How do priuses work

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Not a member? Need further assistance? Please call Member Services at As for batteries? With a larger 1. Whatever its age, the Toyota Prius brand represents a reliable and cost-effective way to use as little gasoline as possible. The most current Prius gives the best performance and driving experience, but given you can choose from among five model years, our pick for best used Prius value has to be the second generation Versatile, reasonably new, but without major depreciation woes, we think it represents an ideal green car for someone looking for a used car.

I agree to receive emails from Green Car Reports. I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy. The surge of the EV demand surprises even Tesla. Hertz opts to add at least , Teslas because of, in part, the experience and Supercharger network. Apple and Tesla are both looking for the same kind of batteries. The Mercedes EQC is back on, albeit not for a few years. And VW's U. CEO says that the higher EV tax credit being proposed isn't fair. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.

The rental-car giant Hertz announced this morning that it plans to add , Tesla models to its fleet—and the convenience of the Supercharger network sells it. The Supercharger network and consistency of the experience appears to be a big part of the reason the rental-car giant chose Tesla. According to a report, Mercedes-Benz recently informed its American dealerships that the EQC is coming here after all, but not until a next generation of the EV.

Unionization efforts have failed at the Tennessee plant that will soon build ID. Tesla has never had a problem with desirability. That frenzy continued with the Cybertruck. Which automaker is keeping driving data in its cars for up to a year? Which company revealed plans for three future EVs this past week?

The Volvo C40 Recharge is the first electric model from the Swedish automaker that has no gasoline counterpart; we drove it and considered how it will fit in vs.

We drove the first of a new wave of Volvo plug-in hybrids with a bigger battery. We took a look at what bringing LFP cells to the U. Model 3 and Model Y might involve. Tesla plans a big expansion of its Supercharger network. Torque News does not know for certain that Toyota plans to add the AWD system that Toyota presently applies to Prius trims in other markets, but we sure hope they do.

Assuming that Toyota does plan to announce this, we thought fans would like to see how the system works. Like in its RAV4 hybrid, Toyota's Prius system uses an electric-only rear wheel drive motor that is not mechanically connected to the engine in the front of the vehicle.

The rear motor is used on demand so that the energy to spin the wheels is not wasted. In this type of system, there are no mechanical losses due to moving parts that are not required as in some other AWD designs. If the vehicle needs more power than the planetary gears can provide, it turns on the internal combustion engine to use gasoline. Large engine sizes boost horsepower, which lets the car drive faster.

A Prius does not need recharging because the generator acts as a constant power supply for the battery. As you pull from a stop, the electric motor provides power supplied from the battery. The sun gear will carry the movement until speeds exceed 15 MPH, at which point the gasoline engine kicks in. When driving in a city or start-and-stop traffic, you will rely on electricity to move your vehicle.

Since your gasoline engine will not ignite, you may save on fuel costs. The Toyota Prius has a regenerative braking system that enables when you release pressure from the gas pedal or apply the breaks. As the vehicle slows, it cuts power from the gas engine and electric motor. Instead of powering the wheels, it harnesses the kinetic energy from the wheels to charge the generator. The generator turns this energy into electricity that it stores in the battery. The engine and motor switch off at a complete stop.

The car uses the battery power to maintain the radio, lighting, air conditioning, and display screens until you start the car again. At steady speeds over 15 MPH, some of the gasoline powers the generator to produce electricity for the batteries. If you need to accelerate rapidly, the gas engine and electric motor supply extra power to the wheels. The power split device lets them combine their torques to generate more speed.