Toyota Prius Hybrid Drive System
    This mockup of the Toyota Prius' hybrid drive system was displayed at the LA Auto Show. A picture and general description of the car may be found in the January newsletter. The electric motor is used primarily at slow speeds and all electricity for the batteries is obtained from the engine or from regen braking. This design approach does not allow the vehicle to be charged from an external source and it is not possible to operate the vehicle as a pure EV, even on short range trips. On the plus side, 100% improvement in fuel efficiency is claimed, along with a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions. In the photo below, the gas engine is to the left and the electric motor to the right. At the bottom of the page is an excerpt from the Toyota brochure describing the planetary gear system used.