Sat, Sep 19th, Houston Hybrid and Hypermilers Club

It's time for the September meeting of the Houston Hybrid and Hypermilers Club. We will have basic discussions about hybrids and techniques to maximize fuel efficiency (both hybrid and non-hybrid).

Sat, Sep 19th @ 11am
Becks Prime - Memorial Park (Central Houston)
1001 E Memorial Loop, Houston, TX‎
(713) 863-8188‎

Becks Prime is in Memorial Park near the Galleria where 610 and I-10 meet. Parking may be difficult but there is a lot next to the baseball diamond where additional parking is available. We can certainly gather there after lunch as well to "kick the tires".

Google Map Here

Agenda
-General Hybrid discussions over lunch.
-Talk about the new Enginer PHEV kit available.
-Discuss Next meeting location for November.
-Driving Clinics

Hybrids:
-2007 Toyota Prius with EBH and Factory EVb

I'll have my ScanGauge (fuel consumption display) so we can hook it up to your car to see real-time fuel usage. It works on most cars made after 1995. One thing that helps is knowing your engine size (displacement). This is usually represented in liters, cubic centimeters or cubic inches. An example would be a Mustang 5.0L V8.

Website: http://HoustonHybrid.blogspot.com/
Email: Dan@AutoEcoLLC.com

If you have a facebook account, it's an easy way to keep track of this stuff. Here are the facebook events and groups to join if you do. If not, it's very easy to join facebook... give it a shot.

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8980398564

Here's a set of links to various forums that I'll be posting the event data at, although this blog will be the easiest of them all to maintain. Link Nest:
Facebook.com Event
CleanMPG.com Forum
PriusChat.com Forum
EcoModder.com Forum
InsightCentral.com Forum
GreenHybrid.com Forum
Map to the Event

Hypermiling on WB 39

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a segment on WB39 on Hypermiling. Originally the reporter called and asked me some of the basic "What is Hypermiling" and "How do you Hypermile", then the discussion turned to how to do the Hypermiling shoot. They wanted to know what kind of car I drive, and if the camera man could fit in it ;-). I explained that most Hybrids are actually pretty roomy, but that it might make for a better segment if I took their car and taught them how to drive it. They agreed.

What I got was a Hummer! No joke. Initially they said "you can't hypermile my car", when pressed the response was "well.... its a Hummer! You can't hypermile a Hummer". Well now the gauntlet was thrown. I had to to show them just what Hypermiling is capabile of. So I researched the 5 cylinder Hummer engine and got some good advice, but in the end I just had to wing it. I asked which they wanted to see, City or Highway hypermiling. I explained that City might make for better shooting since there are generally more things I have to do in City Hypermiling than in Highway hipermiling.

 

So the shoot went off fairly well. The Hummer was rated for 14 mpg in the city and we managed to pull off 23.9. All in all, I think they were pleased.

Anyway here's the link and the video is embedded above:

http://tinyurl.com/wb39Hypermiling

Sat Aug 29th, Becks Prime in Memorial Park, Prius Flash Mob ;)

A bit of a Prius Flash Mob to try to meet up at Becks Prime in Memorial Park. I'm not hosting but I will be attending and was asked to spread the word. Here's the info from PriusChat.

=== PriusChat Invite ===

We are having a Houston meet and greet this Saturday, Aug. 29th, at 11:00 AM, at the Beck's Prime in Memorial Park - 1001 E. Memorial Loop, Houston, TX. quantumslip, Xman Live, and I will all be there with our Gen 3 Model Vs, and Dan (of hypermiler fame) has promised to show up with some scan guages and either his 2007 Prius or Mercury Mariner hybrid. Come say hello, kick some tires, pump Dan for hypermiling tips, and maybe even go for a spin.

All priuschatters, hybrid owners and hypermilers are welcome to join us, and Dan will also be flash mobbing his Houston Hybrid & Hypermilers Club.

The more people, models and colors that show up, the better!

Word of warning, the parking lot right by Beck's may be full of golfers, so you may need to park in one of the other lots (by the ball fields) and walk over. When we go out to kick tires, we'll pick a lot to converge on.

=== PriusChat Invite ===

Map: http://tinyurl.com/googleMapAug29

PriusChat: http://tinyurl.com/priuschatAug29
CleanMPG: http://tinyurl.com/cleanmpgAug29

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/facebookAug29

Update:
Yes:

• Dan
• ggood (priuschat)
• XMAN LIVE (priuschat)
• quantumslip (priuschat)
• Adam (facebook)

Maybe:

• mjrauma (priuschat)
• Musa (facebook)

So 5 confirmed and 7 possible.

Should be fun!

Thanks for coming out!

Thanks to David with his 2008 Red Prius and Oscar with is 2008 Green Camry Hybrid for making it Saturday. It was a fun meet.

We talked about the Volt and calculated some MPG equivalancies based on GHG emissions. Our calculations based 200 Wh/mi and the US national average for power plant emission, we arrived at 116 mpg while in EV and 50 mpg while the generator is running. A far cry from the 230 quoted in the press.

We discussed the cash for clunckers. My big beef was the fact that glassing the engine block means that a potentially large portion of the vehicle could end up as land fill. Hopefully the scrap yards have a way to separate the glass from the engine block in a smelting processes.

Had a driving clinic with Oscar and addressed some concerns about battery life. We emptied the trunk and folded down the seats to give the battery as much cooling as possible. I've found that if there is a lot of material on top of the battery in my Prius, that the cooling for the battery is not as effective as it is if there is a nice void around the battery. Hopefully thinking about battery cooling in the future will bring those FE numbers back up.

Next meeting will be (hopefully) September 19th, so mark the calenders. Be sure to let anyone who's interested in the Houston Area know about the group. All they have to do is join the facebook group and they will get all the meeting notices.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8980398564

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As seen on eBay!

I've started an eBay auction and account for Eco LLC and I'll have some Houston Hybrid and Hypermilers stuff out there as well. I have an auction for a Free(ish) driving clinic for the next hybrid meetup. eBay requires that stuff cost something, so it's a buck or less (hince the Free-ish). Anyway, if you buy the Free-ish clinic your garanteed a clinic. Walk-ins will be on a first come first serve basis, but the meet is usually only about 3 hours. I don't always have time for everyone.

Just thought it would be fun to try to auction off hypermiling.

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We're Back!

After a much too long hibernation the Houston Hybrid Club is back up and running. We are holding our kick off meeting at Jitterbug's Cafe in Cypres, so come by if your intersted.