2010 Toyota Prius Includes Newly-developed Technologies

By: Andy Hodges
Staff Writer
Published: May 20, 2009

2010 Toyota Prius Gets 50 Miles Per Gallon

At a time when the auto industry is facing tough times, Toyota Motor Sales is driving up excitement over its 2010 Toyota Prius. The third-generation hybrid car can achieve up to 50 miles per gallon following breakthrough advances over previous models. The automaker was originally a decade ahead of the rivals when it first introduced the Prius more than 10 years ago.

Over the past decade, Toyota has focused on reducing carbon emissions while providing greater fuel economy. The 2010 Prius was the answer as the automobile went through major revisions to make it lighter and more powerful. Overall, the hybrid vehicle is definitely a nice piece of engineering.

Ten Years To Achieve 2010 Toyota Prius

Prius has been a full hybrid since its first introduction over 10 years ago. This allows the automobile to run on an engine alone, battery alone, or a combination of both. This system blends the best of parallel hybrid to achieve the ability to operate on the electric mode alone, and to charge the batteries while the car is running.

Another nice thing about this Toyota hybrid is that it requires no belts under the hood for better fuel economy and less potential maintenance. This is one of the reasons why this is an eco-friendly car. The driver can also receive feedback, from the multi-information display panel, which can provide help to acquire economical driving habits.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the 2010 Prius is 90 percent newly-developed with significant improvements over previous models. The transaxle is lighter in weight and reduces torque losses by as much as 20 percent in comparison to the previous model. The inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current, has a new direct cooling system to reduce size and weight.

The car has a combined mileage rating of 50 miles per gallon. The Prius is powered by a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle engine with four cylinders. The automobile makes use of an electric water pump and a new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, which contributes to the engine's efficiency. Prius has also adopted a new electronic controlled braking system with control logic optimized to enhance regeneration.

There have been several questions by consumers if they should wait to buy the 2010 Toyota Prius. While we do not provide easy answers or recommendations on which Hybrid car to buy, or when to buy, we can tell you that this vehicle has been fully tested for more than 10 years. This is the third-generation of the Prius.