What if you made a regular car with all the tricks of a Prius?

Hybrids definitely do work -- we're not refuting that -- how well they work is open to debate, however, especially in light of the revisions to EPA mileage numbers. So, let's examine the Prius. Amazingly engineered vehicle, that's for sure. The way they got all those different systems to work as a team and perform smooth handoffs between functions is pretty incredible. We're not going to bother with the electric powertrain portion of it for now. Have you ever poked around the gasoline engine in the Prius? Interesting stuff, lots of little tweaks to boost efficiency. We're wondering, having looked over the Prius, whether you could realize most of the gains without the batteries and motor.





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chewy - 12/28/2006 2:57:32 PM

0 Boost

I bet a normal car that gets 30 mpg EPA highway (I have gotten it to 34.5 with normal driving) fitted with skinny tires and only going 55-60 mph(speed of the Prius drivers here, not all but quite a few) will hit 40 mpg.

2JZSoarer - 12/28/2006 9:25:34 PM

0 Boost

A friend who works with me at Toyota got prius to go 105 mph on the freeway without hitting the limiter,he said that he had to slow down due to traffic,but thinks it could have gone faster!!

XYZZ - 12/30/2006 3:47:06 AM

+1 Boost

only lightly modified, and with limiter cancelled, a prius had gotten to 137 mph at bonneville.

bagwell - 12/29/2006 8:04:37 AM

+1 Boost

Soarer....what the hell is your point??? Buy a damn Corvette if you want to go fast...this discussion is about mpg!!

2JZSoarer - 12/29/2006 9:41:50 PM

+1 Boost

No point intended,I just wanted to let you guys know that it has pretty good top speed for being a 1.5liter/hybrid,probably better than a Honda Insight!!

bagwell - 12/29/2006 8:07:53 AM

+1 Boost

and by the way, I have a Prius and my record MPG on a 25 mile trip to work is 62mpg; the best I can manage driving my Pontiac Vibe is about 34mpg driving it VERY conservatively.

XYZZ - 12/30/2006 3:58:37 AM

+1 Boost

i used to consistently get 40 mpg OVERALL with my '03 corolla.

trick was, not only driving conservatively, but exploiting gravity and momentum for EXTENDED coastdowns. i call it my "Gravity Hybrid."

i rarely had to dump energy as heat to my brakes.

XYZZ - 12/30/2006 4:16:44 AM

+1 Boost

plus, whenever possible, i'd synchronize with traffic signals and roll stops. forgot the specific figure, but it takes xx times as much energy to get from 0 - 10 mph than from 3 - 10.

that is one Hybrids' big advantages. starting off on just electric motor (with max torque at 0 rpm), and having the gas engine kick in only at elevated speeds, SAVES CONSIDERABLE ENERGY.

plus of course, RECOVERING the kinetic energy on slowing, with regenerative braking. ya GOTTA have a hybrid for this advantage. (next best thing being using this energy to COAST for extra yardage, rather than just dumping it to brakes.)