To understand the success of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, you need to understand the company and the terminology the company uses. Hybrid for example is defined as the combination of two or more different things, aimed at achieving a particular objective. In this case it is two distinct methods of propulsion for an automobile aimed at reducing fuel consumption without reducing practicality. Another important definition is integration, which in this case is "data from one device or software to be read or manipulated by another, resulting in ease of use". The last major definition is Synergy which in its simplest terms means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Full Article
Around a month ago I sat in a 2009 HiHy Limited in the showroom. It had the Econ and EV buttons. They keep bugging me to take one for a spin, maybe I should
Re: "three modes of operation" ?? A reference to selectable (by button) modes of HSD operation on the 2010 Prius.
Note that Satoshi Ogiso was cited in this article. Looks like he is higher in the engineering hierarchy than Akihiko Otsuka. Toyota engineers reflect as Prius approaches 10th birthday | The Japan Times Online Akihiko Otsuka, Bob Carter - syracuse.com
