Why do people think the Prius "runs on electricity?"?

Question

Does the Prius come with a plug? Not yet.

So where exactly did this electricity come from?

The answer is from either: (1) the alternator which consumes GASOLINE to turn it or (2) the regenerative braking system when slowing down.

I'm not saying hybrid technology doesn't have its use, I only want to understand how so many people think that the hybrid "runs on electricity."

The only thing you ever put into a hybrid is gasoline. (Though I guess a diesel hybrid and a hydrogen hybrid will probably out soon.)

Finally, what exactly is the range of a Prius without a gasoline engine? Someone suggested this had been done by someone and I would think it would only be a few miles.

Answer 1

Probably the same reason most think an electric car does not cause air pollution. Most people are not very technical. They just know what the news media and marketing tells them. Many times this is not correct or complete because both have a bias to their message.

Answer 2

Sometimes people are just curious and want to start a conversation to find out more.  Just be nice.

Answer 3

It's got something in it called a "battery", I think they call it.

Ya know, I betcha the Toyota Prius website has all the info you're looking for.  JD Powers would be another good site.

Answer 4

This is an easy enough mistake to make. Electrics do account for most of the fuel savings.

Yes all the energy on a factory Prius is sourced from the fuel. there are aftermarket add ons that can top up the battery at home or extend its stealth range.(These are an advantage on quite short trips)

The current model prius (2003) has a 50 kw electric motor. It can be run in stealth mode (electric motor only) for short distances.

The electric motor also doubles as a generator so while the I.C.E is running the management system ensures that it is loaded to its most efficient level. If more power is required the electric motor helps out. If at a steady cruising speed it will generate electricity to charge the battery, leaving just enough to finish the charge off when regenerative braking kicks in.(simplified). Regenerative braking converts kinetic energy back to electricity. This energy is normally lost as heat in conventional cars.

The newer model actually has a smaller capacity battery @ 1300 watt hours. prior to 2003 it was about 1750 watt hours.

How far you could drive it would depend on terrain and speed but 6miles (10 km) would just about do it.  (At reasonable pace)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prius

Answer 5

well, it runs on both.

It has a gasoline and an electric engine. The electric engine is used at low speeds and the gasoline engine is used at higher speeds.

The prirus does not come factory with a plugin (yet) but its an easy hack and you can do a few other hacks and get up to 100MPG by making the electric engine work up to 35MPH.

Answer 6

Technically the Prius does run on both electricity and by burning gasoline.  It gets some of that electricity (to recharge the battery) by using gas, but it's still electricity.

It's true that some people don't understand that there are no plug-in hybrids yet (other than modifications which void the warranty), but most people know the basics of how hybrids work.

A hybrid would not go far at all without a gas engine because that's not how it's designed.  It depends on the terrain, but I would guess on the order of 5-10 miles.

Answer 7

Because the complexed system allows it to run on fuel, electrcity, or a combination of both.