The Prius is a hybrid car manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The Prius combines a gasoline internal combustion engine and two electric motors to produce the vehicle's power.
The Prius was produced initially in Japan in 1997 by Toyota before being introduced in North America in 2001. A redesign of the Prius was introduced in North America from 2004 to 2009, followed by a redesigned third generation vehicle introduced in 2010.
The 2010 model Prius uses two permanent magnet AC synchronous motors producing 60 kilowatts and 80 horsepower. The earlier generation Prius was equipped with two electric motors producing 44 horsepower.
The 2010 Prius combines a 1.8 liter aluminum DOHC 16-valve gasoline engine with its electric motors. When the Prius is under maximum acceleration, the vehicle combines gasoline and electric power, while under city driving conditions the engine alternates between electric and gasoline power.
