Toyota Prius
Toyota launched their vision for the future in 1997. The Prius (pronounced pree-us)uses a hybrid system — a dual petrol and electric power unit controlled by nine computers. The electric motor performs the functions at which the petrol engine is least efficient and vice versa.
Instead of idling in stopped traffic, the Prius’s petrol engine switches off and the car moves away under electric power until the petrol engine takes over again at higher ‘revs’.
If the Prius tackles a steep hill, its electric motor helps the petrol engine out. At other times such as when the car is coasting downhill or braking, the revolution of the petrol engine and the kinetic energy of the car’s movement is used to recharge the batteries.
Toyota Prius, 1998
The hybrid system cuts carbon dioxide emissions by half and hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide by 90 percent while achieving fuel consumption of 3.3 litres per 100 km (compared to 7.2 litres in the economical Toyota Corolla).