Petrol-electric Prius gets green light

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The new hybrid-powered Toyota Prius is to go on sale in New Zealand late this year, four years after the original appeared here as a trial vehicle.

The latest model will also go into showrooms in Japan, the United States and Europe as Toyota gears up to provide cleaner-burning and more fuel-thrifty vehicles.

"We believe that clearing environmental hurdles and offering an attractive driving experience are critical for cars to thrive in the 21st century," said Toyota senior managing director Hiroyuki Watanabe.

"We are determined to make this technology from Japan a driving force for the global auto industry."

Toyota New Zealand product manager Spencer Morris said the second-generation Prius was one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient cars in the world.

"New Prius is improved in every way. It is larger, more powerful and even more environmentally-friendly than the model it replaces," said Morris.

He said the new model was more efficient than current fuel-cell technology, achieving an optimum balance between performance, fuel consumption and minimal exhaust emissions.

"Exhaust emissions from the new model are nearly 30 per cent lower than those from the superseded model. And those emissions are nearly 90 per cent less than those from a similar vehicle powered by a conventional internal combustion engine."

Toyota first brought Prius to New Zealand for evaluation in 1999 and supplied one to the World Wide Fund for Nature as part of its long-standing support for the organisation.

It also trialed the vehicle with university engineers and local government bodies.

The Prius is powered by a petrol engine and an electric motor/generator. At low speeds it runs like a golf cart. Under load, or at faster speeds, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine takes over. The car recharges itself during the drive.

Toyota says it raised the voltage of its hybrid system and improved the battery to give the new Prius the power of a 2.0-litre engine.

"There is 50 per cent more electric power available and this results in improved low-end torque from the drive motor and a significant boost in acceleration,"said Morris.

"Acceleration is similar to that achieved by the conventionally powered 2.4-litre Toyota Camry."

The styling is also leaner and roomier than the current model to give what Toyota called "a futuristic" feel. The new Prius should do about 100km for every 4.5 litres of fuel, or between 55 and 60mpg.

Inside, a start button replaces the conventional ignition; a proximity sensor replaces a conventional key fob and senses the driver's presence, unlocking the doors as the driver approaches.

Many ancillary systems such as the air conditioning are now electrically driven. Anti-lock brakes, and power windows/doors/locks/mirrors are standard.

Toyota New Zealand is still working on price. A rough guess is between $40-$50,000, based on the $US20,000 price for the new model in the United States.

Toyota was the first carmaker in the world to mass-produce hybrid cars with the Prius in 1997. Since then, it has sold 130,000 hybrid cars a year worldwide, including two other models that sell only in Japan.

It hopes to sell 300,000 annually worldwide and expand to 10 models in the next few years.

When Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997, it was more a conversation piece than a necessary response to rising petrol prices and fears of global warming. What a difference six years makes. Toyota has tripled original sales forecasts.