Toyota Prius: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:32, 7 June 2005

Revision as of 19:15, 12 June 2005

Line 55:

The new (third generation) [[Hybrid Synergy Drive]] (HSD) replaces the earlier [[Toyota Hybrid System]] (THS) technology.

The new 2004 Prius is a midsize car with more room than the previous compact and is a five door model (4 doors plus a rear hatch). In general the car is conveniently narrow on the outside, rather flat sided, and relatively tall (several inches taller than a [[Toyota Camry|Camry]]). The profile is much more continuous, with a short sloping nose transitioning to a highly sloped windshield and an arcing roofline ending in a cut-off [[Kammback]]. The additional height allows a more erect seating position and a higher eye point, giving a better view of the road to the driver. There is also a surprising amount of rear seat leg room, resembling that available in a much larger vehicle. Fold down rear seats with a 60/40 split make for easy carriage of most parcels.

With a smaller and lower voltage NiMH battery and an inverter to step the voltage up to 500V, the new model is more powerful (2 seconds faster in 0 to 96 km/h acceleration) and is 15% more [[fuel efficiency|fuel efficient]] than the previous generation Prius, with 60 mpg (4.7 L/100km) city and 51 mpg (5.5 L/100km) highway (according to the [[EPA]]). As the EPA city test is more consistent with downtown Manhattan than it is with most suburban driving, your mileage may vary. When driven appropriately, commuting and mixed suburban drivers are reporting realistic mileages of 45 to 50 mpg (6.3 to 5.7 L/100km). See also

Line 66:

As an interesting side note, a $2,200 option package offered in Japan for the 2004 model gives it the ability to perform parallel parking by the on-board computer. Eighty percent of the Prius buyers in Japan have chosen this option. The system is not intelligent, though, so it is very limited. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/01/15/car.selfpark.ap/index.html]

When the vehicle is started it will operate for seven seconds before starting the engine. This can allow you to remove the vehicle from a garage before starting and so reduce the pollution in the house. Unfortunately it is much too quick to start the engine in most cases, as in some locations a complete downslope trip could be made without starting the ICE engine - actually putting energy into the battery. The JapaneseAsian and European version of this vehicle provide a button labelled "EV" that maintains stealth mode after startup under most low load conditions. The US model has a nonfunctional blank button, although it is supported internally by the computer. ItWhile issome likelyhave speculated that thisit haswas not been included in the interest of retaining the warranted battery life (100,000 formiles misusein ofUS the150,000 buttonin couldCalifornia certainlyand shortenseveral that.other Asstates), theengineers batterywho isnote anthat integralEV part of the drivetrain, and thatmode is warrantedautomatically foroverridden lowwhen smogthe performance,battery upis toonly 150,000partially milesdepleted inhave California,disputed these could be good reasons for not providing the buttonthat. In addition to information at online discussion groups, the [http://www.priusplus.org PRIUS+ Project] offers [http://www.calcars.org/prius-evbutton-install.pdf Instructions (pdf)]instructions for do-it-yourselfers who wish to enable the button, and aftermarket components provider [http://www.coastaletech.com/ Coastal Electronic Technologies] offers a kit.

Evolving from the button project, [http://www.calcars.org The California Cars Initiative] converted a Prius in 2004, adding larger batteries, and a private company [http://www.edrivesystems.com/ EDrive Systems] announced plans to sell conversion kits in 2006. CalCars initiated efforts to promote fleet purchases of plug-in hybrids to be built by automakers, and documented the emissions benefits of plug-in hybrids not only on California's clean power grid but also on the national (50% coal-fueled) power grid.

A driving trick: Often you will pull up at a stop light that has just changed. In some suburban areas this may entail a wait of several minutes, as the lights cycle through various simultaneous or sequential left turns, cross traffic, pedestrians, etc. If the gasoline engine is running when you approached the stop it will take the better part of a minute before the computer recognizes the situation and shuts off the engine. There is a trick to getting the engine to shut off promptly. If you approached the stop in '''B''' (engine assist braking), you may then when stopped with the brake on, command '''N''' (neutral), then '''D''' (drive) - the engine will stop immediately - at least in 2004 US versions.