Prius RechargeIT 03 2008 At Google's Campus
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The is a
compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact, a type of agreement used by U.S. states * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a t ...
/ small family liftback (
supermini The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the third largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 15. ...
/
subcompact Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car. It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications. According to the U.S. Environmental Pr ...
sedan until 2003) produced by
Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
. The Prius has a hybrid drivetrain, combined with an
internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...
and an
electric motor An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...
. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door
liftback A liftback is a variation of a hatchback car body style, with a more gently sloping roofline, roughly between 45 and 10 degrees, whereas traditional or archetypal hatchback designs tend to use a 45 degree to near vertical slope on the top-hinged ...
since 2003. The Prius was developed by Toyota to be the "car for the 21st century"; it was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, first going on sale in Japan in 1997 at all four Toyota Japan dealership chains, and subsequently introduced worldwide in 2000. In 2011, Toyota expanded the Prius family to include the Prius v, an MPV, and the Prius c, a subcompact hatchback. The production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid was released in 2012. The second generation of the plug-in variant, the Prius Prime, was released in the U.S. in November 2016. The Prius family totaled global cumulative sales of 6.1 million units in January 2017, representing 61% of the 10 million hybrids sold worldwide by Toyota since 1997. Toyota sells the Prius in over 90 markets, with Japan and the United States being its largest markets.


Etymology and terminology

Prius The is a Compact car, compact/small family car, small family liftback (supermini/subcompact sedan (car), sedan until 2003) produced by Toyota. The Prius has a Hybrid vehicle drivetrain, hybrid drivetrain, combined with an internal combustion ...
is a
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word meaning "first", "original", "superior" or "to go before". In February 2011, Toyota USA asked the US public to decide on what the most proper
plural In many languages, a plural (sometimes list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated as pl., pl, , or ), is one of the values of the grammatical number, grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than ...
form of Prius should be, with choices including Prien, Prii, Prium, Prius, or Priuses. The company announced on 20 February that "Prii" was the most popular choice, and the new official plural designation in the US. In Latin ''prius'' is the neuter singular of the comparative form (''prior'', ''prior'', ''prius'') of an adjective with only comparative and superlative (the superlative being ''primus'', ''prima'', ''primum''). As with all neuter words, the Latin plural is ''priora'', but that brand name was used by the '' Lada Priora'' in 2007. Despite the "official" plural form used by Toyota USA, "Priuses" is widely used in English. Beginning in September 2011, Toyota USA began using the following names to differentiate the original Prius from some newer members of the Prius family: the standard Prius became the Prius Liftback, the Prius v (known as the Prius α in Japan, and Prius + in Europe), the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and the Prius c (called Toyota Aqua in Japan).


First generation (XW10; 1997)


NHW10 (1997–2000)

In 1995, Toyota debuted a hybrid concept car at the
Tokyo Motor Show The , called (TMS) until 2023, is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recog ...
, with testing following a year later. The first Prius, model NHW10, went on sale on 10 December 1997. The first-generation Prius (NHW10) was available only in Japan.Prius Model History
Clean Green Car Company. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
The first-generation Prius, at its launch, became the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car. At its introduction in 1997, it won the Car of the Year Japan Award, and in 1998, it won the Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference Car of the Year award in Japan. Production commenced in December 1997 at the Takaoka plant in
Toyota, Aichi , formerly known as Koromo, is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 426,162 and a population density of 464 people per km2. The total area was . It is located about 50 minutes from Nagoya by way of the Me ...
, ending in February 2000 after cumulative production of 37,425 vehicles. The NHW10 Prius styling originated from California designers, who were selected over competing designs from other Toyota design studios.


NHW11 (2000–2003)

The Prius NHW11 (sometimes referred to as "Generation II") was the first Prius sold by Toyota outside of Japan, with sales in limited numbers beginning in the year 2000 in Asia, America, Europe and Australia. In the United States, the Prius was marketed between the smaller Corolla and the larger
Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Cam ...
, with a published retail price of . European sales began in September 2000. The official launch of the Prius in Australia occurred at the October 2001 Sydney Motor Show, although sales were slow until the NHW20 (XW20) model arrived. Toyota sold about 123,000 first-generation Priuses. Production of the NHW11 model commenced in May 2000 at the Motomachi plant in
Toyota, Aichi , formerly known as Koromo, is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 426,162 and a population density of 464 people per km2. The total area was . It is located about 50 minutes from Nagoya by way of the Me ...
, and continued until June 2003 after 33,411 NHW11 vehicles had been produced. The vehicle was the second mass-produced hybrid on the American market, after the two-seat
Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In it ...
. The NHW11 Prius became more powerful partly to satisfy the higher speeds and longer distances that Americans drive.
Electric power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...
was standard equipment. While the larger Prius could seat five, its battery pack restricted cargo space. The Prius was offered in the US in three trim packages: Standard, Base, and Touring. The US EPA (CARB) classified the car with an air pollution score of 3 out of 10 as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV). Prius owners were eligible for up to a federal tax deduction from their gross income. Toyota executives stated that with the Prius NHW10 model, the company had been losing money on each Prius sold, and with the NHW11 it was now breaking even.


Second generation (XW20; 2003)

Presented at the April 2003 New York International Auto Show, for the 2004 US model year, the NHW20 Prius was a complete redesign. It became a compact liftback, sized between the Corolla and the
Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Cam ...
, with redistributed mechanical and interior space significantly increasing rear-seat legroom and luggage room. The second-generation Prius is more environmentally friendly than the previous model (according to the EPA), and is longer than the previous version. Its more aerodynamic
Kammback A Kammback—also known as a Kamm tail or K-tail—is an automotive styling feature wherein the rear of the car slopes downwards before being abruptly cut off with a vertical or near-vertical surface. A Kammback reduces aerodynamic drag, thus ...
body balances length and wind resistance, resulting in a . The development effort, led by chief engineer Shigeyuki Hori, led to 530 patents for the vehicle. Production commenced in August 2003 at the Tsutsumi plant in
Toyota, Aichi , formerly known as Koromo, is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 426,162 and a population density of 464 people per km2. The total area was . It is located about 50 minutes from Nagoya by way of the Me ...
, supplemented in October 2004 with the Fujimatsu plant at
Kariya, Aichi is a Cities of Japan, city in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 153,162 in 66,751 households, and a population density of 3,040 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kariya is situat ...
. The Prius uses an all-electric A/C compressor for cooling, an industry first. Combined with a smaller and lighter
NiMH NIMH may refer to: * Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), a type of electrical battery *National Institute of Mental Health, an agency of the United States government * National Institute of Medical Herbalists, a professional organisation in the ...
battery, the XW20 is more powerful and more efficient than the XW10. In the US, the battery pack of 2004 and later models is warrantied for or 10 years in states that have adopted the stricter California emissions control standards, and or 8 years elsewhere. The warranty for hybrid components is or 8 years. It is classified as a
SULEV Super ultra-low emissions vehicle (SULEV) is a U.S. classification for passenger vehicle emissions. The classification is based on producing 90% fewer emissions than the average gasoline-powered vehicle. The SULEV standard is stricter than the sta ...
(Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) and is certified by
California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...
as an "Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle" (
AT-PZEV A partial zero-emission vehicle, in the United States, is an automobile that has zero evaporative emissions from its fuel system, has a 15-year (or at least 150,000-mile) warranty on its emission-control components, and meets SULEV tailpipe-emissio ...
). In 2007, the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
(EPA) and
California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...
(CARB) rated the Prius as among the cleanest vehicles sold in the United States on the basis of smog-forming emissions. From 2005 to 2009, the second-generation Prius had been built by
FAW Toyota FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (FTMC) (), previously named Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (TFTM) (), is an automobile manufacturing company based in Xiqing District, Tianjin, China. It is a manufacturing and supervising affiliate of the joint v ...
in the city of Changchun for the Chinese market. It was reported that a total of 2,152 Priuses were sold in 2006 and 414 in 2007. The relatively low sales were blamed on a high price, about higher than in Japan or the US, caused by high duties on imported parts. In an attempt to stem the drop in sales, Toyota cut the price of Prius by up to eight percent in March 2008. Toyota sold about 1,192,000-second-generation Priuses worldwide.


Third generation (XW30; 2009)

Toyota debuted the new Prius (2010 US model year) at the January 2009 North American International Auto Show, and sales began in Japan on 18 May 2009. Toyota cut the price of the Prius from to to better compete with the
Honda Insight The is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In it ...
, leading some to wonder whether increased sales of the Prius might come at the expense of sales of other vehicles with higher margins. Competition from lower priced hybrids, such as the Honda Insight, also made it difficult for Toyota to capitalize on the Prius's success. , Toyota has sold about 1,688,000 third-generation Priuses worldwide. Among the new standard features of the Prius, Toyota introduced three user-selectable driving modes: EV mode for electric-only low-speed operation, Eco mode for best
fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency (or fuel economy) is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical energy, chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or Mechanical work, w ...
, and Power mode for better performance. Optional features included the solar-PV roof panels to help cool the cabin interior in summer heat, Intelligent Parking Assist, Lane Keep Assist, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. Its new body design features a reduced . This figure was disputed by
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
which found the value for the model with 17-inch wheels to be around 0.30 based on tests in GM, Ford, and Chrysler wind tunnels. ''Car & Driver'' measured the third-generation Prius at 0.26 in a privately arranged five-way wind-tunnel test of comparable cars. An underbody rear fin helps stabilize the vehicle at higher speeds. A new front-drive platform underpinned the car, although the wheelbase remained unchanged and overall length grew by a lone centimetre. Aluminium was employed in the hood, rear hatch, front axle and brake calipers (disc brakes were finally assigned to all four wheels). The Prius uses a range of plant-derived ecological
bioplastic Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources. Timeline of plastic development, Historically, bioplastics made from natural materials like shellac or Celluloid, cellulose had been the first plastics. Since the end of ...
s, using wood or grass-derived cellulose instead of petroleum. The two principal crops used are
kenaf Kenaf tymology: Persian ''Hibiscus cannabinus'', is a plant in the family Malvaceae also called Deccan hemp and Java jute. ''Hibiscus cannabinus'' is in the genus ''Hibiscus'' and is native to Africa, though its exact origin is unknown. The n ...
and
ramie Ramie (pronounced: , ; from Malay ), ''Boehmeria nivea'', is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to tall;
. Kenaf is a member of the hibiscus family, a relative to cotton and okra; ramie, commonly known as China grass, is a member of the
nettle family The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeria ...
and one of the strongest natural fibres, with a density and absorbency comparable to
flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...
. Toyota said this was a timely breakthrough for plant-based eco-plastics because 2009 was the United Nations' International Year of Natural Fibres, which spotlights kenaf and ramie among others.


Awards

At its introduction in 2009, it won the Car of the Year Japan Award for the second time. In December 2013, ''
Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...
'' named the Prius as the "Best Value", for the second year in a row. A 2019 iSeeCars study ranked the Prius as the second longest-kept vehicle among U.S. drivers.


Fourth generation (XW50; 2015)

The fourth-generation Prius was first shown during September 2015 in Las Vegas, and was released for retail customers in Japan on 9 December 2015. The launch in the North American market occurred in January 2016, and February in Europe & Middle East. In August 2013, Toyota Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso, who was chief engineer for the Prius line, announced some of the improvements and key features of the next generation Prius. This was the first generation of the Prius to use the
Toyota New Global Architecture The Toyota New Global Architecture (abbreviated as TNGA) is a modular automobile platform that underpins various Toyota and Lexus models, starting with the fourth-generation Prius in late 2015. TNGA platforms accommodate different vehicle sizes ...
(TNGA) modular platform, which provides a lower
center of gravity In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the barycenter or balance point) is the unique point at any given time where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. For ...
and increased structural rigidity. Ogiso also explained that the next-generation Prius plug-in hybrid, the Prius Prime, was developed in parallel with the standard Prius model. The 2018
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
Prius Eco ranked as the second-most-fuel-efficient gasoline-powered car without plug-in capability available in the US that year, following the Hyundai Ioniq Blue hybrid.


2018 facelift

In late November 2018, for the 2019 model year, the U.S. market Prius lineup introduced an
all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...
model featuring Toyota's E-Four system. This has been available for the Japanese market Prius since 2015 and the hybrid versions of the RAV4 and
Lexus NX The is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Introduced in late 2014, it is positioned between the subcompact UX and the mid-size RX in Lexus’ crossover SUV lineup. According to Lexus, the name "NX" ...
. Also, the Prius received a facelift with redesigned headlights and tail lights, which was released in Japan on 17 December 2018. In 2021, for the 2022 model year, Toyota released the Nightshade Edition in the US. Like other Nightshade models, it added black paint to exterior trim pieces. It was available in FWD or AWD-e powertrain and in three exterior colours.


Fifth generation (XW60; 2022)

The fifth-generation Prius was presented on 16 November 2022, with two powertrain options announced for the Japanese market. The first uses Toyota's Series Parallel Hybrid System, available in 1.8-litre ('' 2ZR-FXE'') and 2.0-litre ('' M20A-FXS'') variants and producing up to and respectively. This model is also available with E-Four all-wheel drive system. The second, a
plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power so ...
, combines a 2.0-litre ''M20A-FXS'' engine, an
electric motor An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...
and
lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible Intercalation (chemistry), intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically Electrical conductor, conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are c ...
batteries to produce a combined output of . The new design has a higher but it has a lower frontal area, and a smaller cargo volume than before. In Europe, deliveries began in the first quarter of 2023, with only the plug-in hybrid model being available. Unlike previous generations, this generation was not sold in Australia due to sluggish sales with the previous generation. It was replaced by a shorter Corolla Hatchback Hybrid. Toyota New Zealand also decided not to offer the new generation Prius initially, but have resumed sales in 2024 under their Signature Class imported vehicle program. In October 2023, Toyota reversed its initial decision not to sell the fifth-generation Prius in the UK. In 2024, for the 2025 model year, the Prime model was renamed to Plug-in Hybrid for the North American market. File:Toyota Prius (XW60) Plug-in Hybrid IMG 9895.jpg, Rear view File:2023 Toyota Prius Z 2.0L HEV (2).jpg, Interior


Markets


Japan

In Japan, the Prius went on sale on 10 January 2023. Grade levels offered for the are the X, U, G, and Z; with the former two are equipped with the ''2ZR-FXE'' engine, and the latter two equipped with the ''M20A-FXS'' engine.


United States

The United States market Prius is available in three grade levels: LE, XLE, and Limited. All grades are powered with the ''M20A-FXS'' engine; AWD is optional on all trims. In 2024, for the 2025 model year, the Nightshade grade was added, based on the XLE grade.


Canada

The Canadian market Prius is available in two grade levels: XLE and Limited. Both grades are powered with the ''M20A-FXS'' engine, and include AWD.


Indonesia

The Prius was previewed at the 30th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show on 10 August 2023, and launched at the 31st Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show on 17 July 2024, with only HEV variant being sold in Indonesia, while the PHEV variant being previewed.


South Korea

The South Korean market Prius went on sale on 13 December 2023, all grades are powered with the ''M20A-FXS'' engine. Similar to North America, the HEV model is available in LE and XLE grades, while the PHEV model is available in SE and XSE grades, ambient lighting is standard on XLE HEV and XSE PHEV grades.


Safety

The Prius holds the 2023 IIHS Top Safety Pick+.


Awards

*US: Japan Car of the Year award for 2023-2024. *US: Kelley Blue Book Best New Model Award 2024. *US: 2024 ''MotorTrend'' Car of the Year. *US: 2024
North American Car of the Year The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year are a set of automotive awards announced at a news conference each January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jury consists of no more than 60 automotive journalist ...
. *US: ''The Drive''’s Best Car of 2023. *US: ''
MotorWeek ''MotorWeek'' is an American television news magazine program that focuses on the automotive industry. The program is produced by Maryland Public Television for PBS, and airs on MAVTV. As of September 2023, ''MotorWeek'' is underwritten by T ...
''s Drivers’ Choice Awards for Best Family Car of 2023. *US: ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
'' recipient of the 10 Best in 2024. *US: 2024
Green Car of the Year The Green Car of the Year is a ''Car of the Year'' award from the ''Green Car Journal''. The winner is selected by an 11-member panel comprising automotive and environmental experts. Invited jurors have included Mario Andretti; Carroll Shelby, Ja ...
(Prius Prime). *US:
Edmunds Edmunds may refer to: People *Edmunds (given name) *Edmunds (surname) Places * Edmunds Center, an arena in Deland, Florida * Edmunds County, South Dakota Companies * Edmunds (company), provider of automotive information See also * Edmonds (d ...
' Top Rated Car of 2024 Award. *Canada: 2024 Canadian Car of the Year Award. *2024 World Car Design of the Year


Recall

In April 2024, Toyota issued a recall affecting 211,000 2023 and 2024 model year Prius and Prius Prime units worldwide where the rear doors can open unexpectedly if not locked due to a short circuit on the electronic rear door latches when the car is moving or involved in a collision. The issue was that water could possibly short circuit the door lock. The issue has now been resolved, remaining vehicles that do not have new switches are replaced at US port of entry for vehicles shipped overseas.


Prius family


Prius Plug-in Hybrid

The
Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand from 2016 to 2024) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota . The first-generation model was ...
(ZVW35) is based on the conventional third generation (ZVW30) with a 4.4
kWh A kilowatt-hour (unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a non-SI unit of energy equal to 3.6 megajoules (MJ) in SI units, which is the energy delivered by one kilowatt of power for one hour. Kilowatt-hours are a common b ...
lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energ ...
that allows an
all-electric range All-electric range (AER) is the maximum driving range of an electric vehicle using only power from its on-board battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a Battery electric vehicle (BEV), it means the maximum range per rech ...
of . A global demonstration program involving 600 pre-production test cars began in late 2009 and took place in Japan, Europe, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The production version was unveiled at the September 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. ''See details in Toyota Press Release'' Deliveries began in Japan in late January 2012, followed by a limited roll-out in the U.S. in late February. Deliveries began in Europe in June 2012 and in the UK in August 2012.


Prius Prime

The second generation of the plug-in hybrid version of the Prius, called Toyota Prius Prime in the U.S. and Prius PHV in Japan, was developed in parallel with the standard fourth generation Prius model (XW50) released in December 2015. The model was released to retail customers in the U.S. in November 2016, followed by Japan in February 2017. ''Around 75,000 first generation Prius plug-ins have been sold since its launch in 2012.'' In the American market, unlike the first generation model, the Prius Prime is available in all 50 states.


Prius v

At the January 2011 North American International Auto Show, Toyota revealed the 2012 model year Prius ''v'', an MPV, which is derived from the third-generation Prius and features over 50 per cent more interior cargo space than the original Prius design. In May 2011, Toyota introduced the Prius α (alpha) in Japan, which is available in a five-seat, two-row model and a seven-seat, three-row model, the latter's third row enabled by a space-saving lithium-ion drive battery in the center console. The five-seat model uses a NiMH battery pack. The Alpha is the basis for the five-seat Prius ''v'' launched in North America in October 2011 with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack similar to the 2010
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
Prius, and with two rows of seats to accommodate five passengers. The European and Japanese versions are offered with a
lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energ ...
, with three rows of seats with accommodations for seven passengers. The seven passenger seating on the Prius v is not available on North American Prius v models. The European version, named Prius+ (plus), began deliveries in June 2012. US sales ended in 2017. Japanese production ended in March 2021.


Prius c

Toyota unveiled the Prius c concept at the January 2011 North American International Auto Show. The Prius c has a lower
list price The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
and is smaller than the previous Prius liftback. The production version was unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show as the Toyota Aqua, and was launched in Japan in December 2011. The
Prius c The Toyota Prius c (''c'' stands for "city"), also known as the ; ''" aqua"'' is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of ...
was released in the US and Canada in March 2012, and in April 2012 in Australia and New Zealand. The Prius c is not available in Europe, where instead, Toyota is selling the Toyota Yaris Hybrid since June 2012. The Prius c and the Yaris Hybrid share the same powertrain.


Sales


Overview

Global cumulative Prius
liftback A liftback is a variation of a hatchback car body style, with a more gently sloping roofline, roughly between 45 and 10 degrees, whereas traditional or archetypal hatchback designs tend to use a 45 degree to near vertical slope on the top-hinged ...
sales reached the 1 million vehicle mark in May 2008. Sales of one million were achieved in the U.S. by April 2011, and Japan in August 2011. , the Prius ranked as the world's top selling hybrid car with 5 million units sold. , the Prius is sold in over 90 countries and regions. Worldwide cumulative sales exceeded 2 million units in September 2010, and reached 3 million in June 2013. , global sales of the
Prius family The is a compact/ small family liftback (supermini/ subcompact sedan until 2003) produced by Toyota. The Prius has a hybrid drivetrain, combined with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door se ...
totaled almost 6.1 million units representing 61% of the 10 million hybrids delivered by
Toyota Motor Company is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing ...
(TMC) worldwide, including the Lexus brand. ''The Prius family accounts for 61% of Toyota's total global cumulative hybrid car sales: 6.115 million units, consisting of Prius liftback: 3.9846 million; Aqua, Prius c: 1.3801 million; Prius α, Prius v, Prius +: 614,700; and Prius PHV: 79,300.'' Sales of the Prius family are led by the Prius liftback, with 4 million units, followed by the Aqua/Prius c with 1.4 million, the Prius +/v/α with, 615 thousand and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid with 79 thousand units. , the US accounted for almost half of Prius liftback global sales, with 1 million Priuses sold since 2000. The Prius experienced two consecutive years of sales decreases from its peak in 2007, falling to 139,682 units in 2009 before rebounding to 140,928 units in 2010. ''Total registered electric hybrids in the US is 1,888,971 vehicles until December 2010. (Click and open the Excel file for the detail by year for each model) Sales 1999–2010'' , sales of the Prius liftback totaled over 1.8 million units in Japan and 1.8 million in the US, and ranked as the all-time best-selling hybrid car in both countries. ; 2010 Cumulative Prius sales in Europe reached 200,000 units by mid-2010, after 10 years in that market. The UK is one of the leading European markets for Prius, accounting for 20% of Priuses sold in Europe. Toyota Prius became Japan's best selling vehicle in 2009 for the first time since its debut in 1997 as its sales almost tripled to 208,876 in 2009. In that year it overtook the
Honda Fit The Honda Fit ( Japanese: ホンダ・フィット, Hepburn: ''Honda Fitto'') or Honda Jazz is a small car manufactured and marketed by Honda since 2001 over four generations. It has a five-door hatchback body style and is considered a super ...
, which was Japan's best-selling car in 2008 excluding
Kei car Kei car is the smallest category of Japanese expressway-legal motor vehicles. The term ''kei'' is a shortening of , (kanji: ), which translates to English as "light vehicle" (). With restricted dimensions and engine specifications, owners ...
s. ; 2011 Rising oil prices caused by the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
led to increased sales in Q1 2011, but the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
led to a production stoppage. Production restarted, but output was hindered due to shortages from parts suppliers. Nevertheless, during the 2011 Japanese fiscal year, the Prius family sold 310,484 units, including sales of the Prius α, launched in May 2011, and the
Toyota Aqua The is a full hybrid electric subcompact/supermini hatchback (B-segment) manufactured and marketed by Toyota since 2011. The nameplate is exclusive to the Japanese domestic market, as the vehicle was exported to overseas markets as the Priu ...
, launched in December, allowing the Prius brand to become the best-selling vehicle in Japan for the third consecutive year. ; 2012 Until September 2012, the Prius liftback was the top selling new car in Japan for 16 months in a row, until surpassed by the Toyota Aqua in October, which kept the lead through December 2012.''See total sales from January to December. Toyota is reporting in Japan sales of the regular Prius and Prius α together''. The Prius liftback, with 317,675 units sold in 2012, was the best selling car in Japan during 2012 for the fourth consecutive year. The Aqua ranked as the second best selling car with 266,567 units sold in 2012. Nevertheless, when sales of the two Prius models are broken down, the Toyota Aqua ranked as the top selling model in Japan in 2012, including
kei car Kei car is the smallest category of Japanese expressway-legal motor vehicles. The term ''kei'' is a shortening of , (kanji: ), which translates to English as "light vehicle" (). With restricted dimensions and engine specifications, owners ...
s, leading sales since February through December 2012. The Aqua was the top selling new car in Japan in 2013, and again in 2014. Global Prius sales peaked in 2010 with over 500 thousand units sold, and since 2011 sales of the liftback version have declined in most markets through December 2015, and in the US and Canada since 2013. High gasoline prices in the US, approaching a gallon by March 2012, contributed to record monthly sales of Prius family vehicles. A total of 28,711 units were sold in the US during March 2012, becoming the one-month record for Prius sales ever. The third-generation Prius liftback accounted for 18,008 units (63%); the Prius v accounted for 4,937 units (17%); the
Prius c The Toyota Prius c (''c'' stands for "city"), also known as the ; ''" aqua"'' is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of ...
, for 4,875 units (17%); and the
Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand from 2016 to 2024) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota . The first-generation model was ...
, for 891 units (3%). Another record was set during the Q1 2012, with Prius family sales of 60,859 units, it became the best selling quarter ever. Sales of Toyota Prius family vehicles in California represented 26% of all Prius purchases in the US during 2012. With 60,688 units sold during this year, the Prius became the best selling vehicle in California, ahead of the
Honda Civic The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/Honda City, City and Honda Accord in Honda's global passenger car line-up. The first-generation Civic was introduced in July 1972 ...
(57,124 units) and
Toyota Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Cam ...
(50,250 units). The Prius
nameplate A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informat ...
was again in 2013 the best selling vehicle in California with 69,728 units sold in the state, ahead of the Honda Civic (66,982) and the
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...
(63,194). Toyota sold 223,905 Priuses among the various HEV family members in the US in 2012, representing together a
market share Market share is the percentage of the total revenue or sales in a Market (economics), market that a company's business makes up. For example, if there are 50,000 units sold per year in a given industry, a company whose sales were 5,000 of those ...
of 51% of all hybrid sold in the country that year. A total of 12,750 Prius PHVs were sold in 2012, allowing the plug-in hybrid to rank as the second top selling
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) via an detachable power cable to store electrical energy within its onboard recharg ...
in the US after the
Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle car that was manufactured by General Motors, and also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the ...
, and surpassing the
Nissan Leaf The is a battery-electric car manufactured by Nissan, produced since 2010. It was offered exclusively as a 5-door hatchback until 2025, which since then has become a crossover SUV model. The term "LEAF" serves as a backronym to ''leading envir ...
. The Toyota Prius liftback, with 147,503 units sold, was the best selling hybrid in 2012, the Prius v ranked third with 40,669 units, and the
Prius c The Toyota Prius c (''c'' stands for "city"), also known as the ; ''" aqua"'' is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of ...
was fourth with 35,733 units. Toyota USA estimated that sales of its hybrids models in 2012 would represent 14% of total Toyota sales in the country. Since their inception in 1999, a total of 1.5 million Prius family members have been sold in the US by mid October 2013, representing a 50.1% market share of total hybrid sales in the country. Of these, 1,356,318 are conventional Prius liftbacks sold through September 2013. ''See the section: September 2013 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers: A total of 389,910 hybrid vehicles were sold in the US between January and September 2013.'' Prius family sales also set a record in Japan in March 2012. Accounting for the conventional Prius and Prius α sales, a total of 45,496 units were sold in March 2012, becoming the highest monthly sales ever for any model in Japan since 1997, and representing a market share of 9% of all new car registrations excluding kei cars. The Toyota Aqua sold 29,156 units, ranking as the third top selling car that month. Together, all Prius family vehicles sold 74,652 units, representing 15% of monthly new car sales in March 2012. With a total of 247,230 vehicles sold during the first quarter of 2012, the Toyota Prius family became the third top selling
nameplate A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informat ...
in the world in terms of total global sales, after the
Toyota Corolla The is a series of compact cars (formerly Subcompact car, subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has bee ...
(300,800 units) and the
Ford Focus The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worl ...
(277,000 units). ; Since 2012 US Prius sales have declined every year since their peak in 2012, due to competition from other manufacturers.


Liftback sales


Sales of non-liftback

The following table presents retail sales of the other vehicles of the Prius family by year since deliveries began in 2011 through December 2016.


Design and technology

The Prius is a power-split or series-parallel (full) hybrid, sometimes referred to as a combined hybrid, a vehicle that can be propelled by gasoline or electric power or both. Wind resistance is reduced by a (0.29 for 2000 model) with a
Kammback A Kammback—also known as a Kamm tail or K-tail—is an automotive styling feature wherein the rear of the car slopes downwards before being abruptly cut off with a vertical or near-vertical surface. A Kammback reduces aerodynamic drag, thus ...
design to reduce air resistance. Lower rolling-resistance tires are used to reduce road friction. An electric water pump eliminates
serpentine belt A serpentine belt (or drive belt) is a single, continuous belt used to drive multiple peripheral devices in an automotive engine, such as an alternator, power steering pump, water pump, air conditioning compressor, air pump, etc. The belt may a ...
s. In the US and Canada, a
vacuum flask A vacuum flask (also known as a Dewar flask, Dewar bottle or thermos) is an insulating storage vessel that slows the speed at which its contents change in temperature. It greatly lengthens the time over which its contents remain hotter or coo ...
is used to store hot
coolant A coolant is a substance, typically liquid, that is used to reduce or regulate the temperature of a system. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, chemically inert and neither causes nor promotes corr ...
when the vehicle is powered off for reuse so as to reduce warm-up time. The Prius engine makes use of the
Atkinson cycle The Atkinson-cycle engine is a type of internal combustion engine invented by James Atkinson (inventor), James Atkinson in 1882. The Atkinson cycle is designed to provide Energy conversion efficiency, efficiency at the expense of power density. ...
.


EV mode

When the vehicle is turned on with the "Power" button, it is ready to drive immediately with the electric motor. In the North American second generation Prius, electric pumps warm the engine by pumping previously saved hot engine coolant from a coolant thermos before the internal combustion engine is started. The delay between powering the car on and starting the internal combustion engine is a few seconds. The third generation Prius does not have a coolant thermos. Instead, the engine is heated by recapturing exhaust heat. A button labelled "EV" maintains Electric Vehicle mode after being powered on and under most low-load conditions at less than . This permits driving with low noise and no fuel consumption for journeys under , Longer journeys are possible as long as the speed is kept below , acceleration is kept low and the battery has enough charge. The engine starts automatically when the battery starts to run low. Prior to the 2010 model, the North American model did not have the "EV" button, although one can be added to enable the "EV" mode supported internally by the Prius Hybrid Vehicle management computer. For the North American market, the third generation can remain in EV mode until depending on throttle and road gradient.


Batteries

There are two batteries: the high voltage (HV) battery pack, also known as the traction battery, and a 12-volt battery known as the low voltage (LV) battery. The traction battery of the first generation Prius update (2000 onwards) was a
sealed Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal (em ...
38-module
nickel metal hydride Nickel is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and Ductility, ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive ...
(NiMH)
battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...
pack with a capacity of 1.78kWh at a voltage of 273.6V, and weighing and is supplied by Japan's Panasonic EV Energy Co. They are normally charged between 40 and 60% of maximum capacity to prolong battery life as well as allow headroom for
regenerative braking Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy or potential energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. Typically, regenerativ ...
. Each battery pack uses of
lanthanum Lanthanum is a chemical element; it has symbol La and atomic number 57. It is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes slowly when exposed to air. It is the eponym of the lanthanide series, a group of 15 similar elements bet ...
, and each Prius electric motor contains of
neodymium Neodymium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is the fourth member of the lanthanide series and is considered to be one of the rare-earth element, rare-earth metals. It is a hard (physics), hard, sli ...
; production of the car has been described as "the biggest user of
rare earths The rare-earth elements (REE), also called the rare-earth metals or rare earths, and sometimes the lanthanides or lanthanoids (although scandium and yttrium, which do not belong to this series, are usually included as rare earths), are a set of ...
of any object in the world." The LV battery provides power to the computer and various accessories such as wiper motors, headlights etc. The Second Generation Prius contains a 1.310kWh battery, composed of 28 modules. Each battery module is made of six individual 1.2V 6.5Ah Prismatic NiMH cells in series forming a 7.2V 6.5Ah module with 46Wh/kg energy density and 1.3kW/kg output power density. Each module contains an integrated charge controller and relay. These modules are connected 28 in series to form a 201.6V 6.5Ah battery (traction battery), also known as the energy storage system. The computer-controlled charge controller and battery management computer systems keep this battery between 38% and 82% state of charge, with a tendency to keep the average state of charge around 60%. By shallow cycling the battery, only a small portion of its net available energy storage capacity is available for use (approximately 400Wh) by the hybrid drive system, but the shallow computer-controlled cycling dramatically improves the cycle life, thermal management control, and net long term calendar life of the battery. Active cooling of this battery is achieved by a blower motor and air ducting, while passive thermal management was accomplished through the metal case design.


Battery life cycle

As the Prius reached ten years of being available in the US market, in February 2011 ''
Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...
'' examined the lifetime and replacement cost of the Prius battery. The magazine tested a 2002 Toyota Prius with over on it and compared the results to the nearly identical 2001 Prius with tested by ''Consumer Reports'' 10 years before. The comparison showed little difference in performance when tested for fuel economy and acceleration. Overall fuel economy of the 2001 model was while the 2002 Prius with high mileage delivered . The magazine concluded that the effectiveness of the battery has not degraded over the long run. The cost of replacing the first generation battery varies between and from a Toyota dealer, but low-use units from salvage yards are available for around . One study indicates it may be worthwhile to rebuild batteries using good blades from defective used batteries.


Air conditioning (HVAC)

The
HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...
system uses an AC
induction motor An induction motor or asynchronous motor is an AC motor, AC electric motor in which the electric current in the rotor (electric), rotor that produces torque is obtained by electromagnetic induction from the magnetic field of the stator winding ...
to drive a sealed-system
scroll compressor A scroll compressor (also called ''spiral compressor'', scroll pump and scroll vacuum pump) is a device for Compressor, compressing air or refrigerant. It is used in air conditioning equipment, as an automobile supercharger (where it is known ...
, a design principle not usually used in automotive applications. Using a scroll compressor increases the efficiency of the system while driving it with an AC induction motor makes the system more flexible, so the AC can run while the engine is off. Because the oil used with the refrigerant gas also flows in the area of the high-voltage motor-windings, the fluid must be electrically insulating to avoid transmitting electric current to exposed metal parts of the system. Therefore, Toyota specifies that a polyolester (POE) oil (designated ND11) is required for repairs. The system cannot be serviced with equipment normally employed for regular cars, which typically use polyalkylene glycol (PAG) oil, as the equipment would contaminate the ND11 oil with PAG oil. According to SAE J2843, the oil provided from maintenance equipment must contain less than 0.1% PAG when filling. One percent PAG oil may result in an electrical resistance drop by a factor of about 10.


Environmental impact


Fuel economy and emissions

; United States Since its introduction, the Toyota Prius has been among the best fuel economy vehicles available in the United States, and for the
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
2012, the Prius family has three models among the 10 most fuel-efficient cars sold in the country as rated by
US Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
(EPA). After the Honda Insight first generation was discontinued in September 2006, the Prius liftback became the most fuel-efficient car sold in the American market, ''Click on the link "Top Fuel Sippers (EPA Ratings, All Years)" Excludes all-electric vehicles''. until it was topped by the
Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle car that was manufactured by General Motors, and also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the ...
in December 2010, as the
plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power so ...
was rated by EPA with an overall combined city/highway gasoline-electricity fuel economy of . According to the EPA, for the model year 2012, and when only gasoline-powered vehicles are considered (excluding
all-electric car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...
s), the Prius c ranks as the most fuel-efficient
compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class—predominantly used in North America—that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, before ...
, the Prius liftback as the most fuel-efficient
mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in ...
, and the Prius v as the most fuel-efficient mid-size
station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...
. ''Click on the tab "Cars (excluding EVs)"''. More fossil fuel is needed to build hybrid vehicles than conventional cars but reduced emissions when running the vehicle more than outweigh this. ; Japan The following table presents fuel economy performance and
carbon emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
for all Prius family models sold in Japan since 1997. The ratings are presented for both, the older official 10-15 mode cycle test and the new JC08 test designed for Japan's new standards that went into effect in 2015, but was already being used by several car manufacturers for new cars. The Prius 2nd generation became the first car to meet Japan's new 2015 Fuel Economy Standards measured under the JC08 test.


Lifetime energy usage

In 2008, the British government and British media requested that Toyota release detailed figures for the energy use and emissions resulting from the building and disposal of the Prius. Toyota has not supplied the requested data to address statements that the lifetime energy usage of the Prius (including the increased environmental cost of manufacture and disposal of the nickel-metal hydride battery) is outweighed by lower lifetime fuel consumption. Toyota states that lifetime saving is 43 percent. , the UK Government Car Service operated over 100 Priuses (the largest part of its fleet) and lists the Prius as having the lowest emissions among its fleet. CNW Marketing Research initially published a study in which they estimated that the total lifetime energy cost of a 2005 Prius was greater than that of a
Hummer H2 The Hummer H2 is a full-size off-road sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was marketed by Hummer and built in the AM General facility under contract from General Motors from 2002 until 2009. It is based on a modified GMT820 GM three-quarter-ton pi ...
. The study has been widely debunked: see for example, "Hummer versus Prius: 'Dust to Dust' Report Misleads the Media and Public with Bad Science".


Electromagnetic field levels

The Prius uses electric motors in the hybrid propulsion systems, powered by a high voltage battery in the rear of the car. There has been some public concern over whether the levels of
electromagnetic field An electromagnetic field (also EM field) is a physical field, varying in space and time, that represents the electric and magnetic influences generated by and acting upon electric charges. The field at any point in space and time can be regarde ...
exposure within the cabin are higher than comparable cars, and what health effects those fields may present, popularized by a 2008 ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' article. Toyota and several independent studies have indicated that aside from a brief spike when accelerating, the electromagnetic fields within the Prius are no different from those of a conventional car and do not exceed the ICNIRP exposure guidelines. A 2013 study by the
Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...
found that patients with implanted cardiac devices such as
pacemakers A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...
and
defibrillators Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). Defibrillation delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''count ...
can safely drive or ride in hybrids or
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) via an detachable power cable to store electrical energy within its onboard recharg ...
s without risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI). The research was conducted using implantable devices from the three major manufacturers and a 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid. The study used 30 participants with implanted devices and measured electric and magnetic fields in six positions inside and outside the Prius, and each position was evaluated at different speeds.


Quietness

''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' reported in February 2007 on concerns that quiet cars like the Prius may pose a safety risk to pedestrians who rely on engine noise to sense the presence or location of moving vehicles. Blind pedestrians are a primary concern, and the
National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is an organization of blind people in the United States. It is the oldest and largest organization led by blind people in that country. Its national headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland. Overview An ...
advocates audio emitters on hybrid vehicles, but it has been argued that increased risks may also affect sighted pedestrians or bicyclists who are accustomed to aural cues from vehicles. However, silent vehicles are already relatively common, and there is also a lack of aural cues from vehicles that have a conventional internal combustion engine where engine noise has been reduced by noise-absorbing materials in the engine bay and noise-cancelling muffler systems. In July 2007, a spokesman for Toyota said the company is aware of the issue and is studying options. In 2010, Toyota released a device for the third-generation Prius meant to alert pedestrians of its proximity.
Click this link for a video showing a demo of the warning sound at different speeds
'.
Japan issued guidelines for such warning devices in January 2010 and the US approved legislation in December 2010. Models equipped with automatically activated systems include all 2012 and later
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
Prius family vehicles that have been introduced in the United States, including the standard Prius, the Prius v, the
Prius c The Toyota Prius c (''c'' stands for "city"), also known as the ; ''" aqua"'' is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of ...
and the
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand from 2016 to 2024) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota . The first-generation model was ...
. The warning sound is activated when the car is traveling at less than and cannot be manually turned off.


Marketing and culture


advertising

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority, an independent body charged with policing the rules of the advertising industry, ruled that a television advert for the Toyota Prius should not be broadcast again in the same form, having breached rules concerning misleading advertising. The advertisement stated that the Prius "emits up to one tonne less per year", while on-screen text included "1 tonne of less than an equivalent family vehicle with a diesel engine. Average calculated on 20,000km a year." Points of contention were the vehicles chosen for comparison, whether "up to' one tonne less" adequately communicated that reductions could be lower, and whether the distance used was appropriate: per year is around a US car's average annual driving distance, while a UK car's is .


Political symbolism

The large number of Prius-owning progressive celebrities in 2002 prompted ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' to dub hybrids "Hollywood's latest politically correct status symbol". Conservatives called "Prius Patriots" also drive the cars because they want to contribute to reducing US dependence on foreign oil. A 2007 ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' article said "Prius Progressives" were becoming an archetype, with American conservative commentator
Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator who was the host of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nati ...
opining that "these liberals think they're ahead of the game on these things, and they're just suckers".Haddock, Vicki
"Oh, so pious, Prius drivers: Smugness drifts over the warming Earth -- is that a bad thing?"
''San Francisco Chronicle'', page D-3, via sfgate.com, 15 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
In July 2007, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' published an article using data from CNW Marketing Research finding that 57% of Prius buyers said their main reason for buying was that "it makes a statement about me", while just 37% cited fuel economy as a prime motivator. Shortly afterwards ''Washington Post'' columnist Robert Samuelson coined the term "Prius politics" to describe a situation where the driver's desire to "show off" is a stronger motivator than the desire to curb
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
. Some conservatives promote the use of the Toyota Prius and other hybrid cars. For example, Jim Road from ''What Would Jesus Drive?'' encouraged people to drive hybrid cars because of the damage that large SUVs and faster cars can do to others. Former
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
(CIA) chief R. James Woolsey, Jr. drives a Prius because of its low fuel consumption. Woolsey noted the volatility of the Middle East, coupled with anti-US sentiment in much of the region. Noting that the high percentage of oil drilled in the Middle East gives vast profits to Middle Eastern regimes, Woolsey believes that it is a patriotic obligation to drive more efficient vehicles. In a ''Motor Trend'' magazine article, Woolsey stated that those oil profits find their way to terrorist groups like
al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
, meaning that Americans who buy inefficient vehicles would, in effect, be indirectly funding terrorism. "We're paying for both sides in this war, and that's not a good long-term strategy," said Woolsey. "I have a bumper sticker on the back of my Prius that reads, 'Bin Laden hates this car.'"


DARPA driverless edition

A driverless version of the Prius was one of six cars to finish the 2007
DARPA Urban Challenge The third driverless car competition of the DARPA Grand Challenge was commonly known as the DARPA Urban Challenge. It took place on November 3, 2007 at the site of the now-closed George Air Force Base (currently used as Southern California Log ...
.


Motorsports

A racing version of the Prius was unveiled by Toyota in 2013. This racing Prius replaces the 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle engine with a 3.4-litre V8 RV8KLM engine which is mid-mounted in the car. The hybrid drivetrain of the car's production Hybrid Synergy Drive is retained but with a larger lithium-ion battery. The RV8KLM is in fact the same engine featured in multiple Le Mans Prototypes such as the Lola B12/60 and Rebellion R-One. The car took class
pole position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
and finished sixth at the
2012 Fuji GT 500km The 2012 Fuji GT 500km was the second round of the 2012 Super GT season. It took place on May 4, 2012. Race results {, class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" ! Pos ! No ! Team ! Drivers ! Chassis ! Tyre ! Time/Difference ! Laps , - ! colspan= ...
. For 2019 a new version of the Prius was unveiled. Based on the Prius PHV GR Sport, this version of the Prius was powered by a 5.4L 2UR-GSE V8 mounted in the front of the car. The hybrid system was retained for this version of the car but only on the #31 car. The Prius was retired from Super GT competition after the
2022 Super GT Series The 2022 Autobacs Super GT Series was a motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars, sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It was the thirtieth season of the JAF Super GT Cha ...
.


Government and corporate incentives

There have been a number of governments with incentives intended to encourage hybrid car sales. In some countries, including the US and Canada, some rebate incentives have been exhausted, while other countries such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands have various or alternative incentives to purchasing a hybrid vehicle. Several US companies offer employees incentives.
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...
will reimburse on the purchase of new hybrid vehicles to full- and part-time associates working more than 20 hours per week.
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
, software company
Hyperion Solutions Hyperion Solutions Corporation was a software company located in Santa Clara, California, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2007. Many of its products were targeted at the business intelligence (BI) and business performance managemen ...
, and organic food and drink producer Clif Bar & Co offer employees a credit toward their purchase of certain hybrid vehicles including the Prius. Integrated Archive Systems, a Palo Alto IT company, offers a subsidy toward the purchase of hybrid vehicles to full-time employees employed more than one year. Travelers Companies, a large insurance company, offers hybrid owners a 10% discount on auto insurance in most US states. The
Farmers Insurance Group Farmers Insurance Group (informally Farmers) is an American insurer group of vehicles, homes and small businesses and also provides other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance has more than 48,000 exclusive and independen ...
offers a similar discount of up to 10% in most US states. In June 2015, the Prius started use as a general purpose patrol car of the
National Police of Ukraine The National Police of Ukraine (, ; /NPU ), often simply referred to as the (), is the national, and only, police service of Ukraine. It was formed on 3 July 2015, as part of the post-Euromaidan reforms launched by Ukrainian president Petro Por ...
. In return for Ukrainian emissions permits under the
Kyoto Protocol The was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is oc ...
, 1,568 cars were supplied by Japan. The
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
is one of the agency beneficiaries of the Toyota Prius (2017 model) hybrid cars donated by the Department of Energy (DOE) through the Japan’s Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) as part of the DOE’s campaign to promote energy efficiency and clean air across the country. Forty-five units of the vehicle will be given to Police Regional Office 8 particularly the areas which were affected by
Typhoon Yolanda Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that is among the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. Upon making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions ...
in 2013 to support the socio-economic recovery of the communities and provide additional police mobility. The official turnover of donation led by Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa, Embassy of Japan to the Philippines, and Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was held on 19 May 2017 at the DOE Sunken Garden in Taguig where representatives of the agency beneficiaries received the key replicas.


See also

* Comparison of Toyota hybrids


References


External links


Toyota Prius Japanese website
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