Review of the Toyota Prius

As with many of the vehicles released by Toyota, the Prius has truly become the bearer of standards within its segment. While many automakers still have not developed a green hybrid electric car, Toyota is already working on its second generation version of the Prius. This unique four door hybrid electric car has become an absolute hit with many consumers around the country because it offers excellent fuel economy in conjunction with driving and acceleration characteristics that are relatively uncompromised, and a price that is considered to be reasonable when you look at everything that this car can offer you.

The Toyota Prius, which derives its name from Latin for "to go before" exists as what is essentially a partial solution to the issue of tailpipe emissions that automobiles create. The Prius, along with many other hybrid cars, has a special power train that is designed to combine gasoline powered internal combustion engine capabilities with an electrical motor. This power train, along with numerous other advanced features, allows for the Toyota Prius to deliver a much higher fuel economy capability along with lower emissions when compared to other regular cars.

Due to its popularity as well as its positive sales history, the original hybrid car from Toyota has become a strong candidate for any shopper who is interested in buying a hybrid electric car. So far, the reputation that Toyota has built for providing durability and reliability is absolutely holding true when it comes to the Prius. Early concerns about whether or not the Prius could offer durability on a long term basis have been discredited, but potential buyers of the Toyota Prius hybrid electric car should still take extra care when researching potential cars to make sure that they are buying the right choice. The Toyota Prius is, after all, quite a complex vehicle, and this means that replacing parts and having the car repaired could be expensive in the future.

The current Toyota Prius is the second generation Prius, which is a much improved model. It features a four door body with a hatchback, and can seat as many as five people. The hybrid power train in this car features a small engine fueled by 1.5 liters of gasoline, which is used in conjunction with two electric motors. This car's special planetary gear set allows it to function with a continuously variable transmission, resulting in an adequate amount of power, a significant reduction in tail pipe emissions and an excellent fuel economy as well.

Both power sources come together under full acceleration of the vehicle, providing the maximum amount of power. Under lighter load conditions, the Prius can alternate between the two different types of engines, often running only on the battery power. This car makes use of a regenerative braking system, converting heat energy into electricity to keep the battery pack charged on a consistent basis. The gasoline engine in the Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicle can produce 76 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, making it a decently powered engine for what it is.

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Originally posted 2008-10-31 13:19:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Honda Increases its Commitment to Hybrids

hondaAs automakers are unveiling plans for battery-operated, plug-in automobiles, Honda Motor Co. released news that is will increase its commitment to the movement by working to supply new lithium ion batteries for hybrid vehicles. This joint venture with GS Yuasa Corporation will use over $170 million dollars of capital to introduce new, high power lithium batteries. In their current agreement, Honda will hold a 49 percent share of the operation.

Honda's hopes are to take current hybrid solutions and truly bring them into vehicles in the mid to larger size range. This will provide a good short term solution to reduction carbon dioxide emissions. The lithium ion battery packs being built will provide the power needed for hybrids in these sizes of vehicles, but the technology and powered density of these batteries will be too much for the purely electric cars. This will be the first time that Honda will offer lithium packs in hybrid vehicles, given that lithium ion batteries are smaller and lighter for a given energy density (but are more expensive).

The Toyota Prius will be under going numerous tests for a lithium ion, plug in only car model in 2009, while GM hopes to release plug in volts by 2010. In 2010, Nissan has plans to introduce a new model of plug in cars that have the ability to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge.

Setup and finalizing the venture with GS Yuasa has caused a set back in Honda's other plans for clean-diesel autos, and has suspended for an indeterminate amount of time the plans for the release of fuel efficient diesel cars in 2009. The reasoning is that cleaning up diesel is a much more expensive process, especially with the ever increasing gap between gas and diesel prices. Honda's plans for offering more hybrids are expected to bring down the price of individual components, which may ultimately help in working with diesel and using its cleaner carbon content with out extra cost.

Current hybrids utilize nickel-metal-hydride batteries, which are heavier and only hold little more than half of what lithium ion battery can provide. The problem lies in the difficulty in producing large lithium ion packs, which is a more costly than other batteries. GS Yuasa is a supplier for lead-acid batteries and lithium ion packs for the Asimo robots. The batteries of today are not good enough to make the electric hybrid a viable option for electrical cars. The technology has to move forward, taking batteries with it.

Honda is looking to obtain aid from the government as the current economy is crumbling all over. This has cut into car production and profits for the automaker. Honda's profits have dropped by a third over the last fiscal year. With the development of these new lithium ion packs, a venture that will begin in the spring 2009 it is hopeful that Honda can pull itself out of a tough place.

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Originally posted 2008-12-31 05:38:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Zero Pollution Motors’ Air Car

In the past, a car powered by a battery or even by air may have seemed impossible, but the technology to accomplish this has actually been around for many decades. This technology was overlooked in favor of combustion engines despite the superior technology of the air and electric engine over the combustion engine. Despite this turn of events, battery and air powered cars have been making a strong comeback due to the change in awareness of global warming and unwise decision to raise gas prices, which have resulted in consumers becoming more gas-smart and driving more economically.

The Toyota Prius has been the reigning vehicle in regards to cost, performance, and being green. The Prius can average between 40 and 60mpg, and has a fair amount of room for multiple passengers with available trunk space, which is something that many hybrid cards do not offer as the batteries typically fill up the trunk. In addition, the Prius is a comfortable price that will not rip your wallet in half in order to buy it. In addition, the current tax breaks also make buying any kind of hybrid electric car a wise decision, especially when in consideration of the rising gas costs despite the recent drop.

However, the Toyota Prius may now have some competition with the arrival of the Zero Pollution Motors’ “Air” car, which can run off air. It averages around 106 mpg, and although it only has a top speed of 35mph, this top speed is more than economical in most locations. However, if you want to go on the highway, the CAV can use a small motor to compress air as you drive by to allow you to travel for almost 800 miles on a combination of air and either bio-diesel, gas, ethanol, or multiple forms of vegetable oil in order to compress the air. With the new advances in solar technology, it may be possible to completely do away with the need to refill the small gas engine in favor or an electric one that will recharge as you drive combined with solar energy. This could potentially allow a person to continue to drive indefinitely.

Green hybrid vehicles are typically expensive in nature, but with competitive vehicles like the Prius and ZPM “Air”, these prices are being driven down. The Air goes for a solid price of about $20,000, and although it is not yet in the United States, the expected date for seventeen different plants to open is 2011 as soon as testing and safety approval is complete. In addition, this technology is not welded together as with traditional vehicles, and is instead built like airplanes with airplane technology, allowing any individual part to be replaced without intensive work. With technology moving this quickly and new innovations happening all of the time, and the desire by so many individuals to protect this world with green technology, green hybrid cars will be leaving behind combustion vehicles in their rear view mirrors.

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Originally posted 2008-11-10 14:48:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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