The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

hydraulic brake starts to work as soon as the brake pedal is
depressed, and the electric brake then kicks in. Since only
the energy generated during the use of electric brakes can be
regenerated as electric energy, the electric brake needs to be
efficient.
When a hybrid vehicle decelerates from 100 kilometers
per hour, the hydraulic brake initially helps the deceleration,
but the electric brake takes over as the speed drops. On the
other hand, when braking at 30 kilometers per hour, the
brake for Prius was designed so that the electric brake would
operate immediately so as to increase regeneration. With a
conventional EV, regeneration can occur only at the same
level regardless of speed.
Chassis Components Engineering Division II handled
its development. In May 1995 when the management
decided to develop Prius as a hybrid vehicle, Electric Vehicle
Division was the only organization that worked on Prius.
Electric Vehicle Division and Chassis Components
Engineering Division II discussed together to establish a
project team inside Chassis Components Engineering
Division II consisting of engineers from both organizations.
Since the monthly production volume of Prius was to be 1,
000 units, development of control computers and units
needed a different structure from EVs whose production is
low-scale.
The Electric Vehicle Divisions joined Section General
Manager Fujii and Staff Leader Harumi Ohori. Engineer
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