In 1997 Toyota changed the car industry forever with the launch of the Prius. The first main=stream hybrid cars, more than 20 years on it still plays a huge role in the car-world. The Prius is adored by celebrities, politicians, taxi-drivers, and environmentalists. But what is it that made it so revolutionary?
Humble Beginnings.
In 1995 at the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota launched a concept hybrid car. It was Toyota’s highlight of the show and a year later testing began. There had been hybrid cars before the Prius with the earliest dating back to 1899. However, no hybrid car had ever been mass-produced before and this was mainly due to costs and demand. Toyota realized a gap in the market with gas-prices increasing so on 10 December 1997, the Prius was launched in Japan. It became an instant hit in Japan, winning the 1998 Japanese Car of The Year award.
However, it wasn’t until 2001 when the Prius was introduced to the rest of the world. Toyota managed to sell 123,000 first-generation Priuses but they never made a penny on any. They either broke-even or lost money on every first-generation car sold. More than twenty years on Toyota has managed to sell millions of these cars. Its combination of petrol and electricity has created a gateway for cars such as the McLaren P1 and BMW I8.
Without the Prius, we probably would not have the same battery technology as we do today. Toyota revolutionized the world with the Prius. Although becoming one of the worlds most hated cars, it is one of the most life-changing cars. It made other car companies become more environmentally conscious.
An A-List Celebrity
One customer base the Prius absolutely dominated was in Hollywood amongst the celebrity stars. Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, and Leonardo DiCaprio all had one. What made this car so popular amongst them was that it made a statement. It showed that you didn’t need a big gas-guzzler. It inspired people to buy one since their favorite actors had one. The Prius also was a God-send in California where gas-prices were heavily increasing. The Prius was perfect for a Politically correct world, which made it completely pretentious.
The Prius gained a reputation for being a bit fake. The sort of car you buy to impress others. It’s not a bad car but it just holds a dirty reputation. Either way, watch any Hollywood Blockbuster and you will see a Prius. The Prius is a celebrity in itself. Nowadays, most celebrity owners have switched their Prius to a Tesla but its still a common sight in Beverly Hills.
Hated by Car Enthusiasts, but Loved by Jay Leno
Car enthusiasts hate the Prius. Jay Leno though loves it. It was seen to take over the car industry and kill a big-engined car. However, serial car enthusiast Jay Leno believes it actually saved the big gas-guzzlers. Drive this car throughout the week and on the weekend get out the Ferrari. Most car enthusiasts didn’t see this and ended up hating the Prius. Most other hybrid cars don’t get the same level of hate. This may be due to the car coming off as pretentious.
However, the Prius did inspire some supercar greats to be built. The McLaren P1, the BMW I8, and the Honda NSX to be precise. Furthermore, the Japanese tuning legend Liberty Walk modified the Prius. The Prius is like the herbivore in the pack of T-Rex’s.
A good car to buy right now, but the Hyundai Ioniq is better (and cheaper)
The Prius is a good car. However, it is expensive. The Hyundai Ioniq is so much cheaper and it features the same technology. It also is less pretentious and looks a whole lot better. Unfortunately, the Ioniq hasn’t sold well at all compared to the Prius. There are plenty of good deals on the Prius and there are many on the second-hand market. But beware as they can become expensive in terms of maintenance.
A new battery is over $6000 and servicing can also be quite costly. However, the gas-engine Toyota has guaranteed somewhat of a million miles. The engine is completely bulletproof (almost).
Despite the Prius, Toyota still hasn’t made an electric car
Toyota still hasn’t made an electric car. Crazy right? They mainly focus on self-charging hybrids or plug-in hybrids but never fully-electric cars. Toyota believes that electricity may not be the way forward yet. Hydrogen-powered cars are in Toyota’s limelight and its something Toyota believe will be sustainable in the future. At the moment Hydrogen-powered cars can only really be used in California since the state has the most Hydrogen power stations.