my 2000 Honda Insight named Skate

Skate & Oregonman’s Journey
Here’s Skate & I mileage report and gas purchases, more number crunching needs to be done, Skate, a 2000 Honda Insight performed beautifully, tire pressure, regular oil changes and the switch to synthetic oil later in the trip helped and sometimes the need for a higher octane gas had an effect on miles per gallon (mpg), as well as the wind, hills or mountains, how fast we had to drive on certain routes, the weather, and rain does lessen mpg. Skate over-heated in the mountains of California due to my blocking of the air vent that helps cool off the batteries, without the electric assist the car still ran and continued to achieve great gas mileage, some worry on my part during our 400 miles push across Nevada with the engine light on to find a dealer, and than at an Immigration stop in White Sands, N.M. when the temperature was 103 degrees sitting for 30 minutes. We do not have AC, in the South it would help with cooling down the batteries and in storms when we could not roll down the windows, AC would help defog windows.
The Batteries at 130K are wearing down, yet still working, someday they will need to be changed, not sure of the cost for replacement. Honda has discontinued this model, and it’s a perfect 2-seater for the road, not sure why. Skate, its look and gas mileage have excited many folks around the country about the potential gas savings to be had, will it take a big diesel pick-up hybrid to help turn America’s head?
Skate performs best at about 58 mph, 2500 rpm, 3rd and 4th gear were the best use of energy, we used 5th gear above 62 mpg, although this did not seem to be the best use of gas, but enabled us to keep up.
Skate is a perfect blue highways vehicle, a small two-lane blacktop car if ever made.

Buxton, Oregon to Bainbridge Island, Washington
63.2 mpg/ 264.6 miles
5.4 Gal @ $2.89 = $15.50
Bainbridge Island to South Bend, Washington
60.3 mpg, 390.6 miles
South Bend to George Washburn State Park
N. of Florence,Oregon
63.4 mpg, 241 miles
9.5 Gal @ $2.96 = $20
Florence to Del Norte State Park
S. of Crescent City, California
63.9 mpg, 209.9 miles
4.79 Gal @ $3.09= $14.81
Del Norte to Arcata
55.6 mpg, 56.5 miles
Arcata to Napa
61.3 mpg, 277 miles
Napa to Yosemite
58.5 mpg, 272 miles
7.25 Gal. @$3.64= $26.43
Yosemite, California to Tonopah, Nevada
60.3 mpg, 449.3 miles
9.5 Gal@ $3.95= $37.50
Tonopah to Zion National Park, Utah
63.9 mpg, 351.4 miles
5.79 Gal.@ $3.14= $18.26
Zion to Bryce Canyon to St. George, Utah
65.8 mpg, 363.5 miles
8.56 Gal @ $2.96= $25.41
St. George, Utah to Lee’s Ferry, Arizona
66.0 mpg/ 280 miles
Lee’s Ferry to Slow Low, Arizona
65.8 mpg/ 407.2 miles
8.23 Gal @ $3.16= $26.01
Slow Low to Silver City, New Mexico
67.9 mpg/ 284.4 miles
Silver City to Gila Hot Springs
54.0 mpg/ 141.1 miles
9.27 Gal @ $2.90= $26.87
Gila Hot Springs to Roswell, New Mexico
66.5 mpg/ 369.8 miles
Roswell to Guadalupe State Park, Texas
58.0 mpg/ 165.7 miles
7.11 Gal @ $2.79= $19.89
Guadalupe to San Angelo
66.5 MPG, 368.6 miles

San Angelo to Kerrville
Kerrville Folk Festival
54.2 MPG, 242.1 miles
7.56 Gal @ $2.68= $20.24
Kerrville to Austin
55.6 MPG/ 214 miles
6.04 Gal @ $2.80= $16.91
Austin, Texas to Sulphur, Louisiana
55.9 MPG/ 365.3 miles
7.8 Gal @ $2.80= $21.83
Sulphur to Lafayette to Natchez, Mississippi
59.6 mpg/ 276.2 miles
4.34 Gal @ $2.66= $11.57
Natchez, Mississippi to Waynesboro, Tennessee
62.9mph/520.8 miles
6.22 Gal @ $2.80= $17.41
Waynesboro to Franklin, North Carolina
60.3 mpg/ 381.2 miles
9.22 Gal @ $2.72= $25.00

Franklin to Dunn
61.5 mpg/ 353 miles
6.77 Gal @ $2.80= $18.95
Dunn to Nag’s Head
60.1 mpg/ 251.6 miles
8.86 Gal @ $2.83= $28.29
Nag’s Head to Beauford to Durham
62.0mpg/328 miles

Durham
52.4 mpg/ 60.3 miles
Durham, North Carolina to Natural Bridge, Virginia
59.9/ 209.4 miles
8.89 Gal @ $2.87= $25.52
Natural Bridge to Front Royal, Virginia
59.9 mpg/ 244.3 miles
Front Royal, Virginia to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
58.5 mpg/ 120.7 miles
6.99 Gal @ $2.86= $20
Gettysburg, Pa. to Tabernacle, New Jersey
60.1 mpg/215.8 miles
Visiting Jersey Relatives
54.O mpg/ 151.4 miles
Tabernacle to Ancramdale, New York
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
59.2mpg/ 233.7 miles
6.47 Gal @ $3.09= $20
Grey Fox to Greenfield, Massachusetts
60.1/133.1 miles
6.7 Gal @ $2.99= $20
Greenfield to Pantuckaway State Park. New Hampshire
(near Raymond)
61.5/ 142.2 miles

Pantuckaway N.H. to Portland, Maine
59.2/ 126.8 miles
8.48 Gal @ $2.96= $25.10
Portland to Acadia
57.8 mpg/ 159.3 miles
3.38 Gallons @ $25= $10
Acadia to Cobscook
Cobscook to Baxter
58.2 mpg/ 123.8 miles
8.6 Gal @ $2.95= $25.50
Baxter to Banger, Maine
61.5 mpg/ 142.3 miles
Banger, Maine to Crawford Notch State Park
Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
62.9 mpg/ 199.3 miles
8.61 Gal @ $2.90= $24.94

Mt. Washington to Little River State Park
Waterford, Vermont
56.6 mpg/ 217.4 miles
Waterford to Grand Isle on Lake Champlain
Burlington, Vermont
59.4 mpg/113.5 miles
9.58 Gal @ $2.94= $28.17
around Burlington and the Isles
59.4 mpg/207.9 miles
Lake Champlain, Vermont to Fish Pond State Park, New York
58.7mpg/ 155.5 miles
Fish Pond to Utica
59.6 mpg/ 173.4 miles
Utica to Niagara Falls, New York
60.1 mpg/ 303.9 miles
10.03 Gal @ $3.03= $30.51
Niagara Falls to Allegany Mountains, Pennsylvania
to Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio
61.2mpg/ 332.8 miles
Geneva-on-the-Lake to Detroit, Michigan
62.9 mpg/ 249.5 miles
9.14 Gal @ $2.99= $27.41
Detroit to to Sleepy Hollow State Park
Laingsburg, Michigan
60.3 mpg/ 112 miles
Sleepy Hollow to Sleeping Bear Dunes
Michigan
60.1/ 339.5 miles
8.87 Gal @ $3.18= $28.28
Sleeping Bear to Tahquamenon Falls
Paradise, Michigan
61.1 mpg/ 234.1 miles
8.62 Gal @ $3.16= $27.24
Tahquamenon Falls to Whitefish & back
64.3 mpg/ 56.7 miles
Paradise to Houghton, Michigan
65mpg/ 255.7 miles
Houghton to Hibbing, Minnesota
63.9mpg/ 449.1 miles
9.08 Gal @ $3.11= $28.33
Hibbing to Lake Bemidji
59.6 mpg/ 188.1 miles
Bemidji to Fargo, North Dakota
65.6mpg/ 197.3 miles
Fargo to Lake Sakakawea State Park,
Pick City, ND
62.9mpg/ 325.9 miles
9.03 Gal @ $3.10= $28
Pick City to Williston
59.9mpg/ 326.7 miles
8.39 Gal @ $3.15= $26.42

Williston, North Dakota to Shelby, Montana
60.1 mpg/ 428.0 miles
Shelby to Rising Sun Campsite
Glacier National Park
62.5 mpg/ 166.7 miles
8.54 Gal @ $3.23= $27.68
Rising Sun to Avalanche, and over Logan Pass
68.1 mpg/ 112.7 miles
Avalanche up Logan’s Pass and back
63.9 mpg/ 81.6 miles
Glacier to Colville, Washington
71.6 mpg/ 358.9 miles
8.69 Gal @ $3.36= $29.21
Colville to the Cascades
61.8 mpg/ 242.4 miles
North Cascades to Mt. Baker to Bellingham
60.1mpg/ 251.8 miles
8.5 Gal @ $3.49= $29.76
Bellingham to Bainbridge Island
61.8 mpg/ 122.2 miles
Bainbridge Island to Buxton, Oregon
59.9mpg/ 252.2 miles

Special thanks to the Honda folks that helped maintain Skate during the trip and our McMinnville dealer that maintained the car when home in Oregon.
Moving back to Portland after 10 years in the countryside of Oregon for the winter, hoping to save Skate for another ride by using mass transit at home.
Skate my trusty side-kick & I will ride into a town near you on another day, soon!

Right know we are in Texas on a small side trip, heading back to Oregon later this week.
More on this trip, as well as a couple of slide shows.
Oregonman will be blogging about politics, people, food and Oregon this Autumn & Winter, hoping to get back on the road in the Spring.
See you on the blue highway of life!