Advantages of Buying a Hybrid
Fuel prices these days are very much like a rocket launched into space. As long as there is still fuel, the rocket, just as the price of fuel will continue soaring into unthinkable heights. Only when there is no more fuel, will the rocket lack power to continue upwards and in the case of fuel prices, you do not put a price on something that does not exist anymore. As the supply of petroleum shrinks, its prices go up, a simple equation. That is why the search for alternative fuel is one highly participated in and one of the creations spawned by this need to find another way to get engines running is the hybrid vehicle.
The concept of a hybrid vehicle is simple. The word hybrid simply refers to the fact that two sources of power propel the car. In most cases, these two sources are petroleum and electricity. Many companies are also putting lots of research into the exploitation of the energy available in hydrogen gas but while it has proven to work well, the gas is too difficult and impractical to obtain for everyday use.
With electric hybrids such as the renowned Toyota Prius available in the market, more and more people should lend a hand in creating a greener environment by trading their gas guzzlers for one of these hybrids. There is no reason not to as despite having great green credentials, a hybrid such as the Prius gives no compromise on practicality, comfort and performance as it is proven to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in an impressive 10.9 seconds. With just the addition of a large electric motor at the back of the car, it still is on the whole one very good automotive creation. It is like your everyday car, but even better. Unless you are an extreme speed junkie or an avid off-roader, this is just like your usual everyday car, even better. So why wouldn’t you want one?
Back to why hybrids exist in the first place; they literally sip on fuel as though the liquid which makes them run is like a slow killing poison. That is all thanks to the electric motor which contributes half the power in getting the car moving. In most cars including the Toyota Prius, the car runs solely on electricity at low speeds. This is especially a good feature for those who do a lot of town driving where driving fast is often not possible. It not only reduces the fuel consumption even more but also provides an almost silent ride since the engine is not running, another positive reason to buy a hybrid.
If you have any reason at all to maintain a good image among the hippies of your area, you can be rest assured that they are behind you if you have a hybrid car. This is because when environmental friendliness is concerned, no car is as friendly as the ones that run with an engine in its nose and a motor near its butt. It is evident in cars like the Prius which has an extremely low measure of carbon dioxide emission at 104g/km.
In a world where a car is sometimes a survival kit despite the depleting sources of fuel, the deterioration of the environment and the financial pinch which gets more painful as time goes by, you always come to wonder how to cope. Getting a hybrid, now that’s how.
Toyota Prius Technology
Although the word ‘hybrid’ in cars simply mean two sources of energy, often gasoline and electricity, propelling the car, that is where the simplicity ends as the technology under the metal is simply breakthrough after breakthrough. This is most definitely the case in the Toyota Prius, a car which is a technological breakthrough of its own, the one which started it all and the one which still stands tall among the rest.
Some hybrid vehicles, most commonly those in the form of SUVs and MPVs, are hybrids by name only. These cars exist for the sake of sales and trying to cope with the market and consumers’ desires. Being too heavy and powered by ridiculously large engines, hybrid SUVs only experience miniscule drops in fuel consumption when an electric motor is fitted. The Toyota Prius however is not only hybrid by name but hybrid by nature. Its electric motor, a magnetic AC one consisting of Ni-MH batteries, churns out 67bhp, almost half of the total 143bhp the car is able to produce with both power plants running. Although not the only car of its kind to produce an electric to gasoline power output ratio as good as this, its 1.5 litre VVT-i engine gives it the edge over its closest Japanese rivals which usually run on 1.3 litre engines which are slightly less efficient.
Like most hybrids of its class, the Toyota Prius has regenerative braking, a braking system which converts the kinetic energy formed when the brakes are hit into useable electricity. An electricity generating method that is only true to the Prius and not other hybrid vehicles however is the use of High Solar Energy Absorbing glass. Like the name suggests, its windscreen and windows have the ability to absorb solar energy from sunlight and effectively converts it into small amounts of electricity capable of pushing the car a little here and there. Another electricity-related fuel saving technique the car possesses is the ability to run solely on electricity at low speeds. This causes the engine to shut down which results in the ride being so silent as though nothing mechanical seems to be working. Toyota’s version of this is known as the EV mode and while other manufacturers have this feature in their hybrid vehicles, most American SUV hybrids do not as their electric motor is insufficient to move the weight of the car to cruising speeds.
Another great technology feature is Hybrid Synergy Drive, (HSD) which is a set of hybrid car technologies developed by Toyota and used in that company’s Prius, Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Lexus GS 450h, Lexus RX 400h, and Lexus LS 600h/LS 600hL automobiles. It combines an electric drive and a continuously variable transmission. The Synergy Drive is a drive-by-wire system with no direct mechanical connection between the engine and the engine controls: both the gas pedal/accelerator and the gearshift lever in an HSD car merely send electrical signals to a control computer.
Where hybrid vehicles are concerned, the Prius earns an undisputed first place when it comes to simply being a hybrid car. It has all the technology needed for a car to be classified a hybrid and a lot more. No matter how other manufacturers try to get themselves running in this sector of automobiles, the hybrid still remains the top choice. It is safe to say that it will continue that way as Toyota have already confirmed that a new Prius which offers better mileage and performance probably thanks to a bigger variety of technological enhancements is on its way into the market in 2009. How one copes with such technological greatness and success is simply a huge wonder and since the situation does not seem like changing any time soon, the Prius really is the true hybrid vehicle.
Toyota Prius Fuel Consumption
With the prices of fuel on a strong rise nowadays, people are seeking alternatives to their transportation needs. This contributes to the increase of people using public transport and way back, those who were not eager on hopping onto a bus or a train would just trade in their SUVs and minivans for smaller cars. In the automotive market of present though, they have the choice of a hybrid vehicle and one car which stands out in this crowd is the Toyota Prius.
Being a hybrid, one can safely assume that the Prius sips on fuel and has breathable emissions. That is certainly true as it is powered by a 76bhp fuel-injection engine and a 67bhp electric motor which is located at the back of the car. At low speeds, only the electric motor propels the car as the engine is shut down and this adds up to not only great mileage, but noise-free rides. Drivers who find themselves in these kinds of low speed situations often can be happy to know that a Prius can do as much as over 60 miles to the gallon if the pedal is treated a little gently.
Generally, all hybrid cars manage to give drivers good fuel efficiency because of its electricity use which lessens the need to run the engine a lot. Although it is also the case of the Prius, this car also has aerodynamics to thank. With a drag coefficient of as low as 0.26, the Prius experiences very minimal wind resistance and this makes things easier for the car’s mobility hence, not requiring the engine to do a lot of work in propelling the car. This is combined with the use of its supposedly eco-friendly tires which reduces the friction against the road for environmental reasons as well as optimal effect on the fuel efficiency.
The Toyota Prius does not only maximize the use of energy as a hybrid. It also generates it whenever possible. Of course, this only applies to electricity and the Prius achieves this feat in two notable ways. The first is a braking system known as regenerative braking which is used in a number of hybrid cars these days. What it does basically is convert the kinetic energy created when the brakes are used into electric energy. When this is done, it also reduces the friction on the brake pads. Another method the Prius uses to obtain additional electricity during driving is the use of High Solar Energy Absorbing glass which they term as HSEA. As its name suggests, the glass panels like the windscreen and windows of the Prius absorb solar energy for electric conversion and although its absorption may only be minimal, the use of this glass and the Prius’ braking system add up in the long run to give a boost in the car’s fuel efficiency.
Being a car which does an average of more than 50 mpg on all roads and even more when driven at low speeds constantly, the Toyota Prius is indeed an efficient energy saver. With fuel consumption as good as this and its overall eco-friendly nature, the Toyota Prius is one great car indeed.
EPA Fuel Economy
Fuel Type – Regular Gasoline
MPG (city) – 60
MPG (highway) – 51
MPG (combined) – 55
All miles-per-gallon figures are based on standards set in 1972-1976 and accurate standards will be available in cars of 2008 and beyond.
EPA Fuel Economics
Cost to Drive 25 Miles $1.35
Fuel to Drive 25 Miles 0.45 gal
Cost of a Fill-up $35.70
Miles on a Tank 589 miles
Tank Size 11.9 gal
Annual Fuel Cost* $909
*Based on 15000 annual miles and a fuel price of $ 3.00 per gallon.
Fill-up cost and the distance you can travel on a tank are calculated based on the combined MPG and the assumption that you will re-fuel when your tank is 10% full.
According to the EPA’s revised estimates, the combined fuel consumption for the 2008 Prius is 46 mpg–U.S. (5.11 L/100 km / 55.2 mpg–imp), making it the most efficient car available in the U.S. in 2008, based on the official rating.