Once you get into gas mode the RPM will stay the same no matter how hard you press the gas pedal since it is basically an electric car with a back up gas generator. It will be weird to smash your foot down, have the car accelerate hard and yet hear the gasoline engine not rev. Maybe they will keep that 3cyl. generator quite enough that it doesn't matter.

Has anyone else thought about this? I'm defiantly going to have to test drive one of these when they come out.

 

I guess it doesn't have a planatery gear. That will be weird. I always wondered how people are going to keep the gas fresh (not gear heads) for long periods of time. If I drive 6 months before a fill up, that gas is bad.

 

FWIW My brother has gone for a ride in the Writespeed X1 prototype. He said the acceleration was constant... but there was no sound... just the whoosh of the air. That would be a strange sensation.

 

Ideally you won't know if the gas motor is running or not.

Also, the fuel tanks will prbly be just big enough to give a certian range. I don't see people going 6 months without the motor running some, unless your able to keep your commute under x miles for months at a time.

 

I was talking a few days ago with a friend about this same idea.

If you look on Youtube, there are a couple of old-school captured digicam videos of riding around the inside of a GM EV-1. It's got a very unique sound...I like!

I wonder what the future mods for electric cars will be. Capacitors? Increasing voltage/amperage to the wheels? Larger direct drive motors? HUGE body kits to reduce drag?

We also thought about what the kids are going to brag about...No more v-tec, yo...No more Hemis, VVT, or DOHC, turbos, superchargers...

 

I'm not sure where you were expecting a planetary gear, but the engine will be direct drive onto the generator and not be connected at all to the wheels. The engine will be optimized and set to run at its most efficient speed.

I suppose if the batteries were completed depleted and the driver put his foot to the floor, maybe the engine could rev a bit higher to get more juice out of the generator. It'll certainly be interesting to see how they program it.

 

HP tuners will probably crack the tuning

 

Kinda like driving a car with a CVT, but even more isolated.

CVTs are nice for economy cars, but they're downright WEIRD to drive.

 

Hmmm... I wish GM would get the Volt out before Toyota releases the new Prius. From what I keep reading, Toyota is really planning on hitting hard with the new Prius. The Lithium Ion batteries and plug-in capabilities of the new Prius should allow it to go 30+ miles on a charge without using the gas engine at all.

Realistically my daily drive is right at 30 miles. Sure would be nice to basically never use gas unless I go on a road trip or drive down town on a weekend night or something.

 

I've read that Toyota is going to expand the Prius into a pseudo sub-brand to include 3 new vehicles. One will be smaller the current Prius, one about the same size, and a larger one which could end up being a Camry-sized vehicle with a hatch.

 

Considering the Camry is now availible as a hybrid, thus making the prius redundant, that would seem a logical course of action, particularly given Prius' brand recognition.

 

The Prius is far from redundant.
The Prius is a small car that gets 60/51
The Camry Hybrid is a mid size car that gets 40/38

 

The next-gen Prius will will not have lithium-ion batteries. Like GM and other automakers, they still have not solved all the problems, primarily heat issues. Prius will soldier on with NiMH batteries.

 

Plus most people that actually want a hybrid want one that is recognizable easily as such... we shall see if the Camry hybrid suffers the same fate as many of the other hybrids based on regular cars (such as the Accord).

 

Give me a break. Yeah, let's compare the OLD EPA ratings (which so many Prius owners are upset about because they don't get anywhere NEAR those ratings)

The Prius with the new ratings: 48/45
Camry Hybrid: 33/34

I totally agree that it isn't redundant though. One costs less and gets far better milage. One costs more, looks better, and is better appointed inside, and still has excellent milage.

Dan