Prius PHEVs

Toyota, the worlds largest automaker, released the 2010 Prius PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) at the Los Angeles Auto Show held on December 2, 2009. This vehicle is based on third generation Prius first released back in 1997 and widely considered to be the worlds most economical and eco friendly vehicle.

The main difference between the standard prius and this new plug in version is the ability to charge the prius batteries through a domestic outlet. The first generation lithium-ion battery which replaces the nickel metal hydride pack is more compact and of higher output that enables all-electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid.

How long do you have to plug it in to get it up to full charge? The recharging process takes only 1.5 hours for full charge so that you can arrive home with a depleted battery park the car in the garage, plug the car into the power source in the garage and by morning the battery is fully charged. The electric range will then only be about the 14 miles or 23 km range. Once the batteries are discharged the engine then goes into a blended mode where it uses a larger battery capacity with the motor engine and that will give you the 100 mpg for the first 50 miles you drive.

There are people who recharge their phev from solar panel generated electricity. They have the choice of doing this or selling the power generated from the solar panels back to the power companies. They can then recharge the car at night during off peak times when the energy is usually cleaner as it is generated by more renewable sources.

The battery are designed to last the life of the car. As a matter of interest Toyota Australia announce that the HV Battery warranty coverage had been extended to 8 years or 160,000 kms commencing with the Prius model on sale from July 2009.

There has been mixed feelings over the years as to the look of the Prius. Some say that it looks too gimmicky if not somewhat ugly. The distinctive space age look remains and many hybrid owners think this is fine if not somehow sending a message to the nations of the world of our need to take steps to reduce our need for oil.

Among a list of gizmos available with previous models, the prius now offers a sliding glass moonroof together with a solar panel which provides power to a new ventialtion system independent of the gas engine.

The three driving modes of the prius are Power, Economy and EV. The Power mode increases throttle response just as you would expect Economy to reduce throttle reponse for better fuel economy. Would you believe it if I said that with EV the car can go about a mile without using any fuel whatsoever.

Prius PHEV will no doubt cost a little more that an all gas Prius and so the question how long before one will be able to make up the difference? It mainly depends on your driving patterns, the more you drive, how long you drive, how often you charge and the size of your battery pack. There are estimates that you may see a return on investment in five to ten years

There is a form of pollution that is not always considered and that is noise pollution.The electric car would reduce this form of pollution dramatically so much so that visually impaired people would be placed at a disadvantage being unable to hear the vehicle coming. It is very quiet.

There is a common notion that electric motors are not all that powerful. There is little power lost in an all electric vehicle compared to an internal combustion engine. To optimise the efficiency of Prius PHEV the driving patterns are the same as a gas vehicle.

There are those that argue that since we use electricity to recharge the batteries are we still no leaving a carbon footprint. The energy used to recharge the batteries in these vehicles are coming from a cleaner source so it is displacing dirtier fuels with an energy source that is being derived from a cleaner source.

There is no dismissing the fact that Toyota is still reeling from their biggest recall of vehicles in the companys history due a mistake with the accelerator pedal. However with all its new features including a backup monitor for reversing and an optional voice activated navigation system there is no doubt that you are looking at an incredibly classy fuel efficient vehicle for your daily commute.