Fun prius facts?

Here's a fun fact: The Prius does NOT have a reverse gear in the transmission.

the Prius is physically incapable of backing up using the gas engine.

Prius backs up by running the electric drive motor backwards.

Another fun fact:

Prius does NOT have a throttle or brake pedal. It has two computer game controllers that "look" like throttle and brake pedals, but are in fact computer joy sticks.

Google the aviation term F.A.D.E.C.

Yet another mouth breathing, knuckle-dragging, two digit IQ stooge of the oil companies.

Does the metal "Nickel" ring a bell? It's what MONEY is made from.

Not only can Nickel-Metal-Hyride batteries be recycled, but you can make a PROFIT recycling them!!!!

p.s.- If you intend to lie to slander the Prius, try to be original or creative... repeating the same old tired $%^& just shows that you came from the shallow end of the gene pool.

Now get out of this forum before I get nasty!

[&#@%!] the environment. the earth wont last forever so lets use what it has while were still here

Dont comment if you dont know what you are talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun facts:

It takes about 130,000,000 BTU of energy to create, process, ship and install the battery pack used in the Prius.

A gallon of 93-octane gasoline contains approx. 120,000 BTU of chemical potential energy. Divide 130,000,000 by 120,000 to get 1083 gallons of fuel (or the energy equivalent thereof).

That 1083 gallons, at 50 mpg, equates to 54,150 miles' worth of emissions due to driving.

Figure that the Prius, without its battery pack, would achieve mileage slightly better than that of the Yaris (figure 45 mpg, as opposed to the Yaris's 42 mpg, approx.). Subtract that from the mileage it achieves with its battery pack (50 mpg), and you get a difference of 5 mpg, or 10%. For 54,150 miles to equal a 10% improvement in mileage, the car would have to travel 541,000 miles, by which time the battery pack would have been replaced at least 3 times.

Rather, look toward clean diesel. Diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline engines by nature. Granted, diesel fuel only contains about 80,000 BTU per gallon, as opposed to 120,000 from gasoline, but the nature of a diesel engine- with a compression ratio as high as 15, as compared to 9 or 10 for a gasoline engine-demonstrates how it is able to turn that chemical potential energy into mechanical energy at a much higher rate of efficiency. Couple that with an increased torque output (which means transmissions can be geared to optimize the torque output from the engine), and diesels are clearly mechanically more efficient.

The biggest drawback to diesel fuel is the increased level of nitrous oxide emsissions. However, with emerging technologies from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, urea is being used as an agent to neutralize the emissions. Urea is a common commercial chemical and is widely available, so manufacturing of it is not a concern.
Another drawback many people see from diesel engines is the amount of particulate matter they release. Particulate matter, however, when it leaves the troposphere and enters the stratosphere, merely becomes a base for the condensation of a water droplet. A denser concentration of particulates relates to a denser cloud, with increased albedo (reflectivity). Increased albedo would help cool the planet in two ways: It would mean that more of the sun's light gets reflected back into space, and it would mean that the clouds are physically denser, and holding more water. Thus, precipitation would be heavier, and this would have a cooling effect.

We have almost 50 ppm of CO2 in our atmosphere more than is considered allowable to keep Earth's temperature stable. It is absolutely imperative that we focus on cutting carbon emissions as much as possible. There are cars available in Europe which achieve 75 mpg, using small, turbocharged diesel engines. If America is to truly make an impact toward helping to curb global warming, diesel is the way of the future. It is a beautiful sight to see people buying hybrid cars with the intention of saving the planet. Frankly, it's about time we started caring for our home. I'm sorry, but if you bought a hybrid with the hope of helping to actually reduce your carbon footprint, you've been misled by hype.

This may be TRUE for other Pruis owners as well !!!

My Pruis is MORE LIKELY to be involved in an AUTO ACCIDENT than any of the other cars I own.... including my Jeep and motorcycles...

And for those of you that DO NOT OWN a Pruis you may find this hard to understand but for us Pruis owners the reason is quit simple math....

We simply drive our Pruis more often... more places... more fun...

I completely agree- plug-in hybrids are an absolutely fantastic concept. I anxiously away the release of the 2011 Nissan Leaf. Knowing that the mean distance traveled per day by the "average" American commuter is 32 miles, the plug-in hybrid could be an absolutely form of transportation, saving hundreds of gallons of gasoline per year. Until that day, though, my thesis stands.

The only complained I have read regarding Prius is the steering. It seems an on going problem yet to be resolved.

I believe the benefits outweighed that problem by far.

this car is the best

I am on the same page as Jeremy Clarkson - The Hummer, that does 1 mile per gallon is far more economic than any hybrid. I guess Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars (that cost the environment in the compression process) will be the next big thing. When people realise that money drives everything, and that as an existence, we are really too insignificant to affect or destroy our planet, the better. Efficiency theories are great, really interesting, but that's where it stops. Our planet will exist long after we're gone together with all the hybrids we drove when we were here. This forum will be quantum of solace to the next life form that inhabit our earth. Get real!

I can only speak for the 2008 Prius. According to the shop manuals (4 books, about 20lb) the smart key itself has three factory pre-programmed codes. These are "burned" into the key, and cannot be changed or reset. Doors, ignition, anti-theft.

It is the CAR's computer that is "programmed" to accept the code from a key.

The key itself is not reprogrammed.

If the key is also from another 2006 Prius, I cannot see any reason it could not be programmed into your car's computer.

Except for the possiblity that your Toyota dealer is LYING to you in order to sell you a $250 blank key....

Exactly correct!
Not only recyclable, but repairable. I can disassemble my prius battery safely, due to the exceptional engineering that went into its design (mid-battery removable safety power link) and replace individual cells. And recycle the cells.
The US gov't is a rabid dog on Toyota currently. All political. My Prius isn't perfect. But the small problems can be easily addressed. These are nothing like the past problems our crappy Detroit union-centric manufacturers have had difficulty with. Remember the Pinto fuel tank explosions? Or pickup truck fuel tank location causing excessive chance for fire in a crash? Or all those defective Dodge minivan trannies that used old smaller car internal parts, and would die at 60k miles like clockwork?

Let Toyota alone, The Prius is an amazing piece of technology. I just built a home power generator similar to priups.com. I now can connect a cable in the prius to the garage, throw a switch, press the prius power button and have clean, instant emergency power for my house, so long as there is fuel in the car. Nice to know given the 3rd paralyzing snowstorm bearing down on us as I type!! :-)

The prius is crap you would better off buying a 1964 chevrolet impala

Well, I'm not a greenie and not much for saving the whales, a spotted toad or some forgotten species of minnow. I'm about dollars and cents. I went into a Toyota dealer to see if I would even fit in a clown car like the Yaris. They didn't have one, so I took a Prius for a ride. Before the test drive was over I knew I wanted one. I couldn't care less if the battery pack contributes to global warming or solar wind, 45-55 miles per gallon make driving fun again. The car is peppy and handles well. After the POS Obama Motors Chevy Colorado I had with all it's weird electrical problems that they never heard of, that other forums have hundreds of posts on, the Prius so far is a breath of fresh air.

Absolutely false statement! I know no one that has replaced their battery for 1. I have also checked with several dealers I deal with and they also have never replaced one single battery, some for over 10 years.

If we got the PIHV prius we would not buy hardly any fuel. As a self professed cheapskape I hate to pay taxes we all know that much of the money we pay when we buy a gallon of fuel us road tax (USA). If I had the PIHV I would probably save enough money to pay for the car even sooner than current projections with the 07 prius. According to my math when we get to 120K miles we will have saved in fuel what the car cost us.
Now with the PIHV prius you will have to use electricity to refuel and that will not be free but according to estimates it will cost 1.00 in electricity to drive that gallons worth of distance compared to $3.05 and we could easily install solar panels to replinish the juice used to refuel the car. The break even point on a solar install is usually around 7 years. This means that after initial investment of the car and panels we will literally be running our car on sunshine.
Drive to work 6 miiles one way drive home is 8 miles since a stop at the library and gym is in order face it folks the PIHV will be nothing but NET.
Now am I going out and buying the car today? I dont think so the 07 has but 76K miles we are not even half way through its life the dealership would have to give us a VERY RESPECTABLE OFFER to get us in the new PIHV. I figure every 1K miles we drive the 07 we can deduct $160 from the car price so 78K times $160 that would be $12,480 difference of 6,820 chip on $2K for other expenses and the have a deal. If I got 10K trade for the car I would do the deal this is not too much to ask for a toyota under 90K miles.
I hate debt but this is about the only car I would go into debt for since it would save us so much money.