The official green car!

I am the biggest conservationist you will ever meet I have to say. I'm not insane or anything but I definitely do my part supporting the green side of every action I do. When I first became aware of the idea of a vehicle being readily available to the public from Toyota in about 1997, I was to say the least ecstatic, I had been dreaming for some genius to bring forth reality to an SUV, gas guzzling, fuel dispensing society. People are aware of the pollution factor and that it poses a threat to their existence yet it hasn't brutally struck them yet how definite the conflict is. By introducing a hybrid vehicle that extremely lowers its emissions by about 90%, it might bring people to the stark reality that the automobile industry is taking this global crisis into account.

The word "hybrid" means to utilize two sources of energy in order to fuel something. Another example of a hybrid machine would be a moped because you can use the engine or pedal the bike. I read about the Prius first in "Business Week" and was completely enthralled within the article, fascinated and curious about when this brilliant creation was going to be available for me to purchase.

how does it operate?

The Prius, a four-door sedan that seats five, is designed to minimize tailpipe emissions and get excellent mileage for a car its size. It even meets California's very stringent SULEV standard (super ultra-low emission vehicle.) To reduce emissions, the Prius operates without running the gasoline engine at speeds below 13-25 mph. The car decides which driving mode to operate in based on how it is being driven, the charge level in the batteries and driving conditions. It never needs to be plugged in to recharge, like other electric vehicles have been known to require. By creating a self-charging design it eliminates the bothersome factor of needing to be charged which halted most people from buying the first builds and models of electric cars in the first place. The onboard generator automatically charges the batteries when necessary. It gets approximately 52 mpg city and 42 highway, usually its the other way around, yet the engine designed in Japan was originally made for stop and go traffic (Japan) and later had to be modified to fit US standards. When accelerating and hitting really high speeds that is when it really operates in a standard way, it uses the fuel through the engine, once you hit a moderate cruising speed the car decides to switch into utilizing the electric engine and does not dispense harmful emissions.

The pure mechanics

I had to do some extra research for you in order for this exclusive information to be available :) The whole system is referred to as the Toyota Hybrid System (THS)....

In normal driving conditions, the planetary gear, also called the power-split device, divides the engine output between the wheels and the generator. The generator supplies electricity to either the motor or the battery. For any given steady-state vehicle speed, the speed of the engine can be adjusted simply by varying the speed of the generator. To start the engine, generator speed is increased electrically, causing an increase in engine speed. Adding fuel and spark causes combustion to begin and power to be produced. During full-throttle acceleration or under heavy load, the motor gets a power boost from the battery. During deceleration or braking, the motor functions as a generator, turning kinetic energy from the wheels into electricity to charge the battery in reverse. The computer-controlled charging system maintains a constant charge in the battery. Because there is no reverse gear, vehicle reverse is a motor-only drive mode.

The key to the entire system is within the power-split device, or also known as the planetary gear set, which splits the engine output (torque) in the transmission. The transmission consists of a single planetary gear designed solely for dividing the engine's output, plus a generator and a motor. The engine is connected to the carrier of the planet set and the generator is connected to the sun gear. Varying the load on the generator controls the speed of the engine and optimizes its operation. The generator in addition acts as the starter motor for the engine. It has a 4-cylinder, 70-horsepower gasoline engine, a 44-horsepower electric motor, a 274-volt, 25-kilowatt battery pack and a generator capable of powering the motor or charging the batteries. These elements are combined using a unique "power-split device," which allows the car to operate using electric power only, or a combination of both gasoline and electric power.

Toyotas guarantee

Toyota of course is very excited that their product is available now to the US and that many people have already made the wise choice of purchasing the vehicle. In order for your safety and assurance the Prius comes equipped with an eight-year/100,000 mile warranty on the battery and hybrid systems.

Why should you choose a hybrid vehicle?

There are many logical reasons why one should own an economical automobile during these current years of development and tech-explosions! As we all have experienced, there is a current trend of owning a huge truck that towers over all and fits the entire US army. We have all been trying to pull out and make a right turn out of either a driveway or parking lot and looking left to view oncoming traffic and being completely blinded my an extravagant vehicle that is protruding from the road and absolutely obstructing your sight. Ultimately this poses a traffic safety threat and should be avoided at all costs. Theres no reason for a family of four to own a Suburban whose capacity could support three times that, solely because the father bought his wife this massive car to bring little Johnny to soccer practice. Most of the time you see these little 100-pound mothers driving these trucks that have to inconvenient 85% of the time. When I speak to these owners all I hear is how the gas is a fortune and the parking spaces arent efficient, the turning radius isn't very good, and I hear very little positive comments to compensate for the negative. If that's how you want to invest your money that is quite alright, you can go for exuberant over economical yet don't say I didnt warn you!

Don't you look smart!!!

I pulled up behind a Ford Excursion the other day and struck up a conversation with the owner, they here mentioning that their family was going to visit other relatives and as her kids were emerging from the fastmart with a few snacks. I had just finished hooking up my gas tank and filling it. In approximately 5 minutes I was already removing the gas pump and paying my fees, I bid farewell to them and as I was pulling away I managed to view the numbers being registered on the gas pump and it read that they were filling up the 36th gallon, the price was mind boggling and it was still rising! I felt a giggle rush through me as I realized how many people put up with such tasks about every other week. I really then realized what an intelligent person I was for considering this car rather than a trendy dangerous (top heavy) SUV for style.