Cool! I'm driving a 4th generation Prius

[bwilson4web]

Briefly:

• NHW10 - 1.5L, rpm limit 4,000 rpm, sealed transaxle keeping the stators away from the transaxle oil and use of D-cells.
• NHW11 - 1.5L, rpm limit 4,500 rpm, wet transaxle and use of prismatic battery modules.
• NHW20 - 1.5L, rpm limit 5,000 rpm, more powerful transaxle and improved prismatic battery modules.
• ZVW30 - 1.8L, dry-sump transaxle, all gears, and improved battery electronics.

As for numbers, perhaps the easiest approach:

• The first prius, NHW10, was not descended from another. It is not a generation but rather the beginning.
• The next prius, NHW11, was a descendant, a generation of the first.
• The NHW20 was another descendant, the second generation.
• The ZVW30 is the current descendant, the third generation.

Weak but it provides a semantic basis for the curious numbering system. But I prefer the model numbers since it is unambiguous and we don't have to fight the strange model year problem we have in the USA.

Bob Wilson

[spinkao]

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

I ran into the same numbering problem and simply adopted:

• NHW10 - 1997-2000
• NHW11 - 2001-2003
• NHW20 - 2004-2009
• ZVW30 - 2010-current

It is unambiguous and correctly identifies the vehicle.

Bob Wilson

Well, ZVW30 - 2010-current would mean 2010-2009 for now . I propose to alter it to 2009-current, makes better sense in my opinion. I now you guys at the other side of the pond call it the 2010, but we still have 2009 back here in good ol' Europe .

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by spinkao

Well, ZVW30 - 2010-current would mean 2010-2009 for now . I propose to alter it to 2009-current, makes better sense in my opinion. I now you guys at the other side of the pond call it the 2010, but we still have 2009 back here in good ol' Europe .

Agreed! In the "Prius Technical Stuff" group we often ask folks to check their VIN numbers since it includes the model number.

Bob Wilson