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You may want to think about a little device called a "ScanGauge". It's sold on the net, and it plugs into any cars OBDII port. There are codes availabe for the Prius. The scanguage lets you chose 4 additional instruments to display on your dash.

I have mine showing Gas Engine RPM, Gas Engine throttle setting (0 to 100% throttle) Gas Engine coolant temperature, and most important - Hybrid battery Amperage.

With the RPM and throttle gauges you can see instantly when the gas engine is on or off. the engine temp tells you when the engine is at normal operating temp.

AND- the Amp gauge lets you "feather" the throttle to keep the car in electric only mode.

First, the Prius does not go into electic only mode until the engine is reasonably warmed up (>140 deg). You cannot repeatedly start and stop a cold gas engine.

When the Hybird battery is over 60% charge state, and the speed is below 35mph, I can pull about 50 amps from the electric motor before the gas engine kicks in. When the battery charge is around 35% to 60%, I have to keep the electic motor under about 30 Amps to keep it in electric mode.

Having the extra gauges helps you "hypermile" the car. When I come home from midnite shift, and have the road to myself (nobody honking at me to go faster) I can pull between 65 MPG and 72 MPG on level terrain, at speeds of around 30 to 35 mph over a distance of about 8 miles.

The scan gauge is relatively portable. It just plugs into the OMBII port, so you can move it from car to car if you want to. And in case of malfunctions it also acts as a code reader for diagnosis of problems when that stupid "check engine" light comes on.

We have been looking into the 'real' eco cars, for the first time this year. Today, we took our first test drive in a '10 TP-3 (2010 Toyoto Prius III). As an old 'big iron' guy growing up in the 389 cu. in. 60's, I was very impressed with everything we experienced today.

From the actually very roomy interior (we are not small people), to the quick learning curve on the controls and indicators, and the very snappy response from the hybrid power plant, it was much more fun than I expected.

We currently drive 2 GMC Sierra PU's and will keep one for hauling big items, but are clearing out secondary debt and working toward the Barcelona Red IV or V later this year. So I am a Web guru by trade and will be participating here, as we progress toward our green goal.