Toyota, whose European center of design is from now on settled in Sophia Antipolis (Biot sector), offers to the city its Prius car, first mass production hybrid car.
At the time of the inauguration of Toyota European design center, in Sophia Antipolis, the firm had promised the town of Biot to offer it a Prius, the new Toyota electricity and gasoline hybrid model. The promise was executed on Monday Oct.16 at 11 am. On the city of Biot town hall square, Tadao Otsuki, vice-CEO of ED2, the European design center, will give the car key, with the Toyota team EcoMission 2000 (which will present that day its environmental mission throughout Europe) to the mayor.
Less pollution in sectors of dense traffic
Prius car is the first mass production hybrid car. Thanks to an advanced technology, which also allows the car to function only thanks to electricity, the Prius uses really not much. Moved by the Toyota hybrid system, the Prius uses 1,5 liter of gas or 33 KW of electricity or uses both sometimes. The power provided by each system is permanently controlled with electronics, in order the car to use the most efficient mode.
In some driving conditions, the heat engine can stop totally and be relayed by the electric one. In situations of dense traffic, the Prius can stop emissions. An embarked computer controls constantly the state and the operating mode of engines and batteries. It guarantees a minimum level of batteries charge of 40%.
This is with the Prius car Toyota takes a part in EcoMission 2000. From Sept 22 to Oct.30, Team ACP will go throughout Europe and will run 10,000 km in 39 days, and will rest in 8 countries chosen according to their ecological results. They left from Brussels during the European day without car and they came in France.