Posted by richard schumacher on September 6, 2005, 3:18 pm
> cr113@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> > That sounds promising, the real test is when it hits 200k. What I'm
> > really wondering is whether a small gas engine combined with an
> > electric motor is inherently longer lasting than just a plain gas
> > engine. How long do they expect the electric motor to last?
One Prius used as a taxi in Canada went to 200,000 miles a year or two
ago, at which time Toyota bought it back to tear it down.
But don't rely on anecdotes here. Consumer Reports, for one, reports
that Prius has a much better than average reliability record. This is
intuitively reasonable as much of the complexity is in electronics,
which should not wear out, rather than in mechanics (no clutch, no fluid
transmission valves or bands, no variable diameter pulleys, etc.).
Posted by Michael Pardee on September 6, 2005, 7:52 pm
> cr113@hotmail.com wrote:
>> That sounds promising, the real test is when it hits 200k. What I'm
>> really wondering is whether a small gas engine combined with an
>> electric motor is inherently longer lasting than just a plain gas
>> engine. How long do they expect the electric motor to last?
> Probably longer than the engine; fewer moving parts, etc.
The MGs also have multiple embedded thermal sensors, so I'm sure the power
is managed.
Mike
Posted by dbs__usenet on September 18, 2005, 5:12 am
cr113@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> Charles Marslett wrote:
> >
> > >>
> > >> I'm curious about the durability and repair costs of owning a hybrid.
> > >> Do they break down more often than a gas car? The regenerative braking
> > >> and other features sound kind of complicated. How long will they last?
> > >> Since the technology is new I'm sure there will be great improvement in
> > >> reliability as time goes on, but I wonder which type of car has greater
> > >> "inherent" reliability in the long run. A Corolla will go 300k, what
> > >> about a Prius?
> > >>
> > >
> > No real maintenance requried yet, in other words.
>
> That sounds promising, the real test is when it hits 200k. What I'm
> really wondering is whether a small gas engine combined with an
> electric motor is inherently longer lasting than just a plain gas
> engine. How long do they expect the electric motor to last?
Looking at the reliability chart for a 1992 Corolla
(http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year 92&make=Toyota&model=Corolla)
shows engine, heating/AC, starting/charging and accessories problems
are to be expected. 200K miles would be 15,000 miles a year for 13 years.
There are cases where a Prius was used for Taxi and delivery. In both cases
the reports were that they did fine and needed no repairs.
It does make sense. The engine is coddled, and is usually running about
1/2 of the time. The engine is spun up to speed before gasoline is
injected, so the wear is minimized. The engine is under full electronic
control, so it is managed better, I.E no lugging.
The regenerative braking is as simple as engine braking, and accomplished
in much the same way. The brakes are used less than in a conventional
car, so the wheel bearings heat up less and should last longer, just
like the brakes lasting longer.
You already know by now that the prius transmission has fewer moving parts than
a conventional tranny. It also has fewer parts that mesh, so less wear.
In short, you won't get to 300K in a Corolla without some repairs. There's
no indication that you'll need any repairs in the first 100 to 200K with the
Prius.
This excludes, of course, the normal wear and tear items like tires,
auxilliary 12 volt battery, etc.
Posted by Michael Pardee on September 18, 2005, 3:32 pm
> cr113@hotmail.com wrote:
> It does make sense. The engine is coddled, and is usually running about
> 1/2 of the time. The engine is spun up to speed before gasoline is
> injected, so the wear is minimized. The engine is under full electronic
> control, so it is managed better, I.E no lugging.
I think that is a good reason to expect better engine life. The engine is
entirely under computer control: throttle, load (and therefore rpm and rate
of change of the throttle), mixture, ignition timing, valve timing, even
whether or not it runs. The engine gets a carefully controlled warm-up cycle
every time it is needed.
Mike
Posted by Statesman on September 7, 2005, 6:42 am
Take a look at this statement.
Toyota's manager of alternative fuels and specialized vehicles, Vic
Johnstone, concedes the batteries, like the car itself, are built to last
less than a decade. "The life of the car and the battery are supposed to be
the same... around 8 to 10 years," he said. "We're not expecting to replace
them [the batteries]. In fact we only hold one [replacement] battery in
stock nationally."
This came from here
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/alias__carpointau/tabID__6491/ArticleID__5487/DesktopDefault.aspx
> I'm curious about the durability and repair costs of owning a hybrid.
> Do they break down more often than a gas car? The regenerative braking
> and other features sound kind of complicated. How long will they last?
> Since the technology is new I'm sure there will be great improvement in
> reliability as time goes on, but I wonder which type of car has greater
> "inherent" reliability in the long run. A Corolla will go 300k, what
> about a Prius?
>
>
> > That sounds promising, the real test is when it hits 200k. What I'm
> > really wondering is whether a small gas engine combined with an
> > electric motor is inherently longer lasting than just a plain gas
> > engine. How long do they expect the electric motor to last?