LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Toyota Prius
built 657 days ago
The Toyota Prius is the first mass-produced hybrid automobile. The G21 team of 1,000 engineers threw out 80 designs to get to the first prototype that doubled fuel efficiency and later became the Prius Concept. It was first sold exclusively in Japan starting in 1997, and entered the worldwide market in 2001. By the end of 2003, nearly 160,000 units had been produced for sale in Japan, Europe, and North America, and as of April 2006, Toyota had sold 504,700 Prius models. In Latin, prius means "before" or "first." The Prius (2000 to 2003 model years) is certified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). With the 2004 model, the Prius was redesigned as a midsize hatchback, and certified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV).
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The Toyota Prius is the first mass-produced and marketed hybrid automobile/car. In Latin, prius means before. It went on sale in Japan in 1997, and worldwide in 2001. By the end of 2003, nearly 160,000 units had been produced for sale in Japan, Europe, and North America. The Prius is certified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle by the California Air Resources Board.With the 2004 model, the Prius was redesigned as a midsize hatchback and certified as an Advanced Technology Partial zero-emissions vehicle.The 2000 model Prius slotted between the Echo and Corolla in the companys North American lineup. The 2004 model slots between the Corolla and Camry.
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The Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid vehicle has many safeguards to help ensure safe operation for drivers and protection of emergency response professionals in the event of an accident. An Associated Press article and other reports indicated that emergency workers who cut through the doors of a hybrid vehicle may receive an electric shock. That information is not correct. The power cables carrying electric current are automatically shut down in the case of an accident. Furthermore, power cables are not located near the doors of the vehicle - they are located well outside of any area likely to be accessed by emergency crews.
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The Toyota Prius hybrid car has overdriven expectations in that supply exceeds demand. The Prius, which means "to go before" in Latin has pioneered the hybrid car industry with its EPA estimated 60 mpg highway which was once unheard of for an automatic transmission car.
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Automotive hybrid technology became successful in the 1990s when the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius became available. These vehicles have a direct linkage from the internal combustion engine to the driven wheels, so the engine can provide acceleration power. The 2000s saw development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can be recharged from the electrical power grid and do not require conventional fuel for short trips. The Renault Kangoo was the first production model of this design, released in France in 2003. However, the environmental benefits of plug-in hybrids depend somewhat on the source of the electrical power. In particular, electricity generated with wind would be cleaner than electricity generated with coal, the most polluting source.
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The Toyota Prius radiator is really one of the least robust car parts installed in your vehicle. It is little more than a glorified water bottle with thin metal sides that are subject to constant heating and cooling. In addition, the epoxy and solder used to assemble the Toyota Prius radiator starts to lose adhesion power after a number of years. Part of this is due to chemical reactions with the various substances used to make antifreeze.
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