Klarius produce exhaust system for popular Toyota Prius Hybrid
24th June 2015
Klarius has recently produced and successfully fitted a Type-Approved aftermarket exhaust system for the now iconic Toyota Prius, signalling the company’s commitment to expanding its green product range. Transferring expertise and experience from providing quality emissions systems for regular cars, Klarius is moving with the market to facilitate the green evolution taking place
on our roads.
For more than a decade, the general trend within the automotive industry has been the lowering of exhaust emissions such as carbon dioxide. One perceived casualty of this new environmental emphasis was thought to be the exhaust, which seemed to symbolise the age of the combustion engine. However step changes within the industry and on the roads take time – as the introduction of electric cars has proved, while many other alternative propulsion systems (such as hydrogen or fuel cell) still require exhausts. For now the market for green cars is dominated by hybrids, arguably the most famous of these being the Toyota Prius, a car that has typified new found environmental consciousness. Running a shared powertrain of an electric motor and a small combustion engine, these vehicles require high performance emissions equipment.
An exhaust system on a hybrid vehicle has to be of the highest quality and perfectly installed, otherwise the performance of the car is drastically affected. With its large array of technology and electrical generation systems – the engine bay of a Prius is tightly packed, requiring a space saving exhaust. If this exhaust is fitted improperly, a number of issues can occur greatly diminishing the performance of the Prius’ Hybrid Synergy Drive. The first sign of an improperly fitted exhaust is an increase in noise pollution, causing disturbance to other road users. Furthermore, the general efficiency of the car will diminish due to increased back pressure, creating a resistance to the escaping flow of exhaust gases. This back pressure decreases the power output of the car, which is usually compensated for by an increase in fuel consumption by the engine. This effectively destroys all the positive environmental credentials of a hybrid vehicle increasing emissions, noise and fuel consumption.
These dangers are illustrated by a recent tests conducted by Klarius on a competitor Prius exhaust product – which showed a number of major issues. Firstly, the exhaust did not meet Type-Approval specification for quality. Type-Approval is an EU directive (though not law in the UK) where an exhaust has to attain certain emissions and quality levels to be legally sold. Therefore the part in question was unsuitable to be sold in the EU market due to higher pollution levels. The exhaust also turned out to be 3 decibels louder than the respective Klarius system. This low quality also facilitates higher back pressure, lowering fuel economy and damaging the environment.
In comparison, all products in the Klarius range are Type-Approved and suitable for sale in the EU due to their high quality. All Klarius exhaust systems are rigorously tested on a dedicated on-site test track to ensure they attain expected internal and EU standards. This guarantees that Klarius parts will be as good as OE parts or better, which for an advanced hybrid vehicle like a Prius, means safeguarding its low environmental impact.
Fundamentally, Klarius is moving with the market – developing and supporting the green evolution of motoring. Rather than being associated with the age of heedless combustion of fossil fuels – Klarius is playing a part in supporting lower emission cars and helping to safeguard the environment. This is facilitated by producing top quality tested parts for all vehicles and all customers. Therefore, we can expect Klarius exhausts to always keep pace with market developments and environmental concerns – as they are the main focus of the company itself.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use batteries to power an electric motor and another fuel, such as gasoline, to power an internal combustion engine (ICE). PHEV batteries can be charged using a wall outlet or charging equipment, by the ICE, or through regenerative braking. The vehicle typically runs on electric power until the battery is nearly depleted, and then the car automatically switches over to use the ICE. Learn more about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
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Key Components of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Car
Battery (auxiliary): In an electric drive vehicle, the low-voltage auxiliary battery provides electricity to start the car before the traction battery is engaged; it also powers vehicle accessories.
Charge port: The charge port allows the vehicle to connect to an external power supply in order to charge the traction battery pack.
DC/DC converter: This device converts higher-voltage DC power from the traction battery pack to the lower-voltage DC power needed to run vehicle accessories and recharge the auxiliary battery.
Electric generator: Generates electricity from the rotating wheels while braking, transferring that energy back to the traction battery pack. Some vehicles use motor generators that perform both the drive and regeneration functions.
Electric traction motor: Using power from the traction battery pack, this motor drives the vehicle's wheels. Some vehicles use motor generators that perform both the drive and regeneration functions.
Exhaust system: The exhaust system channels the exhaust gases from the engine out through the tailpipe. A three-way catalyst is designed to reduce engine-out emissions within the exhaust system.
Fuel filler: A nozzle from a fuel dispenser attaches to the receptacle on the vehicle to fill the tank.
Fuel tank (gasoline): This tank stores gasoline on board the vehicle until it's needed by the engine.
Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited): In this configuration, fuel is injected into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber, where it is combined with air, and the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the spark from a spark plug.
Onboard charger: Takes the incoming AC electricity supplied via the charge port and converts it to DC power for charging the traction battery. It also communicates with the charging equipment and monitors battery characteristics such as voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge while charging the pack.
Power electronics controller: This unit manages the flow of electrical energy delivered by the traction battery, controlling the speed of the electric traction motor and the torque it produces.
Thermal system (cooling): This system maintains a proper operating temperature range of the engine, electric motor, power electronics, and other components.
Traction battery pack: Stores electricity for use by the electric traction motor.
Transmission: The transmission transfers mechanical power from the engine and/or electric traction motor to drive the wheels.