Hybrid Cars

AbeysinghE · April 4, 2011

Dunno man, from what I was told, it was 200k for a Prius and 160k for a Insight. Insane figures, if accurate.

Mate It might not be as low as my one..as my wife is a staff of that Insurance company..but the average rate also definitely not as high as 200k or 160k

Edited April 4, 2011 by AbeysinghE

seeker · April 4, 2011

I think the information you have got is wrong..My one is Prius 2008 model and i did the insurance from SL I******* with a special cover for the battery for Rs 79,900/=...It cannot be as high as 200k

Special cover for battery?? Care to elaborate a bit please?

AbeysinghE · April 4, 2011

Special cover for battery?? Care to elaborate a bit please?

It's new to Insurance industry..coz..Hybrid battery is something expensive compared to the other parts of hybrids..when i insured it, that was new to them and they gave the quotation as a normal petrol car..but one of my friend advised me to mention regarding the battery as well..so they include the battery for the initial cover..now i don't think it's anymore new to Sri Lanka...now most of the insurance companies quote hybrid including the battery .....

Edited April 4, 2011 by AbeysinghE

seeker · April 4, 2011

It's new to Insurance industry..coz..Hybrid battery is something expensive compared to the other parts of hybrids..when i insured it, that was new to them and they gave the quotation as a normal petrol car..but one of my friend advised me to mention regarding the battery as well..so they include the battery for the initial cover..now i don't think it's anymore new to Sri Lanka...now most of the insurance companies quote hybrid including the battery .....

yes, but what are the main terms? for example, did they explain the life time / accepted no of years of depreciation for the battery and the resulting percentage paid for a new battery?

To my knowledge, there isn't sufficient data in SL conditions to justify the percentage that can be paid to a new hybrid battery in place of the old one in a claim....

Watchman · April 4, 2011

It's new to Insurance industry..coz..Hybrid battery is something expensive compared to the other parts of hybrids..when i insured it, that was new to them and they gave the quotation as a normal petrol car..but one of my friend advised me to mention regarding the battery as well..so they include the battery for the initial cover..now i don't think it's anymore new to Sri Lanka...now most of the insurance companies quote hybrid including the battery .....

Dude, when you insure a car its for the WHOLE car.. not 5xtires, 5 x rims, 4x doors etc etc. And if you ask me you got punked by your insurance agent thanks to your friend's advice.

If you expect the insurance company to get you a new battery when yours cant retain a charge anymore, you're in for a disappointment. And it'll be another thread on AL saying XXXX insurance agent sucks cos they didnt cover the cost of my new hybrid battery. Next thing you know, people will try to claim new wheels for the wear and tear due to age and running.

Sifaan · April 4, 2011

Dude, when you insure a car its for the WHOLE car.. not 5xtires, 5 x rims, 4x doors etc etc. And if you ask me you got punked by your insurance agent thanks to your friend's advice.

If you expect the insurance company to get you a new battery when yours cant retain a charge anymore, you're in for a disappointment. And it'll be another thread on AL saying XXXX insurance agent sucks cos they didnt cover the cost of my new hybrid battery. Next thing you know, people will try to claim new wheels for the wear and tear due to age and running.

but you can get additional cover for specifics; I don't know how this varies with different companies, but in case of airbag deployment my policy covers 50% of the replacement cost (airbags, dash, etc) - I could have got 100% cover by paying an additional premium. And there was some option for the windscreen as well... so not too surprising that there's an option for the battery.

Mmaybe AbeysinghE can share what the additional battery cover actually covers?

AbeysinghE · April 4, 2011

but you can get additional cover for specifics; I don't know how this varies with different companies, but in case of airbag deployment my policy covers 50% of the replacement cost (airbags, dash, etc) - I could have got 100% cover by paying an additional premium. And there was some option for the windscreen as well... so not too surprising that there's an option for the battery.

Mmaybe AbeysinghE can share what the additional battery cover actually covers?

ok guys let me talk to that company and come up with a good explanation.... :rolleyes:

ThilakR · April 5, 2011

I would generally say Toyota is the better option. Their hybrid system is a "full hybrid" (can run on electric power alone and thus can give a little better fuel economy) while Honda uses a "mild hybrid" system that assists the petrol engine.

It also depends what years and models you are looking at. If you pit the 2010 Prius vs 2010 Insight, the Prius is the better (and more expensive) car. But the 2010 Insight vs 2009 Prius (previous model), its much closer.

Hi Californikan,

Thanks for the info.

Need little clarification. I'm looking for 2010 Toyota. Need to know approximately when it switch fully on to the Electric power and when it switch to the petrol enging. As I understood, from start and upto some speed it runs on petrol engine and switch to Electrical power after some speed. Don't know it is correct or an stupid question.

BTW Semi hybrid means as I understood it runs on both engine and battery, and since the electrical power also in place the weight on the engine in less. Am I correct?

Sorry if this is a stupid question as I am not an expert in this subject. :unsure:

Regards

Thilak

Californikan · April 5, 2011

Hi Californikan,

Thanks for the info.

Need little clarification. I'm looking for 2010 Toyota. Need to know approximately when it switch fully on to the Electric power and when it switch to the petrol enging. As I understood, from start and upto some speed it runs on petrol engine and switch to Electrical power after some speed. Don't know it is correct or an stupid question.

BTW Semi hybrid means as I understood it runs on both engine and battery, and since the electrical power also in place the weight on the engine in less. Am I correct?

Sorry if this is a stupid question as I am not an expert in this subject.

Regards

Thilak

Hi Thilak,

The 2010 Prius can be driven about 1.5km on electric power alone, if driven gently. If the driver presses the accelerator too hard or exceeds 1.5km, the petrol engine automatically switches on to drive the vehicle.

So if you have somewhere to go that's less than 1.5km, it is possible to do the entire trip on electric power alone and not use any petrol (as long as you drive gently in a manner that does not trigger the petrol engine to turn on). Also, the hybrid battery is being charged every time you brake, so use of the brakes can charge the battery and extend electric range also.

As someone said earlier, the way someone drives affects fuel economy of a hybrid. This is part of the fun of driving a hybrid since the vehicle information display teaches the driver how the way they are using the accelerator and brakes is affecting the charge of the battery and their fuel economy - in real time. It's like playing a video game. Also, when driving in electric mode there is no engine noise at all and the car runs silently, and that is an amazing experience to a lot of people.

Toyota's hybrid system can drive the car with either electric power alone or a combination of petrol engine and electric motor power. Most of the time it's the combination. This is known technically as a series-parallel hybrid.

Honda uses a less sophisticated hybrid system that cannot drive the car the car on electric power alone. The petrol engine is always driving the car and the electric motor is assisting it. This is known technically as a parallel hybrid or 'mild hybrid' system.

ThilakR · April 5, 2011

Hi Thilak,

The 2010 Prius can be driven about 1.5km on electric power alone, if driven gently. If the driver presses the accelerator too hard or exceeds 1.5km, the petrol engine automatically switches on to drive the vehicle.

So if you have somewhere to go that's less than 1.5km, it is possible to do the entire trip on electric power alone and not use any petrol (as long as you drive gently in a manner that does not trigger the petrol engine to turn on). Also, the hybrid battery is being charged every time you brake, so use of the brakes can charge the battery and extend electric range also.

As someone said earlier, the way someone drives affects fuel economy of a hybrid. This is part of the fun of driving a hybrid since the vehicle information display teaches the driver how the way they are using the accelerator and brakes is affecting the charge of the battery and their fuel economy - in real time. It's like playing a video game. Also, when driving in electric mode there is no engine noise at all and the car runs silently, and that is an amazing experience to a lot of people.

Toyota's hybrid system can drive the car with either electric power alone or a combination of petrol engine and electric motor power. Most of the time it's the combination. This is known technically as a series-parallel hybrid.

Honda uses a less sophisticated hybrid system that cannot drive the car the car on electric power alone. The petrol engine is always driving the car and the electric motor is assisting it. This is known technically as a parallel hybrid or 'mild hybrid' system.

Hi Californikan,

Many thanks for the info. It looks like there is no big difference regarding fuel consumption between Toyota and Honda.

All depends on the way you drive. Isn't it?

I thank all the experts for their comments. They are really important for non technical ppl (Like me ).

Best regards

Thilak

Californikan · April 5, 2011

2010 Prius fuel economy (U.S. govt test) - 21km/liter

2010 Insight fuel economy (U.S. govt test)- 17km/liter

2010 Prius fuel economy (U.K. govt test)- 31km/liter

2010 Insight fuel economy (U.K. govt test)- 27km/liter

The difference in mileage is because the two tests use different driving conditions and procedures.

It seems that the real world Sri Lanka Prius fuel economy is somewhere in between the U.S. and U.K. figures. So probably around 26km/liter for the Prius and 22km/liter for the Insight.

By the way, I have driven both cars and my experience has been similar to what AbeysinghE reported. I would say the Insight is more fun and sporty to drive than the Prius. The Prius is more substantial, refined and comfortable than the Insight.

Pericles · April 5, 2011

As someone said earlier, the way someone drives affects fuel economy of a hybrid. This is part of the fun of driving a hybrid since the vehicle information display teaches the driver how the way they are using the accelerator and brakes is affecting the charge of the battery and their fuel economy - in real time. It's like playing a video game. Also, when driving in electric mode there is no engine noise at all and the car runs silently, and that is an amazing experience to a lot of people.

Oh, yay! Now we have to worry about penny pinchers looking at screens trying to maximize their mileage instead of looking at the bloody road while they are driving! Its not gonna be safe to drive or walk anymore.

Californikan · April 5, 2011

Oh, yay! Now we have to worry about penny pinchers looking at screens trying to maximize their mileage instead of looking at the bloody road while they are driving! Its not gonna be safe to drive or walk anymore.

Also Pericles, a Prius and any other hybrid in electric drive mode runs silently so pedestrians can't hear them coming.

The hybrid drivers will be too busy looking at their screens to notice the pedestrians crossing the road, and the pedestrians will be crossing the road without looking because they won't hear the hybrid coming, and people are gonna get run over. It's going to be ugly!

The Stig · April 6, 2011

As someone said earlier, the way someone drives affects fuel economy of a hybrid. This is part of the fun of driving a hybrid since the vehicle information display teaches the driver how the way they are using the accelerator and brakes is affecting the charge of the battery and their fuel economy - in real time. It's like playing a video game. Also, when driving in electric mode there is no engine noise at all and the car runs silently, and that is an amazing experience to a lot of people.

Oh yeah nothing more fun than to look down and see how many tree's i saved

After all that is why people buy hybrids isnt it, to save trees ! :rolleyes:

ThilakR · April 6, 2011

2010 Prius fuel economy (U.S. govt test) - 21km/liter

2010 Insight fuel economy (U.S. govt test)- 17km/liter

2010 Prius fuel economy (U.K. govt test)- 31km/liter

2010 Insight fuel economy (U.K. govt test)- 27km/liter

The difference in mileage is because the two tests use different driving conditions and procedures.

It seems that the real world Sri Lanka Prius fuel economy is somewhere in between the U.S. and U.K. figures. So probably around 26km/liter for the Prius and 22km/liter for the Insight.

By the way, I have driven both cars and my experience has been similar to what AbeysinghE reported. I would say the Insight is more fun and sporty to drive than the Prius. The Prius is more substantial, refined and comfortable than the Insight.

Hi Californikan,

Thanks mate. Good info.

Now the choice is ours.

Best regards

Thilak

ThilakR · April 6, 2011

Oh, yay! Now we have to worry about penny pinchers looking at screens trying to maximize their mileage instead of looking at the bloody road while they are driving! Its not gonna be safe to drive or walk anymore.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

heavyD · April 6, 2011

Also, when driving in electric mode there is no engine noise at all and the car runs silently, and that is an amazing experience to a lot of people.

Heh, talking about how quiet a car is on an auto enthusiast forum is kinda like logging on a cookery forum and discussing how tasteless a certain dish is simply cause it's healthy for you. :lol:

nexus · April 6, 2011

Heh, talking about how quiet a car is on an auto enthusiast forum is kinda like logging on a cookery forum and discussing how tasteless a certain dish is simply cause it's healthy for you.

LMAO..........nice one Big_D :lol:

AbeysinghE · April 6, 2011

Oh yeah nothing more fun than to look down and see how many tree's i saved

After all that is why people buy hybrids isnt it, to save trees !

you mean the green concept..????I agree that prius is not fun to drive..coz it's not the purpose the prius has been designed for...More than driving it's fun to see who's around always as there is no engine noise most of the times..it's not fun driving,..in fact it's busy driving

Supra_Natural · April 6, 2011

you mean the green concept..????I agree that prius is not fun to drive..coz it's not the purpose the prius has been designed for...More than driving it's fun to see who's around always as there is no engine noise most of the times..it's not fun driving,..in fact it's busy driving

So in other words the sole reason to buy one is fuel consumption?

Joy...

AbeysinghE · April 6, 2011

Heh, talking about how quiet a car is on an auto enthusiast forum is kinda like logging on a cookery forum and discussing how tasteless a certain dish is simply cause it's healthy for you.

exactly mate...I think hybrids won't be popular in middle east countries as they have ample fuel for a damn cheap price..it's just nothing compared to Sri Lanka...I was at Doha.there i filled from 40 QAR for a full tank in a sedan and can keep on going more than 500kms...in that case hybrids are useless..but for Sri Lanka?????? :unsure:

Edited April 6, 2011 by AbeysinghE

AbeysinghE · April 6, 2011

So in other words the sole reason to buy one is fuel consumption?

Joy...

Yes..what else..mate...fuel efficiency is the first priority for a daily traveler for more than 100 km....

Tilak · April 6, 2011

I found the following in some literature about Prius & thought would be useful.

"The emergency shut off system blocks off the high voltage current and stops the fuel pump to minimize the risk of electrocution & fuel leakage when a certain level of impact is detected by the impact sensor. If the emergency shut off system activates, vehicle will not restart. To restart the hybrid system, contact your dealer"

Since our local agents are not ready yet, I think the Prius users here will have to be carefuill not exceed the set level of impact.

The Stig · April 6, 2011

Yes..what else..mate...fuel efficiency is the first priority for a daily traveler for more than 100 km....

Glad at least there is one person who honestly admits the real reason he bought the prius, whenever we get into this argument the first thing hybrid owners come up is that they bought the car cause they care about the environment so much.

We all know most of us would only buy it cause

1) they have less taxes

2) they do better on fuel

If most of these hybrid owners and fan boys admitted this fact we wouldn't have most of these arguments :alc:

Edited April 6, 2011 by The Stig

AbeysinghE · April 6, 2011

Glad at least there is one person who honestly admits the real reason he bought the prius, whenever we get into this argument the first thing hybrid owners come up is that they bought the car cause they care about the environment so much.

We all know most of us would only buy it cause

1) they have less taxes

2) they do better on fuel

If most of these hybrid owners and fan boys admitted this fact we wouldn't have most of these arguments

Well said stiggy..there is no other reason to get in love with hybrids...hybrids looks nicer than the value paid..due to tax reduction and it does better on fuel...thats all...if anybody who drives for pleasure..hybrids are not for them for sure...