Toyota has announced that the Prius has achieved a new milestone in fuel efficiency. Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes was awarded the Guinness World Records title for the lowest fuel consumption in a coast-to-coast drive across the United States. Gerdes completed the drive in a Prius LE, achieving an average fuel economy of 93.158 miles per gallon (MPG) during the 3,211.7-mile journey from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall. This surpasses the previous record, which stood in the mid-70s MPG range.
The Prius, first introduced over 20 years ago as the world’s first production hybrid vehicle, has continuously improved its fuel efficiency. The recent achievement underscores Toyota’s commitment to hybrid technology and sustainability. According to Michael Tripp, Toyota’s Vehicle Marketing group vice president, the record confirms the Prius’s status as an engineering success.
Since the Prius entered the U.S. market in 2000, it has become synonymous with hybrid technology, which has been central to Toyota’s broader strategy of offering a variety of powertrain technologies. This approach, the company states, is part of its effort to reduce carbon emissions while giving customers a range of options to meet their needs.
Gerdes’ journey across the country was not without challenges. He drove through a range of conditions, including mountain elevations up to 7,000 feet, extreme heat in the Mojave Desert, and strong winds from the Gulf of Mexico. These conditions demonstrated the Prius’s ability to maintain efficiency under a variety of circumstances. Gerdes noted that achieving this record required careful planning, adaptability, and use of hypermiling techniques, which are strategies designed to optimize fuel economy. He also offered general advice for improving fuel efficiency, such as easing into stops and keeping steady pressure on the accelerator.
The latest generation of the Toyota Prius, which hit dealerships in 2023, features new styling and upgraded technology. It has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of up to 57 MPG combined and is powered by the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System paired with a 2.0L engine.
