Engineers have increased battery capacity of the new car, which means it’ll be able to travel longer distances on electric power alone than previous prototypes. The vehicle has a cruising range of only 13km on a single charge and its trunk is completely filled with battery packs.
Weighing in at 1,360kg, the plug-in hybrid Prius can travel up 100km/h and takes roughly one and a half hours to charge using a regular household power outlet. Oddly enough, there are several private companies offering plug-in conversion kits for the Prius but Toyota warns any modifications will void warranties and that extra batteries can cause fires.
Reader Comments
Wed Jul 25 2007 1:03 PM
Gus says
My guess is, even if you just left the battery packs the way they are, and offered a plug in system, you could reap rewards.
Such that when you come home and the pack is depleted, at least you will have a full charge in the morning? Maybe it's just that the distance it can travel on battery alone is too small...
Wed Oct 22 2008 6:28 PM
tcrusi says
How mant miles between charges ? what is the mpg of the gas sytem? What is time on 0 to 60? Can Big people drive it? What's the tire size and wheel size? Can this car hold its own with the 18 wheelers on the highway without flinching ? I'm concerned about its muscle on the road. Does it sail at 70 mph? I want pick up,speed, and solidity. Is there a roll-over problem? Is there riding comfort after 7 hours?
Are the rear tail lights nice and big and a little visible on the side? Are they high enough for trucks to see? Too many designers shrink the taillifghts to little round dots. Can this car handle a crash? Are the pasengeres protected adequately.
Less fancy stuff and more solid car is what I want.
Road Runner
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