Prius Hybrid Vehicles

Electric Hybrid Technology

So how does this technology work? Here’s a simple explanation… there are actually two engines—A gasoline-powered motor and an electric motor, which work individually and in combination with each other. That’s why these vehicles get up to 50 miles per gallon and are more environmentally friendly. The battery for the electric motor automatically recharges whenever the driver slows down or brakes. The driver doesn’t even have to plug the battery into anything. That’s right—no plug-in or charging stations necessary.

Here’s some more info on how these two engines (hybrids) work together:

Starting or Backing Up: When the vehicle is going between 0 and 9mph, there is low engine demand and therefore the electric motor turns the car’s wheels.
Cruising Speeds: At cruising speeds, highway, or city straightaway, the gas powers the wheels and recharges the batteries.
Full Acceleration: At full acceleration, additional electric power is drawn from the electric motor to obtain more power.
Decreasing Speed or Applying Brakes: Turning force of wheels makes electric motor operate as a generator and additional electricity is stored in the hybrid vehicle battery. This process is known as “regenerative braking”.
Stopping: Gasoline engine automatically shuts off. However, in hybrid cars, both slower acceleration and deceleration will improve fuel efficiency, in fact, hybrid cars unlike their gas engine counterparts; actually get better mileage in stop-and-go traffic.

Don’t worry. We will demonstrate this technology to every drivers ed student when they first get in the vehicle, but the most important thing to remember is there truly is no difference in the way these vehicles are driven versus normal gas-powered vehicles.

Students in eco-friendly vehicles gives them a chance to have a "hybrid experience" they may not otherwise get. In fact, several students and parents have decided to make a Hybrid vehicle purchase after experiencing driver training with us. But don't take our word for it.

To find out more info about our behind the wheel driving school vehicles, please visit the following website: www.toyota.com/prius/

With the nonstop pollution released by standard vehicles effecting our environment more than ever, the need for more ecologically aware vehicles is a genuine concern for today's driving community. This is particularly true when it comes to driving schools that have an entire fleet of training vehicles running constantly, 14 hours a day. When putting over 1000 miles on our roadways every day, finding an environmentally conscious training solution should be an ambition of every driving school. At Melrose driving School , we've put these words into action by operating an entirely hybrid vehicle fleet, including Toyota Prius hybrids. By only using hybrid driving school vehicles, we've been able to realize the several environmental benefits:

Cutting Our Carbon Foot Print by Nearly 50%: Without doubt any driving school fleet is going to drive hundreds of thousands of miles annually. Simply using hybrid cars and vehicles can reduce our environmental influence by tens of thousand miles each year!
Sitting Still = Saving Gas: Part of any driving school training curriculum involves sizeable portions of the lessons spent curbside parked talking about crucial driving concepts. While a hybrid Prius idles, the gas motor shuts off by design. Thus no gas is being wasted!
A Thinking Green Teen? What better way to move environmental friendliness into the forefront of today's young minds than by having their first driving experience be in a Hybrid vehicle? Teaching students in eco-conscious vehicles gives them a chance to have a "hybrid experience" they may not otherwise get to encounter. In fact, several students and parents have decided to purchase a Hybrid vehicle after taking driver training with us. But don't take our word for it. Check out the Gas Mileage Impact Calculator fact sheet to see just how much more efficient our driving school fleet is versus the competition's inefficient conventional training vehicles.