Is Toyota Prius for older people

londonTiger

I always wondering why toyota went for a petrol engine. I wonder what the mpg would be if a TDI was used with toyota hybrid technology.

cootuk

The modified Atkinson engine is more economical, but suffers from low rpm performance - which is why the electric motors are used to boost low end power and allow the engine to run at peak efficiencies.

I know there are diesel hybrids now, but I think the decision for petrol back then was probably political in order to sell vehicles into California, which was a key market for the supposed eco-credentials.

Yolina

With Toyota's setup the car can use ICE only, electric only or both at the same time (effectively all of the torque from the electric engine is available all the time)
Other manufacturers do different setups. IIRC with Honda's system the car can't run on electric only (though I *think* I've read somewhere that they were possibly changing this on newer models)

Edit: as for diesel hybrid, I can only think of Peugeot but I'd guess others do too.

Fair to say that people probably would want to do a bit of research before buying. Would make sense really given the different options.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Only Peugeot could think that a turbo Diesel Hybrid would be a good idea, Diesel engine starting and stopping as it thinks fit should have interesting effects on its DPF and turbo...looking forward to Peugeots well earned reputation for long term customer service kicking in when it all goes pear shaped...;)

Any advance on £10k for a set of Prius batteries anyone..anyone?

As for the looks of Hybrids, its true they probably are designed for owners who got out of ceebeebies peaked caps short trousers and nike trainers a couple of years ago.

27col

I can't say that I am very impressed with the attitude expressed by some posters, who seem to think that pollution is quite ok, just as long as it is produced in another country.

Yolina

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

As for the looks of Hybrids, its true they probably are designed for owners who got out of ceebeebies peaked caps short trousers and nike trainers a couple of years ago.

Depends on the model I guess... there's not much difference between the "standard" Auris and the hybrid version, same goes for the Yaris. And for reference, I was a Goth in my younger days

The Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid doesn't look too shabby though and with 600-odd bhp from the V8 + nearly 300bhp from the 2 electric motors it could be interesting too. It is however just a tad expensive. And for a bit more money, there's the Ferrari hybrid (V12 in that IIRC)

gilbert_and_sullivan

Yolina wrote: »

. And for reference, I was a Goth in my younger days

Seen some wonderful looking Goths, my daughter was one, you'd never know now.

Being truly different and individual is good, IMO leads to being unafraid to plough your own furrow in life.

Yolina

Maybe I know your daughter if she was going to the London clubs some 10-20 years ago :rotfl:

Could possibly explain why I am now totally unafraid to drive a hybrid...

flyingscotno1

What is the cost of replacing a battery these days. I heard it was £1500 plus 2hrs labour, with the cost being lower if you got reconditioned batteries. Apparently hasn't happened very much!

Diesel hybrid sounds good but diesel is slow to warm up which means it wouldn't work well in the full hybrid solution like Toyota have.

Beachview_2

Just saw this, about a high mileage Prius. He's got over 350,000 miles on it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyWNr2bUrQU