Hybrid Cars Advantages & Disadvantages

Hybrid cars became the foremost standard various vehicle style around, and area unit actually the foremost viable given current technology. Like everything else, they need their top and their draw back, however on condition that hybrids solely recently left behind their standing as a novelty, there's conjointly plenty of information regarding them.

Types of Hybrids
A common idea is regarding however hybrids work, with the majority thinking all of them work an equivalent approach and there's only 1 quite hybrid-electric automotive technology. In reality, there area unit 3 models. The oil Fuel help model depends chiefly on its burning engine, with the electrical motor being capable of solely low speeds. Typically, this model can use the electrical motor once inactivity, so use it to accelerate up to regarding twenty or twenty five mph. Then, the gasoline-powered engine are going to be mechanically started and take over for providing propulsive power. The Toyota Prius is associate example of this sort of hybrid. the electrical help model uses a lower power burning engine, intermeshed around most fuel potency. so as to realize further power for things like mounting hills or arduous acceleration, the automotive has an electrical motor that kicks in to supply the supplementary power. Honda hybrids work on this principle. Finally, the Plug-in electrical model is an effort to avoid the boundaries on a strictly electrical, battery-driven automotive. It depends entirely on its battery for motivity throughout the primary many dozen miles of driving. once the battery is exhausted, the inner combustion engine on board is then wont to either recharge the battery or for a brief trip to a recharging station.

Advantage: Low Mileage
Hybrids do so get superior gasoline mileage. for instance, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid comes in each typical and hybrid models. the traditional SUV gets eighteen mpg within the town and twenty four on the road. The Hybrid gets twenty mpg within the town and twenty seven within the road. The Nissan Altima hybrid gets thirty five mpg within the town, thirty three mpg on the road, whereas the traditional automotive gets twenty three mpg within the town and thirty two mpg on the road.

Advantage: Lower Carbon Emissions
Hybrids use less gas, and so emit less greenhouse emission. They habitually rank as Super radical Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV). solely various technology cars ever manage this ranking.


Disadvantage: massive tag
Hybrids conjointly habitually price quite comparable typical cars, largely attributable to the valuable battery. exploitation the Toyota Highlander example once more, the Hybrid starts at $37,400, and therefore the traditional Highlander at $25,705. the essential Nissan Altima starts at $19,900, whereas the Hybrid starts at $26,500.

Disadvantage: Battery Replacement
Hybrid batteries may be expected to last many years, and so it's traditional for them to be warrantied for that long. However, they conjointly price many thousand greenbacks to switch, thus after they finally wear out shopping for a brand new one is that the equivalent of shopping for a middling used automotive. If you propose to stay your Hybrid for ten years, you ought to expect to switch the battery.

Toyota Prius Driver's Seat Problems

The Toyota Prius is that the 1st mass-market gasoline-electric hybrid automotive to envision industrial success within the u.  s.. The car's style combined fuel potency with usefulness. If you own one or square measure thinking of shopping for one, there square measure some problems with the driver's seat you must remember of.

Lack of Seat adjustments
A little notable interior engineering drawback has arisen among some Prius drivers. the dearth of a height-adjustable driver's seat is one in every of the things that plagues the U.S. 2002 through 2009 Prius models. The seat track doesn't permit extended vary of movement for drivers run over vi feet tall. The driver's seat is sweet for brief commutes, however as a result of it doesn't provide bolstering support, multi-state, multi-hour drives for a few drivers weren't comfy.

Visibility issues
Drivers, WHO don't seem to be the regular body height (5 feet, eight inches) will have visibility issues whereas they're behind the handwheel of a Prius. Short drivers cannot raise the seat and this may create the blind spots on the lower sides of the windows a tangle. and therefore the sloping hood will cause a blind spot within the front of the automotive.

Taller drivers cannot lower the seat to their individual best levels for visibility. And, again, for these drivers, the aslant roof of the Prius can interfere with viewing their surroundings from the front and rear windshields. Also, victimisation the shade could block a tall driver's vision, as a result of his head is nearer to the ceiling of the automotive.


Improvements
The 2010 Toyota Prius was revised. the most important criticism concerning the motive force seat comfort was addressed  by adding a height adjustable driver's seat. Specifically, a six-way power driver's seat with associate adjustable cushion is customary on all Prius models I through V. body part support is customary on the Prius IV and V and solely comes with animal skin seating surfaces. body part support isn't obtainable on Prius models I through III. The driver's seat travels on a extended track, which supplies shorter and taller drivers a bigger vary of adjustment

Conclusion
The driver's seat position is one in every of the foremost important things to think about before moving the automotive. Poor seating position will cause fatigue on long journeys and/or lead to a collision as a result of objects could also be hidden within the vehicle's blind spots. the dearth of driver's seat travel will augment these issues if the motive force terribly|is extremely|is incredibly} short or very tall.

Toyota Prius Problems

Braking issues
The Toyota Prius received widespread criticism in early 2010 owing to a recall posted relating to issues with the braking capabilities of the vehicle. s Anti-Lock brake. The recall targeted on a haul wherever customers didn't feel the anti-lock brake was reacting properly to the conditions. Toyota issued a voluntary recall in February 2010 of over 133,000 2010 Prius vehicles to correct the matter. A package update was performed by Toyota service centers on all vehicles delivered to dealerships as a results of the recall.

Battery issues
The Toyota Prius hybrid is heavily dependent upon 2 batteries to reduce its use of its conventional fuel engine: one smaller battery to begin the automobile and a bigger battery to produce power to stay the automobile going at cruising speeds. One major downside encountered in earlier models of Prius vehicles was that the battery wouldn't hold a charge for an extended period of time. This downside created disturbance for a few customers and created a stir of tilt once the la Times wrote a serious article regarding the difficulty. the matter according by the la Times was corrected by Toyota by exchange the smaller starter battery.

Acceleration issues
Toyota issued a recall in october 2009 on sure 2004 to 2010 Prius vehicles owing to a serious acceleration downside. Customers had contacted Toyota regarding abrupt acceleration by their Prius vehicle that in some instances caused crashes. the matter was known by a mix of poor gas pedal style and floor mats that didn't work properly. The gas pedal, in sure instances, became stuck on the floor mats that caused the car to unexpectedly accelerate. Toyota corrected the matter by exchange the gas pedal with a replacement style and exchange the floor mats with mats that were additional appropriate for the world within which they were placed.

Looking to purchase Toyota Prius

Any consumer looking to purchase a hybrid vehicle knows the name Toyota Prius Hybrid, and knows that it is the foremost and oldest hybrid vehicle on the market. t mean decrepit. On the contrary, this particular hybrid looks as sleek as the name sounds, a futuristic look that is sleek and new. This particular hybrid was the first released to the public in 1997, and has remained one of the more distinctive, well-known hybrids. s unique upright headlights, the interestingly functional and trendy bonnet and bumpers, showing just how unique the vehicle is.

Even if you were to completely ignore the unique look of the vehicle, though, no matter how head-turning it may seem, the Toyota Prius is still one of the absolutely most intriguing hybrid vehicles available now. The first and immediate plan from the manufacturing team at Toyota was that of a hybrid engine.

Now, while it was a noble endeavour, the first hybrid engine had a slew of problems, and so an additional three years were given so that the design could be approved for construction and later produced for the market. t be until December of 1997 that the Prius Hybrid was ready for production, and the vehicle premiered to a market that was desperately seeking an eco-friendly car. s longevity, and now that it had been solved, the current Prius hybrid cars contain batteries that are able to last around seven to ten years.

Unfortunately, though, the hope was that with hybrid cars, the batteries would be able to last much longer than they currently can, in order to make the vehicle as useful as possible.

In Japan, the Toyota Prius took off as an immediate hit, and that prompted the company to decide that marketing the hybrid in offshore markets would be much more profitable, as countries, especially the U. S. , were looking for eco-friendly vehicles. The problem was that while the US market wanted these eco-friendly vehicles that had boosted car sales in Japan, the general population was unaware of most of the benefits that the Prius could offer.

Technically using a marketing perspective, the car was a financial success, as well as leading the way for other hybrid vehicles. In the creation of the Prius, Toyota created its very own treasure trove, an investment that would last the company. This hybrid was a breakthrough in automotive technology, and because it was so successful in the US, it set the bar that other hybrids have had to compete again, even amongst other Toyotas. this car certainly is a true predecessor for all other hybrids, and each one of them should seek to improve off of this vehicle.

TOYOTA Prius Motor Design and Manufacturing

In today’s hybrid vehicle market the Toyota Prius drive system is currently considered the
leader in electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing innovations. It is significant that in today’s
marketplace Toyota is able to manufacture and sell the vehicle for a profit.
This project’s objective is to analyze and study the Prius drive system to understand the
design and manufacturing mechanisms Toyota utilized to achieved their performance and cost
goals.
During the course of this research effort ORNL has dissected both the 2003 and 2004
Toyota/Prius drive motors. This study is focused primarily on motor design considerations and
an assessment of manufacturing issues.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Figure 1 shows the assembly of the Toyota/Prius hybrid THS II drive train system. The
motor occupies a large portion of the drive train. Studying and analyzing the motor in detail can
accomplish a through understanding of the design and manufacturing considerations of the drive
system.

Figure 2 compares the output power and torque versus speed of the 2003 (THS) and 2004
(THS II) model Prius motors. Both the power and the torque of the motor are significantly
increased in the 2004 model.

The power at base speed of the 2004 model, as tabulated in Table 1, is 50 kW, which is
significantly higher than the 33 kW of the older model. The 400 Nm torque of the 2004 model is
also higher than the 350/305 Nm of the 2003 model.

Download full Report from http://www.ornl.gov/~webworks/cppr/y2001/rpt/120761.pdf

Toyota Prius Battery Life

What is the average span of the Toyota Prius battery life?

There hasn't been a for sure answer found on the estimated life of the Toyota Prius hybrid battery.There are people who are not getting longevity with their Toyota battery life.

Before this started to happen it was found they can run for over 200,000 miles and for about nine years.The life of the battery does last longer compared to the others because of the fact that they get only 60% charged. Normally the system usually offers the battery to vary its charge level by a maximum of 10- 15%. Therefore the battery is never allowed to get fully charged.

In the US the entire hybrid system has a warranty of 8 years for 100,000 miles and it does include the Toyota Prius battery life. When you live in California, you can get a longer lasting warranty for your Prius battery. They offer a warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles.

According to Toyota they have not made a single replacement of their battery till date. s nickel metal hybrid Prius batteries are expected to last for 150,000 miles while other brands are estimated to last for only 36,000 miles or three years. This estimation of the Toyota Prius battery life has been based on the laboratory bench testing.

Statements regarding the battery life by Toyota say the life of their batteries is not determined by the time. It has proved to be worthy of 180,000 miles quite easily. But they also state that some batteries sold, already are running for more than 200,000 miles without having any problems.

The expectancy of the Toyota Prius battery life is about eight years and you can expect them to last for nine years without any wear or tear. After eight years it might need some replacements.

Those who face problems regarding their battery are suggested to try out all the options which are easily available to them. We have found 3 main options you can consider, You can buy a brand new battery from a dealer. This will set you back between $3000 and $4000 for something Toyota should have never let happen.

You can check out eBay there are some people are selling Toyota Prius batteries for half the cost of the Toyota dealers. This can be risky because you will not know how much were and tear or how many miles the battery will have on it.

You can find a guide on the internet which will show you how to rebuild your own Prius battery using just regular old tools you would have in your garage. There are shops other than Toyota dealers which will actually use the Prius Guide you provide for them and will rebuild the battery for you. This option is a lot cheaper than any of the above options because in most cases you can have your battery rebuilt and your Prius back on the road for about $500 dollars.

Having Toyota Prius Battery Problems?

The Toyota Prius is one of the cleanest vehicles out on the market today. However these days some problems are being noticed with the Prius.
The Toyota Prius battery problems are very annoying for the Prius owners and they are losing their trust with the car. It has a lot of charging specifications that need to be fulfilled or else the Prius battery condition deteriorates.
Toyota offers good ways which can solve their Toyota Prius battery problems which will make their customers happy. Due to this fact any problems faced by the Toyota owners are fixed by Toyota free of charge within the warranty period.
Firstly, you can go to the Toyota dealers to get the battery replaced. This is one of the solutions to your Toyota Prius battery problems.
The second option which is available to you is you can opt for a used replacement battery that is sold for a cheaper price. This will also solve your Toyota Prius battery problems. A lot of times you will not know how many miles are on the battery. Who wants to spend a lot on an old car by replacing it with a completely new or used battery?
When I was facing Toyota Prius battery problems and was not able to spend a lot for a replacement battery for my old and used car, I found a guide on the net. This guide gave me instructions to rebuild my existing battery at home.
Toyota Prius battery problems can be solved at home by making worthy use of this guide. At first the problem I had was that I did not have the opportunity to rebuild a battery myself, I was just too busy. I only had to spend about $500 for the items required to rebuild my existing battery myself. I was happily driving my Toyota Prius again. I was happy I found a low cost easy way to get rid of my Toyota Prius battery problems.

summarize from http://ezinearticles.com/?Having-Toyota-Prius-Battery-Problems?-Options-For-Your-Toyota-Prius-Battery-Problems&id=4046545

Toyota Prius History

Toyota first introduced the world to the Prius in 1997, and serious strides of improvement have been made since. Although the Prius was introduced to the world in 1997, it did not debut in the United States until 2001.

Today, the Prius is sold in more than 40 countries and is touted as the most fuel efficient vehicle sold by the United States EPA.

Toyota wanted a progressive name for its new hybrid car so they chose Prius, which in Latin means [to go] before. Their thought was that the Prius was the leader for the cars to come. The car experienced average success in Japan and in 1999, Toyota decided enough research had been done on the Japanese version to release the Prius in the US.

In 2004 the Prius was completely redesigned as a mid-size liftback, sized between the Corolla and the Camry, with redistributed mechanical and interior space significantly increasing rear-seat legroom and luggage room. The 2004 Prius is even more environmentally friendly than the 2001 model.

The 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid is back with a new look inside and out, and even better fuel efficiency compared to the 2009 Toyota Prius. The 1.8L four-cylinder gas engine works with the electric motor thanks to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, which now achieves 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway.

Slightly restyled with new headlights, the 2012 Toyota Prius is a mid-size five-door hybrid hatchback powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 98 hp/105 lb-ft of torque and an AC synchronous motor that yields 80 hp/153 lb.-ft of torque. An electronically controlled continuously variable transmission paired with FWD enables an EPA estimated 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway. Additional factors that contribute to superior fuel economy are the aerodynamic design and "Eco" driving mode. Features consist of 17-inch alloy wheels, power moonroof, air conditioning equipped with pollen/dust filtration, voice-activated touch-screen DVD/navigation system, 4-disc CD changer, remote keyless entry with push button start and hands-free phone capability. Safety includes enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brake system, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, smart stop technology, lane keep assist, front airbags, driver's knee airbag, hill start assist control and engine immobilizer. The Prius is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.