Multimode driving
The new 2010 Toyota Prius relies on a 1.8-litre, inline 4-cylinder engine instead of a 1.5L unit. Output is up by 24 horsepower (22 percent) while fuel consumption is down by 7 percent. And the mill is quieter, too. Filling the other side of the equation is a new 60-kilowatt (81 hp) electric motor that’s a third less heavy and 20-percent more powerful.
Four driving modes are available, including a fully-electric EV mode that allows silent, zero-emission operation at up to 50 km/h. And it works… for about two kilometers with a full battery charge and ideal driving conditions (smooth traffic flow, flat roads, friendly temperature, etc.)
Most of the time, drivers will be using the Normal mode. The only difference with a regular automobile is that the combustion engine will shut off at idle to avoid wasting fuel and reduce emissions. You can take off using electric power only, but this requires s-l-o-w-l-y depressing the throttle on your way to a speed of 50 km/h. Any sudden move, acceleration or incline will force the engine to step in. And don’t forget about the people you share the road with; they certainly won’t like to be stuck behind a driver who insists on maintaining a slow pace in dense traffic all in the name of fuel economy!
Halfway between EV and Normal is the ECO mode, which limits air conditioning and lowers acceleration response relative to gas pedal input in order to increase efficiency. The fourth and final mode is called Power. Here, throttle response sharpens up for superior performance — the key to real driving pleasure, according to the automaker. Does that mean that the Prius feels boring in any other driving mode?
The new 2010 Toyota Prius relies on a 1.8-litre, inline 4-cylinder engine instead of a 1.5L unit. Output is up by 24 horsepower (22 percent) while fuel consumption is down by 7 percent. And the mill is quieter, too. Filling the other side of the equation is a new 60-kilowatt (81 hp) electric motor that’s a third less heavy and 20-percent more powerful.
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| The new 2010 Toyota Prius relies on a 1.8-litre, inline 4-cylinder engine instead of a 1.5L unit. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
Four driving modes are available, including a fully-electric EV mode that allows silent, zero-emission operation at up to 50 km/h. And it works… for about two kilometers with a full battery charge and ideal driving conditions (smooth traffic flow, flat roads, friendly temperature, etc.)
Most of the time, drivers will be using the Normal mode. The only difference with a regular automobile is that the combustion engine will shut off at idle to avoid wasting fuel and reduce emissions. You can take off using electric power only, but this requires s-l-o-w-l-y depressing the throttle on your way to a speed of 50 km/h. Any sudden move, acceleration or incline will force the engine to step in. And don’t forget about the people you share the road with; they certainly won’t like to be stuck behind a driver who insists on maintaining a slow pace in dense traffic all in the name of fuel economy!
Halfway between EV and Normal is the ECO mode, which limits air conditioning and lowers acceleration response relative to gas pedal input in order to increase efficiency. The fourth and final mode is called Power. Here, throttle response sharpens up for superior performance — the key to real driving pleasure, according to the automaker. Does that mean that the Prius feels boring in any other driving mode?
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| Halfway between EV and Normal is the ECO mode, which limits air conditioning and lowers acceleration response relative to gas pedal input in order to increase efficiency. (Photo: Toyota) |