Toyota Prius Hybrid

Exclusive summary about Prius Hybrid by Thomas Jones

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. This particular hybrid was the first released to the public in 1997, and has remained one of the more distinctive, well-known hybrids.

An initial look at the Prius shows the car's unique upright headlights, the interestingly functional and trendy bonnet and bumpers, showing just how unique the vehicle is. The very history of the Toyota Prius is quite interesting. It wouldn'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.

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. Technically using a marketing perspective, the car was a financial success, as well as leading the way for other hybrid vehicles.

With a 1.5-liter engine, the Prius uses both the engine and battery pack under the very seats of the car to create an eco-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicle. Before you start getting too excited about the Prius's features, though, understand that this car is not a vehicle built for speed.

The Prius is able to hit its top speed at around 106 mph, and in accelerating, the vehicle takes 10.9 seconds to hit 62 mph. The car clings to the road very well, but there is nothing of specific notability about the handling or speed in the car.

While at lower speeds, the vehicle runs smoothly, while quickly, utilizing the electric motors to generate enough power. Finally, the Prius is a very light vehicle. The hybrid has a gasoline tank made of resin, and instead of the heavy steel used in conventional vehicles, aluminium is used to maintain a lightweight vehicle.

Fuel-Efficiency and Eco-Friendliness

The Toyota Prius hybrid was developed specifically to be an eco-friendly vehicle, and with so much time to perfect the design, don't be surprised that this particular vehicle can boast to be one of the best vehicles in low consumption of gasoline.

Initially, there was concern that the batteries of the Prius hybrid would be an environmental concern, which prompted Toyota to begin a program where in they recycle the old batteries.

Other Features:

1. The EV mode can allow 1.25 miles while at a speed of 30 mph.

2. There is an electric-inverter compressor that has been built into the system and allows the AC to run completely independent of the engine, on top of reducing the amount of gas you use.

3. There actually is an electronic brain in the core of the vehicle that is used to coordinate all of the systems in the vehicle, which increases the reliability of the vehicle while you're driving.

4. Once again, the car keeps getting smarter and smarter, as now the newer version of the hybrid uses a voice recognition system that can control your GPS, air conditioning and audio system.

5. The airbags are located on the driver, passenger, front side and curtain of the car, and the stability control in the vehicle keeps the balance steady.

6. The Toyota Prius is sold at around $21,000 to $27,000, which is around the same price range internationally for hybrids, if not cheaper.