How Fast Will the Prius Accelerate?

Hybrid cars help save gasoline.

The Toyota Prius is perhaps the most famous hybrid car on earth and an instantly recognizable automotive icon. Its batteries, which are recharged during braking, run in tandem with the gasoline motor to reduce gasoline consumption and aid acceleration.

Technology

The Prius features a conventional gasoline engine as well as an electric motor. The gasoline engine is an in-line four-cylinder, 16-valve cylinder unit with a 1.8-liter capacity. Its maximum power is 98 horsepower. The electric motor is capable of producing an additional 80 horsepower, but since the two units never run at full capacity simultaneously, the combined maximum output is rated at 134 horsepower.

Fuel Economy

The Prius is rated at 50 miles per gallon in city driving and 49 miles to the gallon on the highway. Unlike regular vehicles, which consume far more energy in the stop-and-go city traffic, the Prius is more efficient in such low-speed environments, where it can rely mostly on its electric motor.

Acceleration

According to instrumented tests performed by Motor Trend, the Prius accelerates from zero to 60 miles per hour in 10.6 seconds; not exactly sports car territory but not painfully slow either. The vehicle covers the quarter mile in 17.9 seconds with a trap speed of 77.7 mph.

References

• Motor Trend: Comparison: 2010 Honda Insight vs 2010 Toyota Prius