Toyota Prius Sets World Record For Miles Per Gallon

A 2023 Toyota Prius is now in the Guinness World Records!  It’s set the Guinness World Record for the highest MPG for a coast-to-coast drive, a record set by hypermiler Wayne Gerdes.  Earlier this summer, Gerdes drove from Los Angeles City Hall all the way to New York City Hall in a Prius LE and achieved a fuel economy average for the entire trip of 93.158 MPG combined. The previous record was in the mid-70s MPG combined.

2023 Toyota Prius with hypermiler Wayne Gerdes. Photo Credit: Prius.

Toyota introduced the Prius over two decades ago as the world’s first production hybrid car.

“The Prius has impressed us all for the past 23 years, and frankly, it continues to wow us today,” said Michael Tripp, Toyota Vehicle Marketing group vice president. “The world record for the highest MPG to us is just one more proof point that the Prius truly is an engineering marvel.”

Since the Prius’ debut in the U.S. in 2000, Toyota’s become well-known for its highly regarded hybrid technology. Toyota says this effort highlights Toyota’s commitment to achieving its goal of carbon neutrality while also giving customers the power to choose the solution that best suits their needs.

Gerdes’ cross-country journey of 3,211.7 miles took him through a wide variety of terrain as well as unpredictable weather. He drove the Prius up mountain elevations as high as 7,000 feet and through unforgiving places like Mojave Desert where the temperature exceeded 105 degrees. Toyota says there were also strong winds to content with coming from the Gulf of Mexico. The automaker says factors like these showcase how a vehicle like the Prius can still achieve great efficiency despite challenging conditions.

“For a record attempt like this, it’s a lot of planning,” said Gerdes. “You can’t just go sight unseen into doing this. You have to have that plan. But you also have to be able to work on the fly. So, if things change, you have to switch up your plan. Reroute. Figure out what you’re going to be able to do to achieve that goal.”

Gerdes offers two tips for everyday drivers to improve their fuel economy:

• He suggests slower take-offs from stops and keeping even pressure on the accelerator pedal.
• He also says when stops are ahead, easing off the accelerator early and using the vehicle’s momentum to glide as you approach the stop helps greatly with fuel economy.

The redesigned Toyota Prius arrived in 2023 with a new and sporty exterior styling, upgraded technology, and up to an EPA-estimated 57 MPG combined. It’s powered by the fifth generation Toyota Hybrid System and a 2.0L engine that delivers 194 horsepower on the forward-wheel drive model.

This Guinness World Record title is the 30^th industry award for the new-generation Prius.  Other awards include Car and Driver’s 10Best, MotorTrend Car of the Year, North American Car of the Year, and World Car Design of the Year.