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Originally Posted by fastnx
Also, correct me if i'm wrong, but hybrid technology only applies in stop and go situations, not on the highway. Many of the gains for highway use are from other technologies (aerodynamic, cylinder de-activation) that have nothing to do with hybrid technology.
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Well, you should make a Prius testdrive, look at the display that shows the energy flows and you would know you are wrong: The 50 kW motor is used very frequently to make minor speed adjustments. That is why the Prius never feels like a 1.5 liter engine:it allways has 50kW of spare power at hand when the engine alone doesn't cope. The effect isn't as dramatic as in stop and go traffic, but it sure does work on the highway. Only when travelling long stages at a very constant speed (rare in Europe) does the hybrid technology offer little value, but hey, who cares, it makes it up BIGTIME when going into town.
(10.000 miles of Prius II experience, 20 km /liter = 48 miles /gallon)