The Nurburgring race track in Germany is one of the finest and most heart wrenching tracks that can be in the world. However, it also turns out to be perfect for automakers to come and test out their mean machines to the limits, resulting in more power and more performance. While in most cases, performance automakers come to the track to set lap records on the 20.75 km stretch; Toyota was here with the Prius Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) to set up a record for maximum fuel efficiency.
Motoring journalist Joe Clifford was asked by Toyota to come and conduct the test in a mechanically stock Pruis PHEV that received certain styling parts like the grounds kit and 18-inch wheels in 225/40 low-rolling resistance tyres. On a single lap of the Nurburgring, Clifford was asked to use as little fuel as possible while complying with circuit rules. The hybrid even managed to maintain the minimum average speed of 60 km/hr on the track.
While the European spec Prius Hybrid’s official combined average is 47.4 km/l, Clifford managed an average of a super whopping 247 km/l with a run time of 20 minutes and 59 seconds. Most obviously, Toyota is very upped about its achievement and the automaker claims that the Prius used less than five tablespoons of fuel to get round the track. Even though the 20.7 kms is a long stretch that one manages easily during commuting, the difference has been the changes in elevation on the track.
While the roads come with stop and go traffic, the track misses out on that and also has the rise and fall in elevation of around 1000 feet. In reality, that is the only long climb where in the petrol engine had to cut-in to provide adequate power. The feat is appreciable, but does not reflect the real world mileage conditions in any way. Nonetheless, the Prius is fuel efficient and has turned out to be a symbol of eco-friendly drivers around the world and gives you all the more reason to believe that electric and hybrids are certainly the future.
