"In Toyota's Synergy Drive, both gasoline engine and electric motor feed their power to a planetary gearbox. Through appropriate clutching and declutching of this unit, each mode independently can contribute to propulsion of the car."

Ooops, my Prius doesn't come with these 'clutches'. That would be the upcoming GM 2-mode system.

Great write-up on the other points!

Cheers,

Curt.

'04 Seaside Pearl #7. Fumoto oil drain, mudflaps, rear bumper scuff protector & rear warn system, compass mirror, EV mode button, 8" subwoofer in right rear cubby & 6" subs under seats, power lumbar in the front seats, Coastaletech hitch w/ Aspen bike/snowboard rack. iPod2car, 2 amps, Alpine component speakers, and DVD video, solid 47 MPG @ 70000 miles.