(metal slamming)
- [Narrator] The energy monitor screen
displays the gasoline
engine, the electric motor,
battery, and wheels.
When you're driving, you'll notice
that as driving conditions change,
the system will display
how power is being routed
to the drive wheels, or
how it charges the battery.
When the vehicle is moving,
or when the battery is being charged,
you'll also notice color-coded arrows
that illustrate energy
distribution or flow.
The Toyota Hybrid powertrain combines
a powerful, electric motor,
with a highly efficient gasoline
engine to drive the wheels.
This combination significantly improves
low to mid speed acceleration
and overall fuel efficiency.
This system is a full hybrid,
meaning the Prius is capable of operating
in separate gas or electric modes,
as well as the mode that
combines power from both.
The computer-controlled powertrain
seamlessly blends power
from the gasoline engine,
the electric drive
motor, and the generator.
It's so smooth, you may not
feel the vehicle changing modes.
When you're stopped,
there are no energy distribution
arrows on the screen.
That's because there's no need for power.
There are two exceptions.
If the battery is low,
or the heater is set to high
output in very cold climates,
the engine might be running
to charge the battery
and/or to provide hot
water for the heater.
The current state of battery charge
is indicated by the
number of horizontal bars.
When starting out with
normal acceleration,
under certain driving conditions,
the electric motor can send
power to the front wheels.
You'll notice arrows
running from the battery
to the electric motor, and
then to the front wheels.
As the need for more power increases,
the gasoline engine will
start automatically,
and you'll see arrows leading
from it to the front wheels.
While driving, you can also
monitor the state of charge
for the battery.
If the battery needs charging,
the engine can drive both the front wheels
and the generator simultaneously.
Or, the electric motor
can drive the front wheels
while the engine charges the battery,
using an integrated starter generator.
In addition, when the vehicle is coasting,
or the brakes are applied,
the electric motor
functions as a generator,
capturing the kinetic energy
of the vehicle's forward motion,
and converting it into usable electricity
to recharge the battery.
