Over the long weekend we went to Asheville and stayed at the Mount Piscah Campround on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 5000+ ft. We headed down the mountain one day to a few breweries. I reset my trip odometer and on the almost 17 mile ride down the windy mountain road to Davidson River Campground the Land Cruiser returned 67mpg. Traveling back up the mountain did not fare quite as well.
One thing that I noticed which I was a little surprised at is that on sections the engine would kick on even if the electric motor was sufficient. We had windows open, so it was not because hot coolant was needed for the climate control. Best I can tell is that after a couple of minutes, the gasoline engine cycles on for a minute or so to keep everything lubricated. Also going downhill we quickly had the battery 100% (within the first couple miles).
One thing that I noticed which I was a little surprised at is that on sections the engine would kick on even if the electric motor was sufficient. We had windows open, so it was not because hot coolant was needed for the climate control. Best I can tell is that after a couple of minutes, the gasoline engine cycles on for a minute or so to keep everything lubricated. Also going downhill we quickly had the battery 100% (within the first couple miles).
