Now that the Toyota Prius has become almost synonymous with the ‘hybrid sedan’, lots of people want to know how it works and why the Prius is so popular as an energy-efficient ride.
The Prius came out of the Japanese auto market in 1997, and since then, it’s been making big ripples in the U.S. market as drivers look for solutions to sky-high prices at the pump and Detroit feels the pain of plunging demand for the fuel-hogs that emerged from its products lines for decades.
So what’s the deal with all of the power the Prius delivers with just a little gas?
The Prius uses the Toyota Hybrid System, which includes a parallel hybrid powertrain, to synch up its two engines and make sure the electric engine works harder than its gasoline counterpart. This specialized system from Toyota is considered by many to be at the top of the market’s innovation. With a weight of under 3,000 pounds, this car can really move on electricity: the electric engines delivers 67 horsepower from 1200-1540 rpm, and 295 lb/ft of torque from 0 to 1200. Toyota’s system ensures the car can go up to 15 miles per hour without even taking a sip of gas.
In addition, a “power split device” links up the two engines, as well as a generator, to balance energy between the fuel and electric sides of the vehicle. A specialized gear system maximizes the energy produced by the Prius batteries for long-term fuel economy, and lots of city driving can be done on electrical power alone.
Another interesting aspect of the Prius is how the power split device works as a CVT (continuous variable transmission) eliminating the traditional manual or automatic transmission, and re-inventing the way mechanics look at what’s under the hood. It’s engineering like this that puts the Prius at the top of its class.
Anyone with an outdated idea about the power and efficient production of a hybrid sedan needs to take a look at the Toyota Prius to discover that electrical auto power doesn’t mean compromising the driving experience with frequent hookups to power sources, diminished road capacity, or any number of drawbacks that were the trademark of experimental electric car models. Instead, what Prius drivers find is the premier handling and design of a Toyota vehicle combined with a boat load of fuel economy, and that’s something everyone can enjoy.
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