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Practical, proficient Prius
Compact sedan leaps ahead to new hybrid heights
By Richard Russell
Thursday, September 4, 2003
PASADENA, Calif. - With the arrival of the 2004 Prius, Toyota has upped the hybrid ante. Bigger, faster, roomier and bulging with technology, it brings everyday livability and driveability of hybrids to new levels - at a very attractive price.
In the game of leapfrog, the Prius now jumps ahead of the Honda Civic hybrid, which had arguably been the class of the field. Previous to this, the original Prius had supplanted the Honda Insight. While the two Japanese giants slug it out, others are rushing to catch up, chief among them Ford and GM with hybrid versions of the Escape and Vue SUVs due over the next 12 months. A Lexus RX 330 hybrid will likely beat them to the market.
What's all the fuss? Hybrids - the combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor - are emerging as the most likely and acceptable way to cut our dependence on, and use of, hydrocarbon-based fuels. Electric vehicles are not practical - at least in terms of size and range - and won't improve until new battery technology or a miracle occurs. And fuel cell vehicles won't be viable for at least a decade or more. So hybrids it is. The 2004 Toyota Prius is a perfect example of why hybrids will become completely acceptable, if not common. Rather than using a niche vehicle to appeal to environmentalists and other concerned citizens not prone to buying vehicles frequently, Toyota has come up with a hybrid that looks and acts like a mainstream family car - and just coincidentally offers huge savings. The new 2004 Prius has similar room, quality and performance as a Camry but achieves nearly twice the fuel efficiency of conventional gasoline engines. Being a Toyota, reliability is a given. Here comes the kicker - the bigger, faster, cleaner, more economical 2004 Prius, equipped with all the expected bells and whistles, is priced at $29,990, exactly the same as the existing version.
And this is no stripped, plain Jane motor vehicle. This is a well-equipped, spacious and luxurious family car complete with air conditioning, cruise control, heated mirrors, remote keyless entry, power windows and locks. Fully equipped with options, including automatic vehicle stability control, 6-speaker JBL premium audio and side and side curtain airbags, the 2004 Prius carries a MSRP of $34,055. Both prices are within a whisker of an equivalently equipped Camry, Accord, etc. And in addition to the $500 in fuel cost savings over a conventional car each year, depending on where they reside, Prius buyers get a thank-you from their provincial government in the form of a tax rebate of anywhere from hundreds to a couple thousand dollars!
Toyota's engineers and researchers have made impressive progress in hybrid technology. They've decreased the size and weight of components while improving efficiency and performance. The electric motor, for example, has gone from 44 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from zero to 400 rpm, to 67 horsepower and 295 lb-ft from zero to 1,200 rpm. The ultra compact 1.5-litre engine is worthy of study by itself. It achieves extremely high efficiency by using the Atkinson Cycle combined with variable valve timing. Visually it differs by the lack of belts and pulleys. Electric units have replaced the conventional air conditioning compressor, power steering pump and brake booster.
THS II automatically stops the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete rest and the large nickel-metal hydride battery restarts it instantly when you take your foot off the brake. Kinetic energy normally wasted during deceleration and braking is recovered as electrical energy and used to recharge the battery and or power the starter and the electric motor, which assists the gas engine during acceleration. The battery is thus maintained at a full charge by the generator under both normal driving and during deceleration or braking. No external charging is necessary.
The strength of THS II is that the electric motor is used when the engine's efficiency is lowest and the engine generates electricity when its efficiency is highest. Under normal conditions, power from the engine is split, with some going to the generator that drives the electric motor and some to the drive wheels. Under acceleration the battery supplies extra power to the electric motor and the splitting device sends all engine power to the wheels. The air conditioning continues to operate when the engine is stopped, for example, at a light.
The Prius uses an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission and when it goes on sale across the country in November will carry fuel economy ratings of 3.9 litres per 100 km in city driving and 4.7 litres on the highway. This is not a misprint. The Prius is actually more fuel efficient in the city than on the open road because its system has been optimized for stop-and-go driving.
Aside from all the techno and efficiency stuff, the 2004 Prius is an attractive, roomy, 5-door family car with enough features and benefits to make it attractive, regardless of its operating systems.
Immediate competition:
Honda Civic Hybrid
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