Toyota Prius Hybrid Review

“The Age of the environment” is said to be the 21st century, the center of attention in the world of hybrid cars is sure. Increasing awareness of rising gasoline prices and the global environment, such as favorable tax incentives to all low-emission vehicle “standard car of the future” is also seen as a beginning to climb the stairs.

Hybrid cars, in the current time are not any more special. Yes, a little different than just good gas mileage cars is for sure.

When talking about hybrid cars, the first name that strikes is the Toyota Prius, and this is because it was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle.  Its first year sales were a staggering 18000!

It went on sale in japan in the year 1997. And later in 2001, it was launched globally.

After a decade and 3 years, it still is one of the best selling hybrid vehicle and is constantly upgrading itself to beat the competition.

Engine

Summary:

Toyota has given the new Prius more displacement and power. Under the hood, now lies a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 72 kW/98 hp, the electric motor delivers a maximum of 59 kW/80 hp. The system performance increases to 99 kW/134 hp. The most newly developed drivetrain components are more compact and weigh about 20 percent less than before. The Hybrid Synergy Drive to the third generation Prius uses nickel-metal hybrid improved battery life. More powerful lithium-ion power would be available later in 2012 and is being planned to be installed in the plug-in hybrid.

Detail:

Hybrid Synergy Drive

Hybrid Synergy Drive ® technology gave the new Toyota Prius the much needed improvements. 90% of components are redesigned to create a more compact and light-weight drivetrain. Higher operating temperatures are maintained in the presence of very rigid emission norms.

The power of this system has been increased by over 20% to 136 hp and delivers performance equal to a traditional sedan 2.0 liter diesel. The new Prius goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds, an improvement of 0.5 seconds from the current model, reaching a top speed of 180 km/h.

At the same time, drivability has been improved by adopting a larger engine. The all new 1.8 liter engine, reduces engine revs when driving at high speeds which helps in gain of about 9% efficiency on longer trips. The new Prius has a combined fuel consumption of just 3.9l/100km (50 mpg)  which means on a tank full it can cover a distance of about 1,150 km, an increase of 105km from the model maintaining the same tank capacity.

The new Prius fully meets the Euro 5 standards for emissions, and most likely satisfies even the Euro 6.

Moreover, when the Prius is used in EV-only mode guarantees zero emissions for up to two kilometers at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Hybrid Transmission

The electric motor, generator, the device which is used for distributing the power and drive speed of the engine are all housed in a gearbox which is very light and compact, comparable in size to that of a conventional gearbox.

The hybrid transmission is controlled by shift-by-Wire technology, using a lever system electronically. The same shift lever is designed to automatically return to the starting position once released, but the ratio can be controlled with the help of an added position indicator integrated into the instrument panel of the driver.

The new transmission has a multi-functional gear train with a high level of integration that includes a mechanical speed reducer, which makes it shorter than 12 mm, and 20 kg lighter than its predecessor.

60 kW electric motor

The synchronous electric motor is of 60 kW which is a high-performance motor and works together with the combustion engine to boost acceleration. During regenerative braking the motor also functions as a high-power generator, recovering kinetic energy as electrical energy to charge the battery.

Managing to generate a maximum torque of 207 Nm from 0 to 13,000 rpm, this engine is lighter than the current generation of Prius, but guarantees an increase in power output at 20%. All this was achieved through the combination of doubling of the maximum engine speed and torque thanks to a new speed reducer inside the transmission.

Toyota Prius Price

The prices of the prius ranges from $22800 (lowest trim level) to $28070 (highest trim level).

Features and Interiors of Prius are being shown as videos:

Solar Powered Ventilation System

Toyota Prius Smart Key

Toyota Prius Drive Modes

Toyota Prius Performance

Toyota Prius Intelligent Parking Assist

Toyota Prius Bluetooth

Toyota Prius XM Nav Traffic

Toyota Prius Moonroof controls

Toyota Prius Dynamic Radar Cruise Controls

Toyota Prius Remote Air Conditioning