EVLN(Motor Week's Prius Road Test)

[Bruce EVangel Parmenter <brucedp@yahoo.com>]

EVLN(Motor Week's Prius Road Test)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV informational
 purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
 --- {EVangel}
[Editor's Notes: I recently saw the PBS Motor Week 2042 show which
 road tested the Toyota Prius. Several errors were to be expected, 
 IMHO: but trying to state that the Insight is different to the
 Prius because the Prius can run in pure electric mode, stood out.
 Clearly they really do not know how this technology truely works.

 Their wording was to state the public should embrace new automotive
 technology, when really it is Motor Week's very slow understanding
 that the past is the past, and they need to move forward to the
 new technologies which use Electric components.]


[ http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2042.shtml ]
2001 Toyota Prius
Program #2042

As gas prices go up, so does the interest in fuel efficient
automobiles. Now I'm not saying that the day of the big SUV is over,
far from it. But a growing chorus of American drivers are looking at
today's fuel and environmental concerns, and deciding that the time to
conserve is now. Well, one harmonious way to conserve is by driving a
gasoline/electric hybrid like the Toyota Prius sedan. But can one
little car really make such a big difference?

Well, that depends on how and where you drive the 2001 Toyota Prius.
Like gasoline-powered automobiles, different hybrid vehicles have
different designs, and different results.

The Honda Insight for instance, uses electric power to assist the
full-time gasoline engine, and is not designed to run on electric
power alone. The Insight is thus more efficient at stable highway
speeds.

The Toyota Prius however, which is designed to be most efficient in
crowded urban traffic, uses either electric power, gasoline power, or
a combination of the two, as needed.

Its drivetrain, dubbed the Toyota Hybrid System, consists of a
1.5-liter, dual- overhead-cam, four cylinder engine. In the American
market it delivers 70 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque. This
lightweight all-aluminum 4-banger is equipped with variable-valve
timing, and a vapor-reducing fuel tank to improve efficiency and
reduce emissions.

The other half of the drivetrain in our Prius begins with a new
battery pack. It's 20-percent lighter, and 40-percent smaller than the
Japanese-market Prius we first tested. Peak power output of
25-kilowatts. Which is used to drive a permanent- magnet electric
motor, which adds another 44 horsepower to the equation. But, that
pales in comparison to the astounding 258 pound-feet delivered from 0
to 400 rpm. Motive power, whether gas or electric, is fed to the front
wheels through a continuously-variable planetary-gear automatic
transmission.

So what does all this mean when it's time to drive? Well for a start,
it means that the Toyota Prius will go from 0 to 60 in 12.2 seconds.
And run the 1/4 mile in 18.9 seconds at 75 miles-per- hour. Hardly a
speed demon, but that's hardly the point.

The point of the Prius is as we said before, high fuel economy in
urban driving. As a result, the EPA fuel economy ratings are 52
city/45 highway. Our usual test loop, which mixes city and highway
driving, yielded a steady 40 miles-per-gallon. Yes, a diesel Golf is
comparable, but that's not the point either. Progress is.

Driving progress in the Prius can be an unusual experience, as the
Toyota Hybrid system shifts seamlessly between gas and almost silent
electric power. Gas power is used until the batteries are fully
charged. The system then shifts to electric power, until battery
levels drop and the gas engine kicks back in. Pull to a stop, and the
gas engine shuts down to save fuel. The car then pulls away in
electric mode, switching the gas engine back on when more power is
needed.

Even stopping the Prius helps save fuel. The ABS-equipped front
disc/rear drum brakes feature a regenerative charging system that
makes power for the batteries every time that you touch the brakes.
Braking power however, could be better, with stops from 60 averaging a
longish 132 feet.

Handling is pretty much what you expect from a compact Toyota sedan.
There's not a lot of sporty feel, but grip is good, and we sailed
through without difficulty.

Inside, the Prius offers a big 88.6 cubic-feet of passenger space. The
layout is slick, with the digital gauges and prominent charging
system/stereo display located high in the center dash. Seating is a
pair of supportive buckets up front and a rear bench with plenty of
head room, but a need for a few more inches of leg room. While trunk
room is a good 11.8 cubic feet.

The price is also reasonable. $20,475 will put you in the most
advanced gas- sipping car yet. But be prepared to wait for it, since
Toyota dealers report a substantial backlog of orders. With only about
12,000 cars being imported this year, no one expects the Toyota Prius
to save the planet.

But if you're an American driver who's guilty conscience says the time
to conserve fossil fuels is now, the Prius will certainly make your
feel better. More importantly, the Prius, along with the Honda Insight
prove that hybrids are viable, now. So much so that hybrid SUVs are
just around the corner. So while Prius isn't perfect, its a perfectly
acceptable first step towards making other motorists green with envy.
-






=====
BruceDP@yahoo.com http://geocities.com/brucedp
EV List & Renewable Energy Editor http://geocities.com/ev_list/
hybrid & fcv newsitems http://egroups.com/group/hydrogenpower

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