Toyota Prius Goes Coast-To-Coast: Sets Fuel Efficiency Record

The Prius never had a drinking problem. Now it got close to 100 mpg to set a world record.

Photo by: Toyota

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Sep 12, 2024 at 10:59am ET

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A Toyota Prius drove from Los Angeles to New York City, achieving better fuel efficiency than most plug-in hybrids.
The feat earned the driver a Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption for a coast-to-coast drive.

The Toyota Prius is one of the few hybrid icons that just won't quit. Your grandparents likely drive one, your parents probably do too and chances are, your climate-conscious Gen Z or Gen Alpha kids will be considering it next. Over the years, Toyota has been giving us more reasons to love it.

In what was a Guinness World Record drive, hypermiler Wayne Gerdes drove a Prius LE from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall, earning the title for the lowest fuel consumption for a coast-to-coast drive. Across thousands of miles, the Prius LE averaged 93.15 miles per gallon combined, Toyota said today in a press release.

Gerdes drove the regular hybrid, not the Prius Prime, which managed better fuel-efficiency than most PHEVs. In a Lexus RX450h+ PHEV that I tested a few months ago, I got 71 mpg. The Prius Prime, however, is one of the greenest cars on the planet. It delivers an EPA-estimated 113 miles per gallon equivalent. For perspective, a Tesla Model Y delivers 117 mpge in highway driving.

The hybrid Prius doesn't sip much fuel either, delivering 57 mpg, according to the EPA. It's powered by a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine good for 150 hp and 139 pound feet of torque. When working with the electric motor, the combined output is 190 hp. All that power is fed to the front wheels through an eCVT.

Gerdes probably drove like a saint, gentle on the throttle. But if you're looking to improve the fuel efficiency of your car, there are some takeaways here. According to Toyota, Gerdes suggests slower take-offs from a standstill instead of flooring the throttle and applying steady pressure on the pedal when in motion.

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Simple measures can help. Like easing off the accelerator early when you see stops ahead and using the vehicle's momentum to slow down. You don't need to accelerate when there's a red light a few meters ahead and you should let go of the throttle when you see the stop lamp of the car in the front.

This means you brake less aggressively (resulting in slower brake wear), coast more and improve your efficiency. Some of these tips can make you a better driver overall without having to feather the throttle all the time, regardless of the type of car you drive; gas, hybrid, PHEV or fully electric.