Hybrid-vehicle advancement drives forward
Recently, I was able to drive two state-of-the-art hybrid cars and had the opportunity to compare them. They were the Toyota Prius C and the Hyundai Ioniq.
The Prius is the hybrid vehicle I use as the standard by which to judge other hybrid vehicles.
With well over a million Prius on the road since their introduction in 1997, the iconic teardrop shape has grown to symbolize hybrid vehicles for much of the motoring public. The Prius nameplate has grown from just one model to now include The Prius V (a little larger wagon version of the original car) and the Prius C, which is a compact (and I think sporty) version of the Prius. All three models use the same style powertrain but the Prius C has a smaller 1.5-litre gasoline engine compared to the 1.8-litre engine in the other models. I am using the compact Prius C in this comparison.
Joining the Prius lineup is the Prius Prime, which is a plug-in hybrid model. Sales started in Quebec on June 1, 2017.
Plug-in hybrids have bigger battery capacity and operate more of the time on electric power. They can be recharged by either the operation of the gas motor in the vehicle or by plugging them into the household electrical grid or through dedicated fast chargers for plug-in vehicles.
Hyundai Ioniq
New to the market is Hyundai’s Ioniq. The Ioniq Blue was the hybrid model I tested, and Hyundai has announced that a plug-in model and pure electric model of the Ioniq will be offered later this year. So let’s see how the Ioniq compares to the Prius C.
The Ioniq uses a 1.6-litre gasoline direct injection four cylinder engine while the Prius C has a 1.5-litre four cylinder engine. Toyota uses the Atkinson cycle design for their hybrid gas engines, which has modified valve timing to reduce the parasitic drag on the engine caused by trying to pull air into the engine when the throttle valve is mostly closed. The Atkinson cycle design improves fuel economy but decreases low rpm torque, which isn’t a problem on hybrids because electric motors have strong torque at low rpm. Not all batteries are equal Another difference between the two vehicles is in the battery power. The Ioniq uses a lithium ion type of battery while the Prius C uses a nickel metal hydride battery. Lithium ion batteries can store a lot of energy and release it quickly which shows in the Ioniq’s quicker acceleration and the capability to operate the vehicle up to a maximum of 120 km/h on battery power alone (I was only able to get to 80 km/h on just battery power).
The Prius, on the other hand, uses Nickel metal hydride batteries to store energy and will operate on electric power at just low speeds in stop and go traffic. As soon as speeds increase, the gasoline engine will cut in. The Prius does have the advantage of dependability, with demonstrated battery life that commonly exceeds 10 years in every day driving.
Performance edge
Another difference is in the transmission. The Ioniq incorporates a dual clutch six-speed automatic transmission between the hybrid powertrain and the wheels, which gives it excellent acceleration and performance.
The Prius C uses an electric continuously variable transmission which uses the main electric motor as a means of propulsion and regenerative power while a second electric motor operating through a planetary gearset can vary the gear ratio by both the speed and direction of operation of the gearset.
It is a compact unit and works well but is accompanied by some gear noise on deceleration.
Given just the performance of the two vehicles, I would give the Ioniq an edge over the Prius C, but there is much more to owning a vehicle than just performance.
I found the Prius C has a better display of hybrid operation on the dash information display and it was easier to access with the touch sensor steering wheel controls.
Fuel economy is similar, with Transport Canada figures giving a slight edge to the Ioniq, but in real life driving both are close and will save you a lot of money on gas fills.
FINAL VERDICT
Prius still sets the standard by which to judge other hybrids, but the others have caught up and are improving quickly. The Ioniq is a great performing hybrid and I would be happy to have either in my driveway.