Did you know that the Toyota Prius is over 20-years old this year? Released in 1997, the Toyota Prius is undoubtedly one of the longest-running, most commercially successful hybrid attempts by any manufacturer. Sure it's been the butt of many a joke and received tones of criticism, but the fact remains that it's as good a turn-key solution to hybrid motoring as any other.
It's paved the way for many other manufacturers and over the years the Prius has improved in leaps and bounds but never lost sight of its origins. It remains the world's best-selling hybrid car with over 4-million units sold since inception.
Related: BMW i3 vs Toyota Prius vs Volkswagen Golf: here's our winner.
Here are three things that you need to know about the Toyota Prius:
1. Hybrid System
The Toyota Prius utilizes both a petrol-fuelled engine and battery-powered electric motors to provide propulsion. The system used is what is known as a Series Hybrid. Unlike full-EV (full electric vehicles) or PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) the Prius does not offer you the choice option to plug the car into an electric power outlet to charge the batteries. Charging the small 1.3 kWh battery system is done by driving the vehicle.
Rotation of the engine, along with a regenerative braking system, sees power sent to the battery pack to keep a charge available at all times. The switch over from electric to petrol powertrains is seamless and hardly detectable. The electric performance is used initially for pull away and at moderate cruising speeds until the battery is low, at which point the petrol engine resumes duty.
2. Fuel Consumption
The Toyota Prius has a quoted a combined fuel consumption figure of 3.7 l/100km. This figure rivals those that are found in economy diesel offerings. It is worth noting that the Prius is more efficient in the urban environment than on the highway as, at the national speed limit, the petrol engine is constantly used, aside from coasting.
The Prius is powered by a 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors. The petrol engine produces 72 kW and 142 Nm while the electric motors produce a combined output of 53 kW and 163 Nm. Due to the series nature of the powertrain, the combined power output rests at 90 kW.
Related: How far can you go on 1 tank in a Toyota Prius?
3. Battery Warranty
Anyone that has owned a mobile phone for longer than 12 months will tell you that, after a while, the battery no longer performs the way that it did when it was new. The ability for it to hold a charge diminishes over time and in the Prius, this will negatively affect the fuel consumption. Knowing that this would be a concern for owners, Toyota offers an 8-year / 195 000 km warranty on the battery and a 3-year / 100 000 km warranty on the rest of the vehicle. The included service plan is a 6-year / 90 000 km deal with intervals at 15 000 km.
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