A very popular car all around the world is the Toyota Prius. There a huge volumes of these in the Japanese used car auctions. However, a Prius is not always the Prius you were planning on buying. There are 2WD, 4WD, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batterys, PHEV plug in types and Lithium-ion batteries. When you bid, which do you want? Also the price varies A LOT, depending on the chassis type. Let’s have a look at the different chassis types and what they represent.
First of all the ZVW50 Toyota Prius. This is the cheapest type of battery and is the traditional and original style of hybrid battery found in earlier Toyota Prius models. It has the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery. This battery type has been used in Prius models for many years due to its durability and cost-effectiveness.
Secondly there is the ZVW51 Toyota Prius. This has the variant of the Prius that features a lithium-ion battery instead of the NiMH battery. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, can hold more energy, and typically offer better performance in terms of fuel efficiency and electric-only driving capability compared to NiMH batteries.
Thirdly there is the ZVW52. This is the PHEV plug-in hybrid Prius. Again, this runs on the Lithium-ion battery. This model battery is larger and has a higher capacity compared to the batteries used in the standard hybrid models (like the ZVW50 and ZVW51). The lithium-ion battery in the Prius Plug-in (ZVW52) enables it to achieve a greater electric-only driving range. This makes it more efficient and capable of driving longer distances on electric power alone, compared to the conventional hybrid models which primarily use their electric drive systems to assist the gasoline engine for improved fuel efficiency.
Last of all there is the ZVW55. In Japan this is the 4WD drive option. This also runs on the Lithium-ion battery like the ZVW51, but with 4WD.
When searching for a car in the Japan used car auctions, especially the Toyota Prius, it pays to know the chassis type and add this into your search so that you get the battery type of Prius you are looking for!
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