Want to speculate about the Prius' rear "fences"?

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

another one - I wonder what the pipes below the bumper are for...
http://www.calcars.org/images/seattle-prius.jpg

It looks like a PHEV conversion using vented lead-acid batteries.

[cfg83]

Silveredwings -

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

It looks like a PHEV conversion using vented lead-acid batteries.

He should have put chrome tips on them so he can look like a musical fart can.

CarloSW2

[Hockey4mnhs]

hahah i love how u beat your dads fe. does he hypemile or does he dirve like normal?

[basjoos]

He drives mostly like normal and gets about 54mpg with his Prius.

[GasSavers_James]

Yeah my dad gets about 45 mpg in his civic hybrid. I am usually within 3 MPG with my 89 camry.

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

It looks like a PHEV conversion using vented lead-acid batteries.

That was my guess too. Somebody buy him a can of black spray paint! Or chrome exhaust tips! :-)

[MetroMPG]

Had a better look under the back end of a Prius recently, and I don't believe the *inside* surfaces of the fences are particularly functional: the rear axle beam extends down as low as the base of the fences. So any air interacting with those inside surfaces is going to be turbulent.

You can actually see this in the photo of the caribou, above. It's not a trick of the camera angle - the bottom of the rear axle is as low as the bottom of the fences.

I still think the *outside* surfaces work as boat tails for the rear wheels though - I'm not saying they're useless appendages....