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From: Tom Cole on 9 Oct 2008 19:33
On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 09:22:37 +0200, "Kirsty Wursty"
<kurstywursty(a)myob.net> wrote:

>
>"Ike" <binarydotike(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:gcigha$p6c$1(a)registered.motzarella.org...
>> In a week, I'll have had my 2004 for exactly five years - the longest by
>> far that I've owned any car. When I bought this rolling innovation, the
>> distinctive shape made it a recognizable rarity on the highway, in parking
>> lots, and in the neighborhood, so over the years I've been called upon to
>> explain its workings many hundreds of times. Today, the popular Prius is
>> everywhere, but it's evident that most people - including Prius owners -
>> do not understand what the car is about. I've even given presentation to
>> Prius clubs and found that most people there think they're driving an
>> electric car the battery of which is kept charged by a gas engine. That
>> will be true when the Volt is released, but the Prius is far more
>> conventional.
>snip
>> Ike
>
>Thanks Ike,
> I know this information is available but the way you explain it is easier
>to understand. I had thought the electric motor assisted at higher speeds
>as well.
>
>Kirsten

The true engineering beauty of the Prius is that it has TWO electric
motor/generators and a petrol engine all connected together through a
Power Split Device (a simple but ingenious kind of gearbox), and all
controlled by a sophisticated computer.

If you want to read about how it all works in detail with animated
graphics, I can recommend this site:
http://prius.ecrostech.com/original/PriusFrames.htm . If you click on
the headings on the left you will be taken through the various
components and how they all work together.
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