(music) Despite my best efforts at that intro, the
Toyota Prius isn’t the coolest car on the block. If you’re ordering a Lyft or an Uber, chances
are one of these will turn up to whisk you away. And with the world gravitating towards electric
vehicles, the hybrid Prius seems like just another Toyota misstep, like their attempt
to sell us cars using hydrogen fuel cells. But the Prius’ economical hybrid powertrain
has likely saved more than 5 billion gallons of petrol from being burned since it was introduced.
Just why did Toyota start looking into hybrids, and are hybrids really a dead end
technology? This is the Toyota Prius Story. (music) The Prius wasn’t the first hybrid – far from it!
Ferdinand Porsche created the Lohner-Porsche Mixed Hybrid at the end of the 19th century. Each wheel
had an electric motor, powered by batteries, and those batteries were charged by a generator that
ran on petrol. But with petrol being cheap and the nascent state of battery technology, hybrid
cars didn’t make a lot of sense until the advent of better batteries, and higher petrol prices!
In 1993 the US Government started an initiative to encourage car makers to make mainstream
full-size cars dramatically more fuel-efficient. Toyota applied to join this initiative, but
it quickly became clear this had been set up as an American boys-only club for Ford, GM &
Chrysler, and funding would only be given to them. The big three made some progress, and the gains
spooked Toyota. They’d spent decades fighting for market share in the world biggest auto market, and
didn’t want to see one or all of Detroit’s finest create a car that would beat Toyota’s own Camry on
fuel economy. The American high-mileing prototypes were using diesel engines with an electric motor
and batteries to get up to 80mpg (2.94 l/100 km), including regenerative braking
to recharge the batteries. But in truth Toyota already had a programme
looking into a low emission vehicle – the “Earth Charter” that was a reaction to the
late 1980s concern over global warming. The Earth Charter was repurposed to take
on Detroit’s new cars that were looking into hybrid technology. Toyota’s engineers
used two key documents to help them – a 1942 book on Torque Converters by American Peter
Heldt, and a 1969 technical paper from TRW, who’d invented a novel hybrid system after
being given US Government money to look into cleaner engines in the 1960s. Around that
time GM had demonstrated various EV concepts, including a hybrid and I talk a little bit
about it in my video about 1960s and 70s EVs. So Japanese Toyota benefitted from
American know-how from the 1940s and 60s, in some cases paid for by the US taxpayer, but
that’s not to denigrate Toyota’s engineers. They were smart enough to see improving
battery technology make this technology usable, and there’s years of hard work to turn a prototype
like that demonstrated by TRW into something that can go into mass production and work
day in, day out from Alaska to the Sahara. The solution they landed on threw out the regular
gearbox, and instead used two motor generators. They’re called motor generators because they
work both as motors to power the driveshaft to make the car move, but also as generators to
slow the car and store the energy into batteries. The engine’s also attached to the driveshaft, but
the hybrid system allows it to run in an ideal rev range that optimises fuel economy, or not at all
if the car’s stopped or moving slowly. The ability to start or stop the engine easily had been
pioneered by Toyota with the Crown in 1974, so they were already familiar with implementing it.
This ingenious system of two motor generators and a planetary gear system that acted as a clutch
of sorts produced a more efficient powertrain. If you want to learn more about
how Toyota’s hybrid system works, there’s links to a couple of excellent
videos you can check out in the description. Charging a cell phone or laptop uses a steady
stream of electrons from a charger to slowly charge the battery. On a vehicle recharging
comes more erratically, and violently with sudden braking. Batteries don’t like this, so Toyota
chose to store energy in capacitors that are more forgiving of this type of charging but can’t
store much energy. It was thought that this was ideal for driving, but over time it was found that
nickel-metal hydride batteries would work better. Rather than charging and discharging them between
0 and 100%, to keep them healthy for years they were only charged between 40% and
60%, even though 40% appears as empty and 60% as full. That would give Toyota
the confidence to put a 10 year 150,000 mile (240,000 km) warranty on the battery pack.
So, while Ford, GM and Chrysler were still planning their fuel busting full-size cars,
Toyota revealed the Prius concept in 1995. The name “Prius” was Latin for “prior”
or “before”. The Prius would be the car that would come before a whole new
generation of highly fuel-efficient cars that used the hybrid drivetrain. Inside was an
interior suitable for a prototype – loud colours, LCD panels and big Teletubby buttons.
But this was all smoke and mirrors – when they showed off the Prius concept they had
yet to even fire up the car’s powertrain. I’m sure it was natural for other auto
makers to think this was just another show car that would become a footnote in
history. But just two years later, in 1997, Toyota revealed the finished Prius to the world.
The California-styled body had barely changed. To get a low drag of just 0.29, designers had raised
the seating position slightly, making it easier to get in and out of the car, and this would be
adopted by other mainstream cars in the future. Inside those oversized controls had been tamed,
but still featured an expensive LCD screen front and centre showing the main event – the status of
the Prius’ hybrid system. By showing how energy was being used, it was hoped it could encourage
careful driving habits to increase real world fuel economy. While the drivetrain was revolutionary,
the gear shifter still featured the familiar Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive, plus a new “Brake”
option. This was useful on steep hills, using the motor generator to provide extra slowing
power, like a low gear on an automatic gearbox. The Prius was only sold in Japan, but customers
there loved it. Competitors soon started importing them to find out just what Toyota
was up to! The motoring press warmed to it, and the Prius went on to win many awards. It
sold at a reasonable price, but rivals estimated it cost Toyota twice as much to produce it. But
if Toyota was making a loss they were undaunted and went all in on producing hybrids. They could
see costs coming down as economies of scale kicked in, and they predicted by 2005 hybrids
would account for a third of all cars produced. Toyota didn’t have the hybrid market
all to itself for long though. Honda had been working on a simpler hybrid vehicle
which they released as the Insight in 1999. Where the Prius could get a combined 58 miles per
imperial gallon (4.9L/100 km), the Insight could get 64 (4.4L/100 km) from its tiny 3-cylinder
1.0L engine. The Insight’s engine was so small, and the car was so light that YouTube
channel Robot Cantina used a lawnmower engine in one with very cool results! Check
it out at the link in the description. But Honda’s Insight was less practical,
with just two seats and a hypermiling shape. Honda was quick to export their new car, beating
Toyota to the punch, but like the fable of the tortoise and the hare, the first off the line
doesn’t always win the race. Sales of the 2-seat Insight never reached the levels of the 5-seat
Prius. Honda lost money on each one sold and ended production in 2006, replacing it
with a direct Prius competitor in 2010. Although sales of the initial model had been
modest, this all seemed to be according to Toyota’s plan, who was still working to
make their hybrid system bullet-proof. As testing got underway outside of Japan, it
became clear that the Prius wasn’t happy in hot climates and at high altitudes. Toyota’s
temporary fix was to tell drivers to pull over when the Prius was having problems, but it’s clear
they needed to produce a better solution. By 2000 a few improvements had been introduced, and the
power of the engine and hybrid system increased. This was mainly to satisfy the longer distances
and higher speeds demanded in the American market, but the Prius was soon exported all
over the world. Customers found that, rather than being a confusing car with
hypermiling compromises, the Prius drove and operated just like any regular car.
Naturally the car was a draw to customers who wanted to lower their impact on the
environment, and Toyota was keen to appeal to this market with commitments to recycle as
much of the car at the end of its useful life. To allay concerns of reliability or depreciation,
competitive leasing options were also available. By the time the first generation ended
production, over 120,000 had been produced. The Prius’ saloon shape, combined with
rear-mounted batteries resulted in limited boot space. Engineers had been producing cars
with a Kammtail teardrop shape since the 1970s, delivering a lower drag profile. Toyota knew
they could use this shape to further lower drag while giving the car more storage space, and
this would become the signature Prius shape with the new 2003 second generation. The 15cm (6”)
longer wheelbase not only helped with boot space but was a boon for rear passengers! The drag
coefficient from this 5-seater was just 0.26, just a little more than the 2-seat Honda Insight.
Both battery capacity and weight shrank, partly through an expanded 40% to 80% charging
range. The engine and motor power increased, which understandably increased acceleration but also
fuel economy. The second generation hybrid system, now branded as a “Hybrid Synergy Drive”,
better captured lost energy whilst braking. Toyota realised that drawing power from the
reserve batteries made more sense than the engine, so the air conditioner now ran off electricity,
as did the power assisted steering. This simplified the powertrain, so reducing costs.
As was fitting for such an advanced car, it would get some of the latest technology features such
as push button start and parking assist. The new Prius could be powered purely by the batteries
for the first time – but only short distances. Really short – just over a mile (2 km)!
Toyota ramped up production for the expected demand. And that demand came, with sales leaping
almost four-fold in 2004, and sales would continue a steep rise. As Toyota started to prove that
hybrids weren’t a loss-leader, but actually were a real competitive advantage, competitors
rushed to catch up. GM announced a partnership with DaimlerChrysler to produce a hybrid
powertrain in 2004. Ford was quicker off the mark, introducing a hybrid Ford Escape in 2005.
And Hyundai started offering hybrids in 2008. Nissan started offering a
hybrid in the Altima in 2007, but embarrassingly for them they had to go cap
in hand to their big rivals Toyota to use theirs. As the competition scrambled to catch up, Toyota
was already expanding its hybrid line-up to more than just one car. The Alphard became a hybrid in
2003, and the Highlander and Lexus RX followed two years later. By 2011, 14 different Toyota
and Lexus models had a hybrid option, all using essentially the same well thought out hybrid
design Toyota had first designed 15 years before. If there’s an award for the most inappropriate
tie-in, it should be given to the Prius “GT Concept”. The fuel sipping car was stripped of all
essential gear, tuned, given beefier 16” wheels(!) and a roll cage and painted in the colours of
the Toyota Formula 1 team. Or given the Formula 1 team’s lacklustre performance, maybe it was
supposed to be their new race car! Regardless, this fevered creation was, at least according
to Toyota, only ever meant to be a concept. The Prius got a small update in 2005,
with a slightly revised front end, higher resolution LCD screen, option of a
backup camera, and side-curtain airbags, but the Prius stayed mainly the same. Quite
right too, as sales were booming. The 2nd generation sold about 10 times more than the 1st
generation over roughly the same time period. That meant Toyota had to get the 3rd generation
Prius right. Outside it looked almost the same as the previous generation, but Toyota again
managed to reduce drag. It went on a diet with various parts now made of aluminium, but with
more modern conveniences like a heads-up display, and radar cruise control, the new car actually
weighed more. To continue to sell to drivers concerned about the environment, Toyota used
greener bioplastics derived from wood and grass. But although it looked very similar to
the previous car, the chassis was all new, and was shared between many other vehicles,
including the latest generation Corolla, which would get its own hybrid version by 2013.
A novel new feature was a solar powered roof that powered a fan to reduce heat build-up when the
car was parked, and the driver could use it to power the air conditioning before they got
into the car. It was originally intended to charge the battery as well, but engineers found
doing so caused interference with the radio. Under the hood, the hybrid system was overhauled
yet again, with 90% of the components redesigned. The 1.5L engine was expanded to 1.8L,
producing more power, yet despite this larger engine the Prius went even further on a
full tank. The larger engine increased torque, reducing engine revs which produced better fuel
economy at highway speeds. With an electric water pump, the engine got rid of the final accessory
belt, again further simplifying the car. LED lighting further reduced electricity draw.
New “Eco” and “Power” modes allowed the driver to choose between fuel economy and performance,
although we’re talking about a Prius here, so don’t get your hopes up about that “Power”
mode! I’m sure Toyota worked some electronics magic to produce different driving profiles with
these different modes, but to be honest I’ve had a hard time spotting the difference between
driving modes on cars I’ve driven. I sometimes wonder if pushing the “Eco” button just turns
a little green LED on to make you feel better. When more cars began running purely on electric
power, there was a concern that these near-silent cars could hit pedestrians who didn’t hear the
car coming. This led Toyota to producing an add-on which played a sound when the car was driving
slowly, described by some as sounding like a “deranged spaceship”! Despite the UK finding no
correlation between pedestrian accidents and EV driving, China, the EU and the US have
implemented rules mandating all vehicles driving slowly on electric power to emit some
noise. With today’s quiet internal combustion engines and additional soundproofing,
the loudest sound, at least to my ears, seems to come from the wheels which makes both
types of vehicles about as loud as each other. The Prius got its mid-cycle refresh in 2011,
and it was joined by the Prius c, or Aqua. The same length as the original Prius, but
built off the chassis from the Toyota Yaris, the ‘c’ stood for “city”, and designed for
people who wanted a slightly smaller hybrid. It proved to be particularly
popular in its home market of Japan, but less so around the world, where buying a more
fuel-efficient regular Prius made more sense. The Prius +, V or α depending on where you live
offered a slightly larger MPV shape based on the same Prius platform and powertrain. Rear
cargo space was 50% larger, and the car introduced the world to Toyota’s new Entune
multimedia, navigation and telematics system, but the drag coefficient and fuel
economy took a hit over the regular car. Toyota had been experimenting with a plug-in
hybrid Prius since 2006 by replacing the nickel metal hydride battery pack with a larger, more
powerful lithium-ion pack, and allowing it to be recharged from the grid. It would take 6 years
until they had a version that was ready for the public, the Prius plug-in hybrid launched in 2012.
It would go toe to toe with Chevrolet’s new Volt, released in Europe as the Ampera. But where the
Volt could go around 40 miles (61 km) before it needed to use the internal combustion engine, good
enough for a trip to work or to the shops, the range of the Prius plug-in hybrid wasn’t anything
to write home about. Instead of being able to get around a mile (2 km) on EV power with the regular
Prius, you could now go 14 miles (23 km). Was it really worth even plugging the car in,
especially as it cost thousands more to buy? The public seemed to agree, and the plug-in
Prius sales never seem to have really taken off. The 4th generation Prius in 2015 got Toyota’s
new styling treatment that made it look like a low polygon car from the 80s arcade
game Hard Drivin’! It was a fussy shape, but there was more room inside, and Toyota made
it slippery with an even lower drag coefficient. Inside the displays retained the same layout
as the original Prius, with a central screen, and an instrument cluster centrally mounted
above it. The switches for the heated seats were cleverly hidden from view and reach so
customers wouldn’t waste valuable electricity on something as frivolous as getting warm!
Customers could own the car for years and still never know they’d paid for the feature!
Toyota somehow managed to boost the fuel economy again. It was now 26% more fuel efficient than the
original car. Emissions were so low that certain models were exempt from London’s congestion
charge. Performance wasn’t its strong suit, but it could still accelerate to 60 in 10½
seconds. But old rival Honda produced a new Insight that had very similar figures and cost
less. The competition had finally caught up. Toyota’s head start and expansion of its
hybrid technology to other models meant that by 2016 they’d sold over 10M hybrids over 28
different models. It continued to experiment with a 2019 prototype plastered with solar panels.
Toyota claimed it could get 27 miles (44 km) on electricity if left out in the sun all day.
So, is all this hybrid business really worth it? In the 80s and 90s customers flocked to diesels
because although they were more expensive to buy, over the life of the car they saved you
money. But is this true with hybrids? I’m based in the USA where fuel is cheap, so let’s
compare the cost to buy an internal combustion engine car and a hybrid, put fuel in both of them to
travel 36,000 miles over three years, then sell them. I haven’t included maintenance costs, and
I’ve assumed the price of petrol to be $3.00. If I bought a Toyota Camry, I’d have saved
$1,200 (£861, €995, $1,538 AUD) by buying the hybrid version. I’d also save money with the
Avalon and RAV4, but for the larger Highlander, and for Hondas and Hyundai’s it’s quite the
opposite. You’d pay more if you bought a hybrid. Europe of course is a very different
matter. If I offered you petrol for $3.00 (£2.15, €2.50, $3.80 AUD) a gallon you’d
bite my hand off. Right now petrol is going for more than double that at around £5.50 a British
gallon ($7.70 USD, €6.40, $9.80 AUD). I had a harder time finding petrol and hybrid comparisons.
The best I could find was comparing the Honda CR-V over two years, but even if you sell after
just two years’ you’ll be £2,300 ($3,300 USD, €2,700, $4,200 AUD) better off if you plumped
for the hybrid. The high price of fuel, the flight away from fuel efficient diesels and cheaper
hybrid drivetrains mean that if you want to buy a Toyota Yaris, Corolla, C-HR, RAV4, Camry or a
Highlander you can ONLY get a hybrid drivetrain as there isn’t enough demand for less fuel-efficient
standard drivetrains. Purely petrol models are the reserve of inexpensive, tiny cars like
the AYGO, or full-blooded monsters like the Supra. Nissan, who’s resisted hybrids for years,
announced a major investment strategy into next generation hybrids in 2021. Even Ford,
who took the US Government’s money in the 1990s to make fuel efficient cars has copied Toyota,
and 5 of its 8 mainstream vehicles all come as a hybrid. In the 3rd quarter of 2020, over 10% of
all cars sold in Europe used a hybrid powertrain. Of course, with so many Toyota’s and Lexi using
hybrid engines, where does this leave the Prius? Has it fulfilled its purpose of “to come before”.
Well, in a sense it has. With the Corolla and Prius sharing the same chassis and drivetrain,
there’s very little difference between the two. But the Prius has a place in people’s minds as
a car the puts fuel economy first, and Toyota clearly feels there’s still a place for the brand.
The thing that sparked my interest to do this video was a news article that Toyota was finally
getting on the EV bandwagon. Toyota’s been spending 25 years on hybrids and fuel cells that
now seem like a dead end. Surely they’ve seen the error of their ways now that Tesla seems to be so
far ahead on next generation electric powertrains, and now they’re scrambling to catch up?
Well, I’m not so sure. In the late 1990s Toyota made a bet that they could make hybrids so
cheap that it would be madness not to choose one. That day, in countries that have expensive fuel
at least, seems to have arrived. Yes, they need to catch up with EV technology, but they’ve got a
head start with their in-depth knowledge of motor generators and small hybrid battery packs, or
larger plug-in hybrids. And despite what some Governments are promising, the world isn’t going
to go to just EVs any time soon. Many car owners keep their cars at the side of the road, and the
infrastructure to charge all these cars overnight isn’t going to happen overnight, and no one has
yet produced a battery pack that can be charged as fast as it takes to fill up a petrol car. Nissan
seems to agree hybrids are a good stepping-stone to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Hybrids,
at least today, seem like they were the right bet.
