EV Reviews

The Prius is one of those new fangled hybrid petrol-electric cars from Toyota that runs on the smell of an oily rag using a combination of petrol and electric power. It has an electric motor as well as a small 1.5-litre petrol engine, that work in tandem to produce a maximum 82kW. Toyota claims the Prius uses up to 50 per cent less fuel than an equivalent-sized conventional car. Our tests so far have borne out these claims, but what has really impressed us is the practicality of the vehicle. It's a lot bigger inside than it looks, with plenty of room in the back for two adults. However, we have discovered one flaw in an otherwise spotless report card. It seems you cannot tow anything with a Prius, not a sausage – this for many will rule out the hybrid as being the main family car. When you think about it, dragging a trailer, boat or caravan behind the car is going to prevent the technology from doing its stuff? It wouldn't get a breather during which the system could go into recharge mode – it would be forced to work flat out all the time. To confirm our suspicions, we asked Toyota who in turn was forced to consult the experts back in Japan for a definitive answer. For towing, we are told, it is necessary to reinforce both body and parts which increases vehicle weight, impacting on fuel economy and mileage. It would also be necessary to increase the size of the radiator to ensure satisfactory engine cooling and the HV system, especially when towing uphill. The Prius's engine bay is not large enough to support such a large radiator, and if installed would again increase vehicle weight. So there you have it. What about a bike rack? Well, there is always the option of fitting a rack to the roof. Of course that is going to increase wind drag astronomically. We have, however, read of one inventive owner who has manufactured a rack for the back of the car.  

The Prius is one of those new fangled hybrid petrol-electric cars that runs on a combination of petrol and electric power. Toyota claims it uses up to 50 per cent less fuel than an equivalent sized conventional car. After an initial "getting to know you" period, we have found the car to be just as easy to operate as any other. At the time of writing we have just put in our second tank of gas, with fuel economy running between 5.0 and 5.5 litres per 100km. With the rising cost of fuel, the car has obviously surfaced on the radar of many motorists. Our first report was hardly fish and chips wrapper before we were contacted by one owner welcoming us to the Prius club. Ray Bickerton used to drive a Falcon but he and his wife made the switch because they are "very concerned" about pollution. "Since the Prius reduces pollutant gases by 90 per cent, it seemed a logical choice to put my money where my principles are," Ray said. "As a side benefit the Prius uses only a third of the fuel that the Falcon uses. When the price of fuel rises to $2 per litre as it surely will, the benefit will be very substantial." Apart from the silly space saver spare wheel, Ray has no regrets and says the car is fun to drive. But he did negotiate a full size spare for longer trips, just in case. Ray opted for the i-Tech option pack and says he wouldn't be without it now. The pack includes side and curtain airbags, vehicle stability control, Bluetooth hands-free mobile telephone compatibility, Smart Entry and Start, new generation DVD-based touch- screen satellite navigation and premium JBL audio system. Meanwhile, Mrs Riley has already chalked up a few kilometres behind the wheel of the Prius with few complaints. She particularly likes the split rear window because the lower section remains clear even in the rain. However, she's not too keen on all the questions that people have for her about the car.  

It's one of those new-fangled hybrid cars that run on a combination of petrol and electricity. Toyota has given us one for three months so we can get better acquainted with the technology. A week, which is the normal amount of time we spend in test cars, is just not long enough with this one, especially as we failed to run our first Prius dry. Given our experience with other hybrid and diesel-powered vehicles, we were half expecting to get 1000km out of a single tank. But surprisingly the low fuel light starting flashing long before this at 770km to be exact. Disappointing? No, not if you put the figure in context. The Prius only has a 45-litre fuel tank. Filling the tank to the brim, it took 39.36 litres – which means we still had a bit left in the kit. If you do the maths, that puts our fuel consumption at 5.1 litres for every 100km, or about 55 miles per gallon in the old money. Now, that's a bit more impressive. As well as a smallish 1.5-litre petrol engine, the Prius has an electric motor that provides extra power, especially during acceleration. The petrol engine delivers 57kW of power at 5000rpm and 115Nm of torque at 4000rpm, while the electric motor generates 50kW between 1200 and 1540rpm. Maximum power output, however is restricted to 82kW because the two don't hit their stride at exactly the same time. More interesting, is the torque output of the engine which is a combined 478Nm, giving the car some real punch off the line. The petrol engine automatically switches off when the car is stationary or coasting. You can even run the car for short periods and at low speed using just electric power, kind of a "stealth" mode – although we can't see any great call for this. Power is fed to the front wheels through a continuously variable (CVT) automatic trans- mission. There are no gears and therefore no discernible change points. The transmission performs the dual role of splitting the delivery of energy between the front wheels and generator which powers the electric motor. Any surplus energy generated is stored in the extensive battery system for later use. Braking also regenerates power, so stop-start city driving is not necessarily a bad thing. Toyota claims the Prius uses up to 50 per cent less petrol than an equivalent-sized conventional car and emits about half the carbon dioxide.  

This week we welcome a new member to the family, but this one is not just any car – it's one of those new fangled hybrid Prius thingies. You know - one of the futuristic cars that runs on a combination of petrol and electricity - that uses hardly any fuel. The Prius (pronounced Pree-us) is a Toyota and one of two hybrid petrol-electric cars currently available to Australian buyers. The other is the hybrid version of Honda's Civic sedan, but the Prius is by far and away the better looking of the two. Toyota claims it offers the same kind of performance and interior space as a conventional 2.0-litre car. Fuel consumption is a claimed 4.4 litres per 100km from the 45-litre tank, which gives it quite a range. It's priced from $36,500 and is pretty well equipped. The Prius looks different and, dare we say it, it even looks a little bit sporty. We reckon that's important because if you going to shell out the extra dough for one, then you're going to want people to know that you are driving something special. Esteemed motoring editor Peter Barnwell knows his cars but he wouldn't know one end of a computer from another. Everyone will tell you, however, that I'm a bit of a techno geek and, in that context, I've really been looking forward to spending some quality time behind the wheel of this car. Seeing how far it will go on a single tank and that sort of thing. We've decided that we are not going to treat the Prius differently to any other car, because if the technology is going to succeed – then it needs to fit in with our needs rather than the other way around. Getting into the car and driving it for the first time is a bit of a steep learning curve. For a start, there's no key – just a keyless entry unit that you push into a slot to the right of the steering wheel. After that there's a button to switch things on, then you need to push it again to start the engine so to speak. When we say "start the engine", there's no initial starter motor or engine noise, so it requires a leap of faith. Put your foot on the brake, select Drive and suddenly the car is in motion. We'll check back after we've filled it up for the first time.

There has been more research, development and technology gone into this car than any other car on the road, except fellow hybrid, the Toyota Prius. But unlike the Prius, the Civic is not overburdened with extras. The Prius costs $37,990 for the "base" model and $46,090 for the "I Tech" model with all the bells and whistles. The Civic costs just $29,990. For that you get two engines – one petrol and one electric. How many vehicles have two powertrains for the price of one? The hybrid concept is that a petrol engine is assisted by an electric engine whose battery is recharged by the power of the wheels turning and the brakes working. There is no need to plug it in to recharge. And when the vehicle is stopped at the traffic lights, the petrol engine switches off, saving you buckets of money on your fuel bill. You can make petrol engines frugal, but the savings apply only when the engine is running. The savings with a hybrid are not only when it is running and the electric motor assists, but mainly when the vehicle is stopped and the petrol engine switches off. Here the biggest saving is around town, when the vehicle is frequently stopping. At least that is the theory. In practice, this Civic Hybrid failed to work properly. The electric engine cut in and assisted acceleration so that the instant fuel economy readouts never went north of about 12litres/100km even under heavy throttle. However, the petrol engine failed to switch off when at rest. There must have been some simple electronic fault because the economy switch on the airconditioning also failed to operate and when in this mode, the auto stop function is supposed to activate more frequently. It is a shame, but were it working, it surely would have been a real fuel miser, although not as much as the Prius which can run up to 30km/h on just the electric motor. But even operating in the assist and not auto-stop mode, the Honda's fuel needle hardly moved off full after several trips back and forth to the office. Honda seems to have the right idea about building a hybrid to a budget. After all, a consumer who wants good fuel economy surely also wants a good value car, not necessarily something as accessory-packed and expensive as the Prius. To this end, the Civic has no steering wheel controls, no cruise control, no traction control. But that does not mean it is a rent-a-car. Like all Hondas I have ever driven, it is refined and of the highest build quality, although the interior is looking a little old-fashioned and the instruments are hard to read in bright sunshine. It handles like a front-wheel-drive should. Not a lot of torque steer, not a lot of bonnet lift with light wheels spinning off the line. It has good body balance and does what it is told. Unfortunately, the 1.3-litre VTEC powerplant likes to rev with plenty of intrusive noise and not a lot of go-forward momentum. It needs an update and a few more shovel-loads of torque.

WANT to change the world? Start now! These are the words on the side of my car, and that is what I have been trying to do for the past 30 years of my life. Now I have a real chance – by driving a second-generation Prius hybrid petrol-electric vehicle. Having been a proud and satisfied owner for the past two years of a first generation Prius, I was eagerly awaiting the snazzy-looking, laid back, hybrid synergy drive (whatever that may mean) miracle car. Well, that took place at the Investigator Science and Technology Centre a few weeks ago – and the new Prius is absolutely great. The centre is planning a new Sustainable Energy Workshop project for schools in early 2005 – and if ever there is a car that uses energy sustainably it is the new Prius. Whereas the first generation Prius used 4.7 (up to 5) litres per 100 kilometres and produced 80 per cent less emissions than standard cars, the second generation Prius uses four litres (occasionally up to 4.5 L/100km) and emits 90 per cent less emissions. With the price of crude oil reaching for the stars and three-figure prices featuring at most petrol stations, such consumption is indeed a miracle. Hybrid petrol-electric vehicles emit virtually no greenhouse gases, and their efficiency and ecological sustainability are very good. This second generation Prius is in its own way helping to fix the world. It's a great medium-sized car to drive – smooth, quiet, responsive, and it will go to Port Vincent on Yorke Peninsula at a comfortable 110 km/h. When I stop at the traffic lights the petrol engine turns off, thus saving fuel, but the electric motor is still connected so that when the lights go green I put my foot on the accelerator and off we go (initially on electric power only). When I slow down the energy that is produced is converted into electricity and stored in the battery. The battery does not have to be plugged into mains electricity. All its power comes from the car slowing down or coasting, as well as occasionally being topped up via the petrol engine. If I speed up to 60 km/h and then slightly decelerate, the electric motor switches in for quite a while, thus saving considerable amounts of fuel. I try to drive on the electric motor as much as I can. To say the least, I am indeed very happy with my Prius. Dr Barbara Hardy is a conservationist who founded the Investigator Science and Technology Centre.

Welcome to the hi-tech world of Honda's Civic Hybrid, a rare model which may look similar to other Civic sedans on the road but is much more clever. Its thirst, or lack of it, is the Civic Hybrid's claim to fame. Now that we're growing accustomed to seeing $1-plus signs at servos, there is a lot to like in a car which, even when you're driving with no thought of economy, averages 5.6 litres per 100km (50mpg). That was with four adults on board most of the time, dealing with peak-hour traffic, cruising as fast as the law will allow. And despite this car's sophisticated powerplant, it is happy with standard unleaded, and obviously not too much of that. The helpful Hybrid does so well because instead of a normal Civic's 1.7 litre engine, it has a 1.3 litre unit (borrowed from the much smaller Jazz hatchback), boosted by an electric motor. Energy goes back and forth when needed. A stack of batteries hide behind the back seat, but there is no need to plug it in to be recharged. That's done by energy from the brakes and momentum whenever the car slows. Stop at a traffic light in the Civic Hybrid and everything goes eerily quiet: The engine has switched itself off to conserve fuel, but re-starts automatically when you put your foot down to drive away again. It reacts almost instantly, with just a moment's pause – a stop-start trick that impresses passengers every time. Otherwise, there is not much on the surface to give a clue to the Civic Hybrid's brilliance. Its interior is straightforward, except for an extra dial on the instrument panel with lots of busily-moving graphs which show whether the "motor assist" system is indeed assisting the petrol engine – meaning the electric motor is kicking in– or is being recharged. The Civic Hybrid has none of the gee-whiz, look-at-me factor of its only rival, the Toyota Prius. The Prius (much dearer, but using even less fuel) comes with a space-age look to match the Tomorrowland technology built into these petrol misers. In contrast, Honda's green machine looks like an everyday Civic, hiding its cleverness behind a conservative exterior. Only the keenest of carspotters will notice the small "Hybrid" badge on the tail, modest spoiler on the boot lid, different-design alloy wheels and front bumper. The Hybrid is $3000 more than a normal Civic sedan, but is better equipped – with side airbags, for example – and offers fuel savings which would pay off eventually if it was driven far enough, or the price of petrol climbed high enough. The official fuel numbers suggest the Hybrid would use about two-thirds the fuel of a regular petrol-engined Civic GLi. That sounds like a significant saving, but it still would take many years for the Hybrid owner to get ahead, cost-wise. In the meantime, they should get some warm feeling of satisfaction from driving one of the most efficient cars on the road, with almost no sacrifices. Well, it does lose the convenience of a fold-down back seat, and the boot is smaller because of the battery pack. Also, the Hybrid's spare tyre is the last-resort temporary variety. Pulling up a long, steep hill, being asked to accelerate to 100km/h against gravity, the modest petrol engine starts to sound rather busy, but it never protests. It is a Honda, after all. Instead of a normal automatic gearbox, the Hybrid has a continuously variable transmission. This helps save fuel, and makes for seamless acceleration. It works fine, just like everything else in the Hybrid.

Newsflash. It didn't happen. The Prius was too costly, complicated and threatening – and too much of a stretch for people who are happy to not use plastic bags to help the environment, but won't pay $40,000 for a green-power white elephant. The eco-friendly brigade were also a Honda target for the futuristic-looking Insight, which was even less practical and enjoyable than the Prius. Another loser. But times change. Hybrid cars, too. And the Prius. Toyota went back to basics with the petrol-electric concept and came up with a Prius II that makes far more sense. It could appeal to ordinary Australians intrigued by the idea of a hybrid car, wanting to do something for the environment, and who like a vehicle that's running ahead of the pack. The basics are simple: It has a small-capacity petrol engine and a battery-powered electric "booster" motor for acceleration. The new Prius is said to match the performance of a 2.4-litre Camry, getting to 100km/h in 11 seconds, with overall fuel consumption that's around half the family car's. The hatchback has much more space inside, a Star Wars-style dashboard that includes an instant readout of the hybrid system, and a price of $36,990 – a $3000 cut – to lift showroom appeal. The car now seats five adults and the drag co-efficient has been slashed to an impressive 0.26, against the 0.30-0.32 of most production cars. The value is even better, thanks to everything from electric aircon and steering to cruise control and satellite navigation. Toyota is trumpeting a customer benefit that adds up to about $5000, making an $8000 overall increase in value. The new deal already looks to be working, at least compared with the original Prius. That car was really only a novelty for government departments and educational groups, and it's reflected in tiny sales – 200 cars in two years – and rock-bottom resale prices. But the new Prius is going pretty well in showrooms, with sales of 91 cars in November, compared with 16 for the same month in 2002 with the old model. The Prius will face a new challenge soon when Honda introduces its own second-generation hybrid, a petrol-electric Civic that makes far more sense than the quirky Insight. But for now, its biggest battle is to convince ordinary Australians, not just the greenies, that hybrid power is sensible and cost-effective. On the road Our first drive in the Prius II was a 15-minute cruise around Taren Point, up the road from Toyota Australia's Sydney base. First impressions? It was surprisingly brisk, very roomy, and had styling that helps to emphasise its breakthrough hybrid drive. It didn't make the sort of noises we expect for a car so brisk, with a very subdued engine note, but it did the job. When Toyota launched the car, it trumpeted its radical self-parking system, not yet approved for Australia. And it used Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, the ABC's resident egghead and the man who warns about the dangers of a ¿micro-sleep¿ on the road, to explain the technology. But it was still the car that starred, and we were keen to get one home. Now, after a week with the Prius, we are fans. There are still some bugs, but this Prius is the first hybrid we'd be happy to recommend. The bugs The power steering feels odd, with not enough feedback in corners and a generally woolly' feeling that the suspension angles are wrong. The battery pack means the boot is fairly shallow. And the work on cutting drag and noise means the Prius is extremely quiet – unless a Kenworth truck rattles past your ear, when it can sound as if it's coming in through the door. Still, it's a massive leap forward from the original Prius. That car, to our thinking, was an over-complicated Corolla with a $40,000 price tag, a compromised cabin and boot, and not enough bells and whistles to lure people who rush to have anything new. We don't claim to fully understand the new Prius, except to know it has a baby engine that gets more than enough extra oomph from its battery pack when you want it. It also uses far less petrol and its tailpipe emissions are among the cleanest in the business. What we wanted to know was how it drives. The answer is that it drives pretty well. It gets along surprisingly swiftly, has good overtaking power and strong brakes, and is very, very quiet at all times and all speeds – unless you are rattled by a Kenworth. The only shortcoming is the suspension, which feels under-damped and has settings that would be better in Japan. We've come to expect a firm but compliant ride on local Toyotas, but the Prius is a generation behind. We were also captivated by the roomy cabin, comfy seats, all the standard equipment and a design inside and out that's a bit edgy. The overall shape of the five-door hatch is trendy but not extreme, while the cabin treatment has a funky central display for the hybrid system, satnav, aircon and entertainment. There's a sporty-ish wheel, plenty of storage space and new plastic trims that look more advanced than your average family Toyota. We also liked the way the hybrid drive works so well but gives no real signs of its operation. You can get easily distracted by the dashboard display, which has flashing arrows and revolving wheels and all sorts of colours. Still, we think it's a winner and want to get a car for a longer-term look at what's emerging as the future of motoring.