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| New Prius Announced |
In April 2003, Toyota announced the
new Prius fitted with the THS II, at the New York International Automobile
Show. The THS II is a next-generation hybrid system that pursues new
levels of compatibility between environmental and power performance
and radically enhances the synergy between motor power and engine
power. THS II, developed under Toyota's "Hybrid Synergy Drive" concept,
represents an evolution of the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) that was
developed to emphasize Toyota's prioritization of environmental performance.
The new Prius adopts the new high-efficiency hybrid system THS II
and boasts the following features compared to the existing model:
(1) Higher motor output (increased from 33kW to 50kW), (2) Adoption
of a high-voltage electrical system for the motor and generator (increased
from 274V to 500V), (3) Higher generator rpm (increased from 6,500
rpm to 10,000 rpm), (4) Higher output density of battery, and (5)
Advanced energy management (hybrid control).
In terms of fuel efficiency, the new hybrid system THS II significantly
reduces energy loss during transmission for greater energy regeneration
during deceleration, thus enhancing energy management for the entire
car and realizing at least a 10% improvement over the current system.
The use of Toyota Eco-Plastic and a reduction in battery size have
enabled reductions in CO2 emissions during vehicle production. The
vehicle's environmental impact over its total product life was evaluated,
and it was found that for a distance of 100,000km driven, total CO2
emissions were approximately 50% less than that of gasoline-powered
vehicles in the same class.
Equipped with the features mentioned above, the new Prius aims to
set new global benchmarks in low exhaust emissions levels and fuel
efficiency while also appreciably boosting the "fun to drive" quotient.
 See
details on Toyota Eco-Plastic |
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| Achieving Sustainable Mobility |
| While traditionally there has been
a trade-off between the driving performance of a car and its fuel
efficiency, Toyota has, by taking advantage of hybrid technologies,
achieved compatibility between the two. An advanced system that integrates
a number of vehicle control systems realizes performance on par or
exceeding that of a 2.0-liter vehicle in the 1.5-liter new Prius.
This is the first step towards producing a vehicle that excites customers
while also reducing environmental impact. This is exactly one of the
directions for technical innovation being pursued in hybrid vehicles. |
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| Hybrid System Variations |
Hybrid
vehicle systems can be classified into two types according to
function. One type is the so-called "strong hybrid system" which
can be driven using electricity and thus can offer a greater
margin for fuel efficiency improvement. The other type is the
"mild hybrid system" which, though having a smaller margin for
fuel efficiency improvement than the strong hybrid system, has
a simpler construction.
The system installed in the Crown is a mild hybrid system,
and achieves close to a 15% fuel efficiency improvement using
a Motor Assist function during acceleration from start, and
a regenerative braking system. The hybrid system installed in
the Estima Hybrid and the Prius is classified as a strong hybrid
system, and offers close to twice the fuel efficiency of conventional
gasoline-powered vehicles. |
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•Hybrid System Variations
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| Expansion of Hybrid Vehicles and Further Evolution |
| Since the introduction of the first-generation
Prius, a cumulative total of over 140,000 Toyota hybrid vehicles have
been sold. However, this figure is minuscule compared to the 740 million
vehicles owned worldwide, and more hybrid vehicles must be sold if
they are to help improve the global environment. By positioning the
THS II, which can provide high output using a compact system, as the
future core system, Toyota plans to expand its use to large-displacement
vehicles, heavyweight vehicles, SUVs and 4WD vehicles. |
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| Hybrid System as the Core Technology of the Future |
By
positioning the hybrid tech-nologies developed by Toyota to
date as the key technologies for realizing the ultimate eco
car of the future, including fuel cell vehicles, Toyota is proceeding
with proprietary developments and internal production. The TOYOTA
FCHV introduced to market at the end of last year also uses
a hybrid system, achieving significant improvements in both
efficiency and performance.
See
details on the TOYOTA FCHV |
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•Initiatives towards Realizing the Ultimate Eco Car
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