Prius+ hubcap / wheel side cover / fuel consumption ?

[HSDish]

Ive got an Prius+ 2016/17 with hubcaps / wheel side covers like this one

 

 

and Ive thought about to remove the plastic hubcaps , like in this videoclip but...

Do You think removing the hubcaps will affect fuelconsumption?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Presumably the reason for the flush fitting wheel trims is to reduce drag. So removing them would probably increase fuel consumption by a percentage.

[TheProfessor]

Yes. But in the scheme of things, the difference won't be genuinely noticeable.

They improve the aerodynamics. Less of a difference at low speeds, and more at high speeds. They also add weight so some of these gains are negated.

While they do make a tiny difference, and while all these tiny differences do add up, removing one isn't a big deal. The weather, the way the music on the radio unconsciously affects your driving style, tyre pressure, and so on, all make way way bigger differences.

[HSDish]

3 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Presumably the reason for the flush fitting wheel trims is to reduce drag. So removing them would probably increase fuel consumption by a percentage.

Thanks!

Ohhh that much 🙂

hmmm dont think the plastic wheel trims are to ugly , suits my grey car rather good, but its nice to have a choise

[HSDish]

5 minutes ago, TheProfessor said:

Yes. But in the scheme of things, the difference won't be genuinely noticeable.

They improve the aerodynamics. Less of a difference at low speeds, and more at high speeds. They also add weight so some of these gains are negated.

While they do make a tiny difference, and while all these tiny differences do add up, removing one isn't a big deal. The weather, the way the music on the radio unconsciously affects your driving style, tyre pressure, and so on, all make way way bigger differences.

Thanks!

Sounds very wise

[wass]

I don't really see the point in Toyota going to great lengths to produce a vehicle which is as economic and feasible as possible, to be bought by people who want to take off some of the tweaks. When one sits in the car travelling from A to B, using the worlds dwindling resources as sparingly as possible, is it really necessary for us to be able to imagine what our car looks like from the outside? I am basically a skinflint and I really don't  want to spend my time and money on making the outside of my car more acceptable for others to look at. I see blingy wheels  as something which makes the car less economical which contradicts my original aim of driving a vehicle which is more economical. I have never admired the prius as a thing of beauty, its appearance is more like a pimple on the road surface. What I do admire is the uncompromising excellence of engineering and the fact that a company is willing to manufacture a vehicle which looks less appealing in order not to sacrifice aerodynamic gains and savings.

Having said all that, to each their own.I have seen hybrid cars with empty roof racks, I park near to one on most days of the week. I see them with low, unchecked tyre pressures, I see them with the more expensive low profile wide and high drag tyres.

[PeteB]

3 hours ago, wass said:

I don't really see the point in Toyota going to great lengths to produce a vehicle which is as economic and feasible as possible...

I couldn't agree more.  I was very pleased to be able to chose the top trim on my current Prius, and still order it with 'sensible' (IMHO) wheels.  My last Gen 3 Prius was the most basic version (to get 15" wheels), but still had everything I really wanted (once I'd paid my dealer to install the switch to get the otherwise fully fitted cruise control system working!).

My Gen 1 Prius had 14" wheels with Low Rolling Resistance tyres, and though I don't drive like I'm on an interview to work for Top Gear, I do sometimes drive in quite a spirited (but safe and legal) fashion, and I've never found these 'normal profile' tyres lacking.

I choose plain white paint whenever possible, because I won't pay extra for something that does nothing for me, and it saves a little on a/c when the sun is on the car.  It never ceases to amaze me just how much cooler mine feels to the touch even in low power spring sun, compared to my friend's dark grey Yaris, which often feels almost too hot to touch.

Having said all of that, despite my 4th Gen Prius being the best car I've ever had (apart from auto headlights that seem determined to cause an accident when they come on suddenly at inopportune moments), it has one other big drawback that has forced me to go against the grain and trade it for a car that is far less frugal (when the damn RAV4 Hybrid finally arrives) - one downside of the world beating aerodynamics is the low stance of the car, that has exacerbated (maybe even caused or aggravated) a problem with my hips that has arisen since I got it.  Getting in and out has become a painful (and often noisy!) experience.

Before anyone says bigger wheels might have helped, the 17" ones are actually the same diameter at the outer edge of the rubber, just more metal and less air/rubber.

It's a step backwards, but at least it drives as nicely as the Prius, has all the Hybrid benefits (but massive 18" wheels* and the aerodynamics of a house brick).  At least with the updated Hybrid system it's environmental and energy consumption performance is relatively good for a vehicle that's in most respects unnecessarily large (for my needs), though is as relaxing end involving to drive as the Prius, has a spare wheel and digital instruments...  AND doesn't make me shout when I get in and out!  Like my Prius it should also manage around 600 miles out of a single tank (admittedly because it's a much bigger tank!).

[* the space saver on the RAV4 looks bigger than the mains wheels on my Prius!]

[HSDish]

I'm not so good at expressing myself in English but I hope that it's clear/appears that low fuelconsumption and less CO2 comes first and is most important to me.

That's why I did ask about this.