You can read all about the PHEV efforts by visiting the CalCars web site.
The lifetime calculated fuel economy of Luna at 97,000 miles is 50.6 mpg. My yearly average for 2005, 2006, and 2007 were 51.0, 49.7, and 52.3 respectively. As a side note, I began drively slower in November 2006, especially on the highway. For example, I set my cruise control at 60 mph, which according to my GPS is approximately 57 mph. This has resulted in about a 5% increase in gas mileage. I am quite convinced that further reducing my speed to 55 mph would result in a greater than 10% increase in gas mileage, but have found this speed to be too dangerous given most other traffic is traveling in excess of 70-75 mph. If only others would realize that driving fast cost them more money, increases their risk of serious injury, increases the amount of green house gases they emit into the atmosphere, and last but not least, the impact on national security through higher oil demand. Reducing the national speed limit to 55 mph would be the one of the least expensive ways to help our environment and our country, yet I am quite sure most Americans would oppose it. We are truly a selfish society.
Prius owners should be aware that mileage calculated on a single tank of gas will likely vary wildly from what the Prius shows on the display. The reason for this is that the Prius has a rubber bladder inside the normal fuel tank. This bladder makes it hard to consistently "fill" the tank. The mileage figure shown on the display is based on how much fuel passes through fuel injector #1 (or at least this is what many have stated) which is more likely to be accurate on a tank by tank basis.
Also, for anyone who has read the Consumer Report article which stated most cars, including the Prius, do not get anywhere close to their EPA fuel economy rating, talk to a Prius owner before passing judgement on the potential of this car. On September 14, 2005, I completed a 416 mile trip up the coast of Maine and then back home. The route was over 95% highway/rural route (rural route was mostly on Route 1, which has a speed limit of 45 mph to 55 mph). A picture of my consumption screen is shown below (imagine how much oil would be spared if we reduced the national speed limit to 55):
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