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The computer system controlled charging and discharging of the battery boosts its cycle life, calendar life, and thermal control performance. Passive battery cooling and heating is accomplished through the metal case of the battery assembly pack, while a forced air cooling system with a blower motor and ducting system allows active cooling of the HV battery.

Among the Prius's options are Toyota's execution of a Smart Secret System (the feature can be user-deactivated), DVD navigation on the multi-function screen, Lorry Stability Control and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. A brand-new Intelligent Parking Assist system was offered in Japan and Europe since its launch. From 2005 to 2009, the 2nd generation Prius had actually been developed by FAW-Toyota in the city of Changchun for the Chinese market.
The fairly low sales was blamed on high cost, about US$ 15,000 greater than the equivalent in Japan or the U.S., caused by high responsibilities on imported parts. In Vind meer details op deze pagina , Toyota cut the rate of Prius by approximately 8 percent or US$ 3,000 to CN259,800 (US$ 36,500). It was believed that the sales dropped as an outcome of both a lack of acceptance and increased competition.

Toyota's style and advancement efforts settled throughout the 2005 European Car of the Year competition where the Prius won ahead of the Citron C4 and the Ford Focus. The Prius and the Nissan Leaf are the only cars utilizing drivewheel electrical motors to have won this competition, where the normal winners are mainstream hatchbacks and sedans/saloons from major European producers.

In July 2007, Toyota received both Japanese and American governmental approval to start evaluating plug-in hybrid designs using a customized Ni, MH battery on public roads. The very first plug-in Prius in America went to South Carolina. Scientists at the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine, and the Institute of Transportation Researches at the University of California, Berkeley, began checking two specially made Priuses and examining chauffeur behavior, research study air quality and energy use.