Video: Prius will go 62 MPH "and beyond" in all-electric mode
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Toyota, Frankfurt Motor Show
Recently, I wrote the Prius had a "second phase" goal of 37 miles in electric-only mode. In the video above, Hans-Peter Wandt of Toyota says the "step one" Prius in testing can go 60 to 100 kph (100 kph is 62 mph) and that future models will go "beyond" that. The current Prius' top speed in electric-only mode is 35 mph. If Hans means step one is the Prius being tested in France, then that means Toyota has developed an electric engine that breaks the speed limit.
The stage one Prius, currently in testing, does not use lithium-ion and only has a 6-mile range. Does it matter if the plug-in Prius can go 67 MPH if it has a 6-mile range? A powerful electric engine in the first phase Toyota could mean a smaller gas engine, which means lower weight and maybe higher mileage. Even if the phase one gas motor is the same size as the current Prius, the second phase Prius will be able to get 37 miles per charge and go 67 mph.
A Prius with that sort of electric-only range coupled with an electric-only speed of 67 mph is on par with the Volt. It's very possible that we'll hear Toyota start to make the same claims as GM has with the Volt, i.e, the car gets very high mileage, you may never have to use gas, etc. And the "second phase" Prius may even have higher mileage. How is that possible? Remember, the series hybrid model may be less efficient than parallel hybrid model. Also, Hans mentions they are open to other power trains and he even mentions co-generation. Does that mean there is a natural gas Prius or natural gas charger in the works?
[Source: YouTube]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-27-2007 @ 10:08AM
SkiD666 said...
Not quite on par with the Volt, it's top speed said to be around 100 MPH, so it would probably have a larger electric motor than the next gen Prius but a smaller gasoline motor.
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9-27-2007 @ 10:35AM
Lascelles Linton said...
SkiD666, a Prius with highway speeds electric may be a very close though. Even next model? It could be a game changer for reasons we cannot predict now. They say "beyond" so 100 MPH may be possible. I don't think it really matters if a car gets over 62 MPH unless you are Steve Woz :D
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9-27-2007 @ 10:42AM
Domenick said...
Psss. Kilometers per hour is usually expressed as kph. Kmph is a tv station in Fresno.
End Zeta talk. ^_^
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9-27-2007 @ 10:59AM
Lascelles Linton said...
Domenick, changed. Thanks! The metric system's days are numbered :D
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=103200
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9-27-2007 @ 1:23PM
Karkus said...
"that means Toyota has developed an electric engine that breaks the speed limit" !??????! What a bunch of nonsense !!!!!!
There is absolutely NO problem for electric motors to power cars to whatever speed !
The current main electric motor in the Prius has no problem going at highway speeds. That is NOT the issue! The 35 mph limit on the EV mode is purely an intentional software limitation (to keep you from draining the battery too quickly, and because it would kill your efficiency).
Another electric only "limit" that is mistakenly quoted is that the Prius can go up to 42 MPH in pure electric mode, but that's not really true either. That limit is what the PSD can go to with the ICE completly stationary (but that's not really the limit of that motor either). Abover 42 MPH, the ICE has to turn (because of the way the PSD is configured), but that doesn't necessarily mean it's using gas. It can spin the ICE without gas. So really you can drive on electric only even at highway speeds, but you lose some efficiency because the ICE is spinning (and the software will only let you power the car that way it if the battery charge state is fairly high).
Yet another poorly researched article on ABG. I'm starting to get tired of having to correct all the misinformation here. This is supposed to be a blog where the posters know lots about green cars.
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9-27-2007 @ 1:35PM
Lascelles Linton said...
Karkus, I think you missed the point of the article. It's not, hey look, an electric motor can actually go fast. The news is Toyota has decided to increase the electric only speed of the Prius. While, I don't doubt your contention that the Prius can go highway speeds electric only currently, I seriously doubt they just flipped a software switch. As I say in the article, I think they probably reduce the size of the gas engine too. I am sorry you did not think this was news. I thought it was pretty interesting. BTW the current Prius battery can go much further as well.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/20/prius-software-cuts-possible-electric-only-range-by-80-percent/
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9-27-2007 @ 3:25PM
Tonik said...
I live in a metric country (Russia), and we use 'km/h' exclusively.
kph/kmph is clearly invented by people with an 'mph' mindset
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilometre_per_hour
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9-27-2007 @ 9:41PM
mike said...
Interesting, near the end this Toyota rep. mentions that they are looking at other tech as well. Does that sound like "serial" hybrid?
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9-28-2007 @ 3:03PM
John said...
I'd like a hybrid with a Tesla bladeless turbine.
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4-09-2008 @ 9:04PM
jeff said...
Ah, I miss the days back in the 90s, 11 years ago, when I'd be driving home late at night in my EV1. I'd hop on the freeway and cruse home at 82MPH, a silent and smooth ride. Oh yes, in all electric mode, the only mode. I got about 45 miles per charge out of those lead/acid bats driving it like a madman. No gas, no tailpipe. I miss my EV1. That was back when politicians could actually do their jobs like mandate zero emission cars be available to the public.
DEMAND ELECTRIC CARS and save the world!
Please
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