The red lines mark the part of the road where you have to be in gear to climb up. So if you go in both directions, then the amount of time you are in gear is only about
Now we figure out the percentage of the trip is spent in gear with throttle pressed down.
It comes to about 28% for one way. But you have to remember you are only going up one hill per direction, so the percentage needs to be taken of *both* ways.
So in this picture we show the direction you are driving and the area marked by green where you have to use gear to go up hill.
Same for this one but now we are going in the other direction.
So that becomes 14%. Now to figure out our MPG for the trip, we divide 14% into 100 and then multiply that number by whatever our MPG was during the "pulse" in gear driving up the hills.
Now the only car I have experience with a mpg readout is the Prius. Most hills the Prius would be able to maintain 20mpg. 100/14 = 7.143. 7.143 X 20 = 143mpg.
Now let's say I was off with my estimates, and it was more like 25% of the time I was in gear. (Remember, 25% total means 50%, or half the time I would have been in gear going in one direction. Average is still 80mpg.
But maybe a more realistic scenario would be an average of 15mpg up the hills and in gear hill climbing at 18% of the time. That's still 83mpg. DiamondLarry, It'd be fun if you could test out my theory.
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What sort of hills were you driving on?
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