39.6 kms/litre gets Toyota Prius Guinness World Record title

Today’s electrification trend in the auto industry can be traced back to the 1990s when Toyota introduced the Prius. Although cars with electrified drivetrains were in existence as far back as the beginning of the 20^th century, Toyota’s hybrid electric model was the first mass-produced sedan in modern times.

The Prius drivetrain consisting of a small petrol engine and an electric motor made it possible to increase fuel economy and make each litre go further and also reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, which would increasingly be identified as the cause of global warming and climate change.

Though it took a while for the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) concept to be widely accepted, it nevertheless increased in popularity and is today seen as a viable approach to electrification and enabling more people to help do their part in preventing climate change.

With many more HEVs in the market today, the Prius – which is now in its fifth generation – may not get much publicity. It still sells well and some generations have even won prestigious awards like ‘Car of the Year’ as Toyota advanced its HEV technology. It is also an important part of the automaker’s multi-pathway approach which offers different types of powertrain technologies.

Recently, the model was in the news again when Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes achieved the lowest fuel consumption while driving across the USA from Los Angeles on the west coast to New York City on the east coast. The average fuel consumption for the 5,170-km journey was 93.158 US mpg – equivalent to 39.6 kms/litre – and. The estimated consumption by the US Environmental Protection Agency for the Prius is 57 US mpg (24.2 kms/litre).

The achievement, which beat the previous record of mid-70s US mpg, has won Gerdes a Guinness World Record title for lowest fuel consumption driving across the USA.

“For a record attempt like this, it’s a lot of planning,” said Gerdes. “You can’t just go sight unseen into doing this. You have to have that plan. But you also have to be able to work on the fly. So, if things change, you have to switch up your plan. Reroute. Figure out what you’re going to be able to do to achieve that goal.”

Gerdes offers simple tips for everyday drivers to improve their fuel economy. He suggests slower take-offs from stops and keeping even pressure on the accelerator pedal. He also says when stops are ahead, easing off the accelerator early and using the vehicle’s momentum to glide as you approach the stop helps greatly with fuel economy.

Of course, it also helps if it is done with a Prius and the model he drove was equipped with the fifth generation of the Toyota Hybrid System and a 2-litre engine. Toyota stresses that the world record was achieved by a driver skilled in hypermiling techniques that optimized the Prius’ vehicle performance under the specific weather and driving conditions at the time. He also leveraged some basic fuel-efficient driving tips that any driver can use.

The Prius is not available in Malaysia but UMW Toyota Motor offers other electrified models such as the Corolla Cross Hybrid and Innova Zenix Hybrid. Visit www.toyota.com.my to know more about the two models.

Toyota will keep using the combustion engine – in hybrids