The Prius uses a planetary gear set to blend power of the engine with that of the two motor-generators.
replyBoth the engine and motors are used at all speeds. Particularly during highway acceleration the entire assembly rotates in the same direction.
This is a great related watch if you have some time to kill: https://youtu.be/KnUFH5GX_fI
replyThat's such a fantastic video. I never totally grasped why hybrids were so much more efficient, because my naive assumptions about how they worked were so simplistic. The real-time graphs he showed were excellent for making his points.
replyTC is filled with these sorts of videos. If you have time to burn then they are basically all this quality. His interests are also just wildly all over the place. From Christmas lights to dishwashers to coffee machines you just don't know what the next video will be.
replyThe Prius is in series, or something like it.
replyNo it’s not. The majority of power comes from the engine. It drives the electric motor mechanically, using it as a transmission. It is not just charging the battery.
replySorry, I meant in the low speed, high acceleration regime (maybe easily confounded with takeoff?). There the engine will turn one motor to generate electricity, which will then power the second motor, like a series hybrid.
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