Toyota Parts Blog » Toyota Hybrid

How to Decide Which Prius is Right for You

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:00:15 +0000

The Toyota Prius sure has changed since it first went on sale in 1997.

Toyota has sold millions of these hybrid vehicles and has introduced several model variations. These models include:

The Prius 3^rd Generation – This is your standard Prius that we all know and love. It gets 51/48 mpg.

The Prius Plug-In – This Prius is a cross between a hybrid and a plug-in car. It gets 87 mpg in electric mode and 49 mpg in hybrid mode.

The Prius v – This hybrid offers a little more space than the standard size Prius. It’s a little longer and wider than a standard Prius. It gets 44/40 mpg. You can call it the family sized Prius car.

The Prius c – This is a compact hybrid. It’s not on sale in the United States yet. It’s expected to hit U.S. dealerships within the next year.

So how do you decide which Prius is right for you? Answering these questions will help you decide.

What is my budget? – This is a very important question to ask yourself. Base prices for the 3^rd Generation Prius start at $23,000. Whereas base prices for the Prius Plug-In start at $32,000.

How Much Space Do I Need? – The Prius v provides the most space, while the Prius c has the least amount of space. The standard Prius 3^rd Generation has an adequate amount of space for small families.

How Much Do I Drive? – Answering this question will help you determine which trim and accessory options you’ll want for your Prius. Also be sure to consider your budget.

Following these steps will help you find the right Prius. Once you get your Prius, be sure to use genuine Toyota parts. You can find genuine Toyota Prius parts online at great prices.

Toyotas You Just Don’t See In The USA

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:00:50 +0000

In the good old USA, we’re used to seeing the Toyota Camry, the Corolla, Prius and Tundra on our roadways.

But in other parts of the world, there are other popular Toyota models. Here are just a few.

The Toyota iQ – This small compact car is great for city driving. Toyota started selling the iQ in Japan in 2008 and Europe in 2009. The iQ stands for “intelligence quotient.”

The Toyota Urban Cruiser – This is a vehicle that is similar to the Toyota Matrix in the United States. It competes against small crossover vehicles in Europe and Asia.

The Toyota Hilux – The Toyota Hilux truck name was retired in the United States in the 1970s, but the model still enjoys a following in the rest of the world. The Hilux is a popular compact pickup truck in Asia as well as Europe and South America.

The Toyota Aurion – The Aurion is a mid-sized car that is essentially a Toyota Camry except with different front and rear-end treatments. You can purchase this car in Asia as well as Australia.

Whether you own a Toyota in the USA or overseas, make sure you use Toyota OEM parts. These parts were designed by Toyota and are great for your

Is A Plug-In Car Right For You?

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:00:41 +0000

There’s a lot of buzz right now about Toyota’s new Prius Plug-In.

The car combines the standard Prius hybrid engine with a new lithium ion plug-in battery. The car is expected to get an estimated 87 miles per gallon in combined electric/hybrid driving and 49 miles per gallon in hybrid-only mode.

So is a plug-in car such as the Prius Plug-In right for you? There are of course other options such as the Chevy Volt. Whatever you choose, you’ll want to remember these important facts.

Most Plug-In Cars Still Need Gas

Cars like the Prius Plug-In and the Chevy Volt still use gasoline. According to CNN Money, the Prius Plug-In can go about 13 miles on battery power alone. After that, it switches over to the standard hybrid engine.

Charging Takes Time

The Prius Plug-In uses a lithium ion battery. This is similar to the batteries in your cell phones and laptops. It’s just a lot bigger. According to Toyota, a full charge takes 2.5 to 3 hours on a 120V household outlet.

Expect To Pay More

The Prius Plug-In is going to cost you a little more than your standard Prius. The Prius Plug-In starts at $32,000. The standard Prius starts at $23,520.

Expect To Wait

There’s already a demand for the Prius Plug-In and it’s not even out yet. Just like when the first Prius came out, there will probably be somewhat of a wait.

The video above will show you to order a Prius Plug-In.

So is a plug-in car right for you? That’s for you to decide. The information above should help you make the right decision.

If you own a Prius and are looking to get a few more years out of it, be sure to use genuine Toyota parts. Genuine Prius parts will help to ensure your car is in good working order

Hybrids: Are They Worth the Hype?

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:00:04 +0000

There has been a lot of hype over the past ten years about hybrids.

Hybrid technology has improved and become less expensive. However, there is still a debate as to whether they are actually worth the extra money.

Before you buy a hybrid, do a little hybrid math. You may be surprised what you find. Consider the following:

You must first consider the price increase from the conventional model to the hybrid.
You must then consider the difference in fuel economy.
Also do not forget to take into account if there is an increased cost of ownership for a hybrid model over a conventional one.

For the many hybrid models that exist, it will take years to recoup the additional costs compared to the conventional model.

On the other hand, as gas prices continue to rise, certain hybrid models, like the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid might become more economical. Just be sure you purchase quality Toyota Prius parts and Toyota Camry parts.

Before purchasing a hybrid, make sure to find out if it is the right vehicle for you. If not, you might not like the decision you make.

Toyota Prius PLUS Accessory Package

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:32:39 +0000

The Toyota Prius PLUS is the new performance package that the Toyota Prius will be recieving.

So the Toyota Prius has always been a fan for those who want to show they care about the environment, obviously because of it’s revolutionary hybrid synergy drive powered by Toyota Parts. Unfortunately, Toyota has struggled to make the Prius a big hit with another side of the automotive consumer market. High-end performance drivers and car buyers have always seemed to avoid the Prius. However, the new Prius PLUS package aims to show the fiercer side of the world famous hybrid.

This new package will completely reinvent the options for the Prius that people are aware of. The package reworks several Toyota Parts already making the Prius great, while at the same time tweaking some exterior options that make the Prius more aerodynamic. 7 pieces, including the rear bumper, front bumper, hood, and several other parts, reform the well known profile of the Prius. Everything about the Prius PLUS package has been aimed at giving the vehicle a more performance oriented niche on the road.

Things under the hood have stayed mostly the same, although the suspension has definitely been tweaked. The new package drops the vehicle approximately 1.1 inches in the front and 1.3 inches in the rear in order to push the vehicle to it’s aerodynamic limits. The lower the center of gravity, the quicker the turns, and the greater acceleration the vehicle can experience coming out of a turn. The tires were adjusted, as well as reworked visually, and several different minor tweaks were applied to balance out the vehicle.

According to the post on the Toyota Parts newsroom, the new package will come in “four of the popular Prius colors: Blizzard Pearl, Classic Silver Metallic, Black and Winter Gray Metallic. The added features of the PLUS make this the most fun-to-drive, performance-enhanced Prius, while maintaining its industry-leading fuel efficiency.”

New Year, New Cars, New Issues?

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:03:22 +0000

2010 Prius

It’s officially 2010, and a new year comes with a slew of new, efficient, and next generation vehicles. This year, the third generation Prius is one of the most anticipated Toyota vehicle to be powered by Toyota Parts, and for good reason. It features many options that cut fossil fuel emissions, which combines gasoline and electric engine schemes, which gives the Prius an impressive 50mpg and approximately 134 horsepower. Also new in the 2010 Prius: heated seats, a telescopic steering wheel, Intelligent Parking Assist, and much more.

But, it isn’t all good in the world of a 2010 Prius. New reports, now numbering at about 20 recurrences, are pointing to an issue in the Prius’ brake system. Most of the occurrences are similar, describing a brief but dangerous brake failure when experiencing turbulence on the road. As you can imagine, this kind of problem is extremely important to Toyota.

The whole vehicle in itself is a hybrid; many things could cause the possible malfunction. The brakes, when slowing down the vehicle, convert the forward motion of the vehicle into electrical energy to recharge the nickel-metal hydride battery. One theory is that the sudden jarring when, for example, hitting a pot hole, the complex brake system is fooled into releasing the brake, which would cause the loss of control.

Because of the mounting complaints, both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation and Toyota itself are beginning their own investigations of current Toyota Parts to find the exact cause of the issue. Toyota has stated that the most important thing for them in the investigation is the logicality scientific aspect of the examination. They are both cracking down on the hindrance as quickly as possible so consumers will have little to worry about.

2011 Toyota Prius Ships to Select Cities and Businesses

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:55:04 +0000

For years, consumers have waited for an efficient car alternative that cuts emissions, but have worried about the range of the battery. Toyota is cashing in on this need with its 2011 Toyota Prius, reported on by Motor Trend. Today, the company began to ship out a limited number of 2011 Prius to few businesses and cities in Europe and the US. One city receiving the Prius, Strasburg, has installed approximately 300 recharging stations, which brings us to the next big feature; the vehicle features the company’s first plug – in hybrid. The Prius will run on an electric motor alone for 14 miles before it switches to its gas powered motor, allowing it an apx. 870 mile range.

Other automotive manufacturers have plans for hybrid plug – in models, i.e. the Chevrolet Volt, but the 2011 Prius uses a revolutionary Lithium ion Battery. The battery can hold a longer charge than the Volt, and it is less expensive. When it hits the sales floor, the Volt is expected to cost approximately $47,000. The Prius, however, will cost about 3 million yen ($33,770). With a cheaper price and a more advanced battery, Toyota hopes to take over the market for Plugin hybrids with their environmentally safe Toyota Parts.

Hybrid Topper

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:35 +0000

Booming North American demand pushed cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles at Toyota Motor Corp. past the 2 million-unit mark last month. As of Aug. 9, Toyota sold 2.017 million hybrid parts worldwide since the vehicles debuted in 1997.

Toyota reached the 2 million milestone. The company came a little closer to the goal with this year’s launch of the popular third-generation Prius. Toyota expects that car alone to sell 600,000 units in its first full year on the market.

Today, Toyota sells 13 hybrid vehicle models in about 50 countries.

Battery Production Change

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:27:55 +0000

Toyota Motor Corporation’s Japanese customers wait eight months to buy a Prius hybrid car, may avoid longer delays in the future thanks to Panasonic Corporation’s pending takeover of Sanyo Electric..

As demand grows for electric and gasoline-electric hybrid cars, a shortage of the batteries used in the vehicles may force automakers to compete for supply. Toyota, which aims to offer hybrid versions of all its models sometime after 2020, may find it easier to do so after its partner Panasonic makes Sanyo a back-up plan.

Government rebate programs encouraging customers to trade in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones (the CARS program) have added to the demand that’s forcing customers to wait for their Prius’s. Toyota registered 77,000 new Prius cars in between May and the end of August, compared with a monthly sales target of 10,000. In the U.S., new sales of the model rose more than 20 percent to about 62,000 in the four months to September. Batteries and other Toyota parts should have sped up production by 2011, putting more and more hybrids on the highway

2 Million Hybrids sold

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:03:55 +0000

Booming North American demand pushed cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles at Toyota Motor Corp. past the 2 million-unit mark last month as the Japanese automaker marched closer to its goal of selling 1 million gasoline-electric cars per year sometime in the next decade.

As of Aug. 9, Toyota sold 2.017 million hybrids worldwide since the vehicles debuted in 1997.

Toyota reached the 2 million milestone after planning to sell about one million hybrids a year. The company came a little closer to the goal with this year’s launch of the popular third-generation Prius . Toyota expects that car alone to sell 600,000 units in its first full year on the market.

Today, Toyota sells 13 hybrid vehicle models in about 50 countries, and that isn’t including Toyota Parts liike their Camry Hybrid Parts, Prius Parts, and other hybrid Lexus model parts.