Road & Track Hybrid Test Drive

[V8Cobrakid]

I have to put out a correction.

Just because a hybrid is heavier doesn't mean really.. anything... except less mpg for now. In the future this will change. slowly, yet surely.

our RX400h stays in electric mode a lot longer than my prius. It has a lot more electric power ( like the Camry ) and will be able to use the electric power more often because the regenerative braking is improved. I can accelerate with traffic in our 400h and go up to 30mph while still staying up with traffic. No way could i do this in my prius. it isn't powerful enough.

As for breaking. the 400h has a guage. I found that if around 45.. i wouldn't say it's a light braking.. but enough where the sytem knows to break. it throws the chargle needle to a good almost full charge.. but provides me with a full electric breaking (till i hit low speeds, then i can feel the normal breaks) and this breaking effect last around... probably 300 to 500 yards. probably more. i'll measure one of these days.

i've found the prius to charge a lot under this same breaking example too. I just don't have the instant feed back to prove it.

i used to do just a light breaking.. but now i do more of a "medium" breaking... as long as i don't feel the mechanical breaks kick in.

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah. The newer Toyotas have a Power Meter in place of a tach. It goes to the blue area when recharging by regenerative braking. I assume the more it's regenerating, the deeper into the blue area the needle goes?

[Begreen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(V8Cobrakid @ Apr 6 2006, 07:09 PM) [snapback]236098[/snapback]</div>

I have to put out a correction.

Just because a hybrid is heavier doesn't mean really.. anything... except less mpg for now. In the future this will change. slowly, yet surely.

our RX400h stays in electric mode a lot longer than my prius. It has a lot more electric power ( like the Camry ) and will be able to use the electric power more often because the regenerative braking is improved. I can accelerate with traffic in our 400h and go up to 30mph while still staying up with traffic. No way could i do this in my prius. it isn't powerful enough.

As for breaking. the 400h has a guage. I found that if around 45.. i wouldn't say it's a light braking.. but enough where the sytem knows to break. it throws the chargle needle to a good almost full charge.. but provides me with a full electric breaking (till i hit low speeds, then i can feel the normal breaks) and this breaking effect last around... probably 300 to 500 yards. probably more. i'll measure one of these days.

i've found the prius to charge a lot under this same breaking example too. I just don't have the instant feed back to prove it.

i used to do just a light breaking.. but now i do more of a "medium" breaking... as long as i don't feel the mechanical breaks kick in. [/b]

Hey CobraKid. This is illuminating and good info. But please!!! The word is braking, not breaking. Brake=stopped, break=fractured. Please stop breaking the English language.

PS this is a common problem, not picking on you. Good info should have correct spelling, especially when it changes the meaning (and stops seach engines from finding this info).

[cwerdna]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Begreen @ Apr 6 2006, 08:42 PM) [snapback]236153[/snapback]</div>

Hey CobraKid. This is illuminating and good info. But please!!! The word is braking, not breaking. Brake=stopped, break=fractured. Please stop breaking the English language.

PS this is a common problem, not picking on you. Good info should have correct spelling, especially when it changes the meaning (and stops seach engines from finding this info).
[/b]

Yup, people using the wrong word: breaking instead of braking and you're vs. your is a big pet peeve of mine.

[DaveinOlyWA]

very impressive. hard to believe the Camry hybrid's mileage was so close to the civic. pretty strong statement on which system is better imo

[bsoft]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(V8Cobrakid @ Apr 6 2006, 08:09 PM) [snapback]236098[/snapback]</div>

I have to put out a correction.

Just because a hybrid is heavier doesn't mean really.. anything... except less mpg for now. In the future this will change. slowly, yet surely.

our RX400h stays in electric mode a lot longer than my prius. It has a lot more electric power ( like the Camry ) and will be able to use the electric power more often because the regenerative braking is improved. I can accelerate with traffic in our 400h and go up to 30mph while still staying up with traffic. No way could i do this in my prius. it isn't powerful enough.

As for breaking. the 400h has a guage. I found that if around 45.. i wouldn't say it's a light braking.. but enough where the sytem knows to break. it throws the chargle needle to a good almost full charge.. but provides me with a full electric breaking (till i hit low speeds, then i can feel the normal breaks) and this breaking effect last around... probably 300 to 500 yards. probably more. i'll measure one of these days.

i've found the prius to charge a lot under this same breaking example too. I just don't have the instant feed back to prove it.

i used to do just a light breaking.. but now i do more of a "medium" breaking... as long as i don't feel the mechanical breaks kick in.
[/b]

As far as the acceleration goes, are you referring to pure-electric mode? I don't have the EV mod installed, but I think that the chief factor relating to the Prius not being able to accelerate on pure-electric power is the fact that the system "likes" to use the engine; electric can certainly be advantageous at times, but until we get a PHEV, remember that any electric boost from the battery has to be recharged by power that comes from the engine - with an efficency loss (excluding, of course, downhill situations).

[tomdeimos]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bsoft @ Apr 15 2006, 05:05 AM) [snapback]240100[/snapback]</div>

As far as the acceleration goes, are you referring to pure-electric mode? I don't have the EV mod installed, but I think that the chief factor relating to the Prius not being able to accelerate on pure-electric power is the fact that the system "likes" to use the engine; electric can certainly be advantageous at times, but until we get a PHEV, remember that any electric boost from the battery has to be recharged by power that comes from the engine - with an efficency loss (excluding, of course, downhill situations).
[/b]

Keep in mind the next Prius will do the same. Accelerate all electric. And the bigger car with a bigger engine has a much higher electric acceleration capability due to the engine being big and inefficient at a greater load.
So the break even point where the engine is lower loss is much greater.

[djasonw]

I too found the stats for the Camry Hybrid quite compelling. I wonder what they will pick on now i.e. the press.? I still love my Prius.

[galaxee]

the TCH is gonna give everyone a run for their money. i can't wait to see one!