The Toyota Prius is the world's first commercially mass-produced and marketed hybrid automobile and has been called a true hybrid vehicle. It went on sale in Japan in 1997 and worldwide in 2001. By the end of 2003, nearly 160,000 units had been sold in Japan, Europe, and North America. In Latin, prius means "before" or "first". The Prius is certified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). With the 2004 model, the Prius was redesigned as a midsize plug-in hybrid and certified as an Advanced Technology Partial zero-emissions vehicle (AT-PZEV). It slots between the Corolla and Camry in the lineup. Many awards, such as Car of the Year Awards for Europe, Japan, and North America, have been bestowed upon the Prius.
How it works
Toyota designed the Prius with the aim of reducing pollutants and increasing energy-efficiency. To do this, they made use of various methods, such as a more efficient internal combustion engine (ICE) using the Atkinson cycle, two electric motor/generators, an IGBT inverter, lowered aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tires, regenerative braking, a sealed NiMH battery, a continuously variable transmission (Power Split Device), a flexible resin fuel tank, a vacuum flask coolant storage system, and weight reduction.
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