Which Car Gets the Best MPG?
In recent months, there has been a great amount of interest in cars that get the best gas mileage (mpg). The Toyota Prius is the most widely-available, commercially successful fuel-efficient car on the market today. The Prius represents a synergy of design, engineering and styling that magnifies its ability to save on gas.
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Significance
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Hands down the most fuel efficient vehicle on the road is the Toyota Prius. With a reported 48 miles per gallon (MPG) in the city and 45 on the highway, the hybrid Prius is in high demand. Due to that demand, there is a waiting list for new ones, sometimes up to 6 months or longer. Prius is considered the vanguard of hybrid technology and in fact, older Prius technology was purchased by the Ford motor company to use in many of their vehicles.
Function
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Toyota's "hybrid" technology combines a battery-run electric motor with a small internal combustion engine to power the vehicle. In city driving, the electric motor takes over, allowing the car to utilize only a fraction of the gasoline than even the best internal combustion engine. On the highway, in order to maintain a high level of speed, the internal combustion engine takes over, allowing the electric components of the vehicle to rest. The result is a car that gets better fuel mileage in the city than on the highway.
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Features
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There are several features that allow the hybrid engine of a Prius to attain its high fuel efficiency. One is the ability of the car to make use of the different forms of energy generated while it is being driven. This energy is then used to recharge the batteries. For example, when brakes are applied on any car, the forward motion of the car is arrested by friction between the brake pads and the brake drums. The result is energy dissipated in the form of heat. Toyota engineers use a thermovoltaic conductor to turn some of that heat energy into electricity which is in turn used to recharge the batteries. Similarly, while driving, acceleration is handled more with the internal combustion engine than the electric portion. The engine then recharges the batteries if needed.
Misconceptions
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A Prius straddles the line between the much-maligned electric car and the gas-guzzling internal combustion engine and as such there are some general misconceptions about the car. First, unlike a truly electric car, the Prius does not need to be plugged into an electrical outlet overnight or while not in use. This is because the bank of rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries use alternate sources of recharging. Another misunderstood idea is that the Prius will not run out of fuel. Since it uses an internal combustion engine, it is possible for the vehicle to run out of gas and cease operating just like our current vehicles. Finally, there is some speculation that the nickel used in making the batteries makes the vehicle less "green" than it is purported to be. In fact, the amount of nickel used is less than what goes into the body and components of an average car and about one-third the amount used in the body frame of a Hummer H2.
Expert Insight
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Toyota is currently working on newer versions of hybrid technology that will utilize the energy generated by the car's motion and stopping more efficiently. While some so-called "super milers" claim to be able to stretch the Prius' technology to 100 or more miles per gallon, they are far from the average consumer. Toyota hopes to make the Prius even more fuel efficient, however, and is aiming for 60 or more miles per gallon by 2012.
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