When the 2010 Toyota Prius officially launches this spring, it will now officially receive a combined EPA estimated fuel efficiency rating of 50 MPG — that’s an estimated city/highway mpg rating of 50 in the city, 49 on the highway.

This blows away the first-generation Prius, which was rated at an EPA combined 41 MPG. It even blows away the current-generation Prius with its EPA combined 46 MPG combined city/highway. All this despite being bigger, longer and more…horsepower-y.

[Jalopnik says] We’ll have our drive impression sometime later this month, so you’ll have to wait to find out if Toyota’s taken this more-efficient Prius from bland to, you know, another, stronger shade of vanilla. Heck, maybe it’s even moved up to “cream.” You’ll have to wait to find out.

Pretty snazzy! Full press release from Toyota at the Jalopnik website.




  1. soundwash says:

    i dont get it.. there were cars in the 80’s & 90’s getting 45-50mpg..and without the over-complexity of a bad hybrid design to boot.

    i bet if *green* radicals put the *total*
    environmental cost of a current hybrids batteries into the equation, (esp its disposal factor)hybrids would not be the dreamy clean vision of the future currently being sold to us.

    imo, they should not promote hybrids until
    they remove current battery tech from
    the equation and replace it with the extreme
    energy densities nanotech provides on
    many fronts.

    -the nanotech sized ceramic barium-titanate UltraCapacitors have been around for
    several years (that i know of)
    in the military and military backed
    research *are* the future.

    the USNavy and Lockheed Martin have been playing with them for years. -these will be powering the new electric boats the navy is looking to switch to soon.

    these have been tested to one million plus
    charge/discharge cycles with almost
    NO loss in efficiency or any other
    parameters that are used for longevity
    testing.

    they are non-toxic and all the other
    good stuff that will make them the talk
    of the time for years to come.

    (as an aside, i suspect the barium/
    barium-titanate showcasing in these new
    ultracaps *might* have something to do
    with its special harmonic, piezoelectric
    and self-oscillating properties that make
    it very useful in the forbidden science
    of scalar and longitudinal wave
    theory and practices.
    (in particular, where barrium ferrite
    magnets are used.)

    the only *hybrid* they should produce until then is an all electric chassis fitted with DC drive motors and a meager diesel engine tuned to drive a generator.

    when ultracaps finally get massed produced,
    stick them in a diesel-hybrid like described above. -to charge the them while we figure out how to upgrade our electrical grid to handle the *huge* surge in electricity-grid requirements that going to *viable* plug-in electrics will create.

    current hybrids are nothing but a waste
    of good resources and feelgood politics imo.
    -even being a capitalist loving kind of guy, we have to bite the bullet and stop
    designing and making “incrementalistic” cars.

    -ie, cars that could be introduced this
    year with all the tech that is “scheduled” to be phased in by 2015, for instance. (this ofc is the way business works, but for some key items, i think we should chill the F out with
    that business model.

    -all a pipe dream i know since the
    powers that be have now almost completely consolidated energy and food-via gmo seed
    under one multinational mega corp umbrella
    and will allow only what they plan for
    but hey, one can dream..

    (they have some nasty suprises for us this
    summer too. valero energy is a good one to
    do background on)

    -but thats a conversation for later this year

    wonder if there are barium-titanate futures
    on the market..?

    yada yada

    -s

  2. bobbo says:

    #33–soundwash==excellent post. I especially like the idea about building the platform with the power source to be upgraded when possible. But isn’t that pretty much what current hybrids are–just waiting for better battery tech to come along? I think so. Just the start to get the consumer off the idea of car = internal combustion engine.

    I still think many problems could be solved by off the shelf tech. Why not have recharging systems built right into the road way close to what slot cars do? All you need to do is get your battery sourced car to the local freeway and get into the charging lane while you drive to work or cross country. By the time you get to work, your car is fully charged.

    Infrastructure you can count on.

    Obama?

  3. Paddy-O says:

    # 26 Mark Derail said, “I was disappointed with their MPG numbers.”

    I had a 5dr power everything that got 32/40. About as disappointing as it gets. LOL

  4. Daniel says:

    I have a 2007 Prius.. I commute roughly 100 miles roundtrip per day. I save a ton of money by owning the Prius. I paid $23k for it brand new, so its not like it was a very expensive car. I also happen to live in New England and can tell you that its not that bad in the snow. Sure, its not “great” in the snow, but neither is any other basic 4 door car.

    It is also a lot more roomier on the inside than you’d think. I’ve fit 5 adults (including myself) in the car… so its not bad if you are considering it for a basic car for a family of 4.

    Overall, I definitely save money given the number of miles I drive. If you don’t drive much then yeah you could get by with a cheaper non-hybrid car for lower TCO, but for someone who needs a commuter car I can’t praise it enough.

  5. Paddy-O says:

    # 36 Daniel said, “I save a ton of money by owning the Prius. ”

    Really? As compared to what other car?

  6. Mark Derail says:

    I *never* claim I save a ton of money with my Prius, that would be lying. However, it does not cost more than a similar midsized sedan.

    A Prius costs the same in TCO, uses less gas, and pollutes 1/6th that of a Honda Accord, that makes me happy. The 2010 Prius is even better.

    My 2006 Prius – over Five Years TCO (cost to own, operate, repair, replace) *will be* much lower than my Mom’s V6 Hyundai Sonata (it already is). It should be on PAR or lower, with a Honda Accord or a Camry.

    So in essence, a Prius costs the same, over 5 years. It’s the next 5 to 10 years that really counts – but that is true of any excellent car.

    Running for 3 years and 44,000 KM, I can TODAY sell it for higher than my buyback. That’s financed with Toyota BTW at 6.5%.

    Paddy-O, a 5dr Hyundai doing 31/40? Please tell me which model & transmission LOL

    EPA numbers (city/highway) and US gallons (not UK)
    Accent 2006: 25/33
    Accent 2009: 26/35
    Elantra 2006: 21/29
    Elantra 2009: 25/33
    Sonata 2006: 18/27

    Paddy-O, what phantom Hyundai gets 31/40????

    Some progress Hyundai has made, from 2006 to 2009, across it’s base models for MPG.

    BTW – how you drive affects any car, and the transmission type.

    Any manual transmission, versus any automatic – has a huge impact on MPG, the exception being the Prius, which uses a planetary system.

    An automatic has to build up torque pressure in the doughnut. So the more you stop and accelerate, the worse mileage you get.

    Most automatics have only 4 speeds – which is incredibly RIDICULOUS in this day & age.
    Add a 5th gear and get a 10% MPG boost.
    Have 7 gears, and reduce the Stop & Go loss.

    Seems some of you like the Honda MPX.
    Just go and get a Smart ForTwo, 3 cyl, tiny car.

    A Smart ForTwo does 31/40…Somehow Paddy-O got a Smart mixed up with a Hyundai…

    …or Paddy-O was quoting what HE gets, being a good patient driver with a manual transmission. THAT I can believe.

    C’mon Paddy-O, be truthfully verbose instead of tiny sentences.

  7. Paddy-O says:

    # 38 Mark Derail said, “…or Paddy-O was quoting what HE gets, being a good patient driver with a manual transmission. THAT I can believe.”

    Automatic trans & I do drive pretty conservatively. The car is an ’05. Based on the price of mine vs. the subject on this blog I’d have to own it for almost 15 years to break even on cost.

    Hardly a good deal.

  8. soundwash says:

    #34 bobbo: -thank you.

    (i found a wiki entry on the (so far)
    the sole creator of the non-military
    patented version of this tech.. quick read
    and all the points bulleted out.)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor


    bobbo said: “”I especially like the idea about building the platform with the power source to be upgraded when possible. But isn’t that pretty much what current hybrids are””

    -yes, i agree. -but really, they are “oil
    industry” hybrids. (we all know why, but put that aside for a moment) -they can, -as you sugessted, with *current* off the shelf
    parts, be *so much more* efficient
    it’s not funny.

    i hate to repeat myself but…

    i harp on the diesel-electric hybrid model if only because its decades old tech perfected in thousands of diesel electric locomotives across
    the globe. -literally a no-brainer.

    the entire diesel engine is literally bathed in oil and a well designed and cared for one can easily get one million miles of use. a small three or four cylinder diesel tuned to peak efficiency at say 1200-1500rpm attached to a generator driving very simple direct drive DC motors at the wheels.

    you can easily use current production lines
    with very little retooling and end up with a car with neck snapping torque/acceleration
    (DC motors literally produce all their
    torque (power) at 0 RPM) and easily achieve
    70-90mpg with a car that has utility and is fun to drive. -and that’s without a “battery buffer”

    – i hazard to say that this could have easily been done in the 60’s or 70’s. -and if you had to, i bet you’d get the same mileage with a similar gas, alcohol or hydrogen.

    given the current “climate” -i am
    amazed at the global hoax *still* being
    perpetuated by auto manufactures.

    call it greed if you like..i call it a severe
    lack of vision. -well, lack of vision for “the people” -the elites running the show have extremely honed vision which only includes a global population of less than a billion.

    ok, aside from that..the energy grid problem.
    rather than jump straight to literally space-age energy technologies perfected in the early 1900’s, we are going to stumble through wasteful wind and solar technologies that could be either avoided altogether or made one hundred times more efficient via nanotechnology right now.

    we could all (well home owners for now) be off the grid, generating our own needs cleanly and actually decentralize -or even become “the grid” with current tech or energy patents locked away long ago in gov vaults “for national security” reasons.

    everything that we as a race to need exist in harmony with the planet has already been discovered and perfected.

    however, no matter who is in charge, we are going to trod through planned phases of discovery and obsolescence if not only for just the profit behind it, but the more importantly, for the glory and power.

    and politically speaking..all politics are at fault..no one ideology is innocent.

    bah..i’m digressing too much. i apologize.
    it’s just that this is one area (energy) that really pisses me off big time.

    enough. i’ve said more than needed (as usual) :p

    here.. here is another decent discussion thread (12/08) on the EEStor tech -little
    more technical but worth it.

    http://theeestory.com/topics/318

    just one last punt.. google
    “custer channewing” for an astonishingly simple wing design that was sabotaged via obscure SEC laws for another slant on how F’d up “the powers” are.. -and it was litterally erased from history, only to be re-patented
    recently to be used..

    bobbo, sometimes i am extremely ashamed to be a member of the human race. -given all that we so selfishly squandered since the “dark ages” and the advent of religion. -i fear we might be embarking down this path again.

    -sorry for the tangent.

    that’s all.

    cheers mate.

    -s

    (submitting without grammar check. -‘xcuse any errors plz)

  9. Mark Derail says:

    Channel Wings are *cool*

    Prius is *cool*

    Both look out of place – both exceed expectations and have naysayers saying “it can’t be right”.

  10. Rick Cain says:

    Obviously this is a good decision on Toyota’s part. GM is about to go bankrupt, Chrysler will soon follow, and Ford is banking on taking GM and Chrysler’s former customer base in order to survive.

    Toyota’s sales are down in this terrible market, but they are still in the black. Meanwhile US carmakers run by a bunch of 72 year old overpaid idiot executives just came out with a 500hp pickup truck.

  11. Paddy-O says:

    # 43 Rick Cain said, “Toyota’s sales are down in this terrible market, but they are still in the black.”

    Nope.

    “Toyota said it expects an operating loss of 150 billion yen ($1.66 billion) for the fiscal year ending in March,”

  12. MrAndrew says:

    How is this impressive? My five year old diesel gets 64MPG

    http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Detail.aspx?deriv=25189

    Perhaps it’s just impressive by US standards?

  13. Paddy-O says:

    # 45 MrAndrew said, “How is this impressive? My five year old diesel gets 64MPG”

    It isn’t. On a cost basis (to the consumer) it isn’t a good deal. The fact that there are cars that get very close to the same mileage and DON’T require those enviro unfriendly batteries, it isn’t a good deal for the environment either.

  14. almar1965 says:

    52mpg is pathetic, especially at the price of a Prius. I know of many many diesel vehicles that do far better figures than this, pull bigger loads, and carry more people.

    If I get less than 55mpg out of my Saab I’d be furious, and that has a 2 litre engine. There are smaller diesels that do in excess of 80…that’s right EIGHTY miles to the gallon.

    Prius is a Hollywood fad paying lip service to the real issues.

  15. Luke says:

    50 MPG is fantastic, although the look of the Prius isn’t 100% sporty.


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