Let me start off by saying that I'm not an engineer. But it sure would be nice to have an advanced degree to help figure out some of Toyota's secrets. So far I have over 20k miles on the car and I'm constantly impressed with it. My MFD displays over 50mpg all the time now. The best thing I've done so far is to read what Prius owners do. Check out
Cleanmpg.com or
Priuschat.com for some tips. They've been doing this alot longer than we have. Most of their tips for higher mileage apply to the TCH. When they start talking about specific numbers (rpm and such) I tend to fade since this is a different car. One thing I've discovered is that the learning curve is about as long as the break-in period (a good 5k miles). The engine really settles down after this period. I wouldn't expect too much until you reach that point. Here are some things I would suggest for better mileage.
1. Take it very easy for the first few miles on a cold engine. I try to creep along under 30mph without stopping for about 2 miles. It usually takes me about 1.8 miles to get the water temp to 150-160 deg which is where I find car able to go into the EV mode. It takes a long time to recover from this cold engine- gas guzzling hit. Driving slow seems to minimize this.
2. I never use the cruise control. Maintain or better yet bleed off speed on inclines, get back up to speed on declines. I'm only talking about a few mph difference here. You don't want to mess with the flow of traffic. CC is only good for ICE only cars.
3. Only use the EV mode when your positive that you can recharge the battey or else on the last 2 miles or so of your commute (the battery will recharge the next time you start). I find going into the EV mode too often hurts my overall mpg.
4. Coast.
5. Do the speed limit or slower. Again, don't mess with traffic.
6. Find an alternate route. You may find that secondary roads will get you where you want to go in about the same amount of time with better FE.
7. Avoid freeways. There's too much drag at speeds greater than 65. Although one good point for taking the freeway is that they're generally flatter than secondary roads.
8. Try using warp stealth. When coasting with your foot off the pedal, gently re-apply just enough pressure so that the MFD shows only one arrow going from the battery to the wheels. This will eliminate regen braking letting you coast further. This is the equivalent of high speed EV mode. It uses battery power but don't expect to maintain speed just a longer coast.
9. The TCH does have a sweet-spot between about 45-52 mph. Try this. Accelerate to 52mph, ease off the pedal so that the engine sounds as if it's lugging. Let the speed bleed off very slightly just remember to keep the engine load high. As the speed decreases, watch your fuel consumption gauge. It should drop quickly to 60mpg and stay there! At that point my ScanGauge tells me I'm cruising between 70 and 110mpg. I can usually hold this for a several miles. You can also do this while accelerating from 45mph. When going up a slight incline, give the car just enough gas so that it sounds like it's gasping for air. you'll get the same result. If you press too hard on the pedal the engine will speed up and you'll have to start all over again. My best stretch was about 56mpg for 150 miles using this technique and careful EV mode use. I've only been able to do this between these speeds. When practicing this, turn the radio and A/C off and close the windows. The best indication that your doing this correctly is by ear. The car will go dead silent. All you will hear is tire noise. Also, the MFD will indicate power coming from both the battery and the engine although it doesn't discharge the battery like pure EV mode does. It helps to have a fully charged battery. That's why I avoid the EV mode. My mileage is usually in the low 50's in the city and upper 40's on the highway. It gets easy to do once your right foot muscle memory is there.
10. I've never bothered with P&G since the only way to do it in the Camry is by shifting to neutral.
Hope this helps.
-Ed