An environmental friendly hybrid car.

Fancy an environmental friendly hybrid car that performs at 50mpg?This is the new third generation Toyota Prius costing about USD22,000.

It is roomier, quieter, more advanced and has more equipment. It even has a moonroof equipped with a solar panel located over the rear seating area. As previously speculated, the solar panels only powers the air circulation fan for the air conditioning system, not even the whole air conditioning system! This fan can function while the car is unoccupied, which means it can keep the car’s interior cool while it is parked under the hot sun.
The body uses aluminium in the hood, rear hatch, front suspension axle and brake caliper to reduce weight.

The Atkinson cycle engine under the hood is now larger and more powerful, clocking in at 1.8 liters on the displacement scale and putting out 98 horsepower at 5,200rpm and 142Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The electric motor puts out 80hp and 208Nm of torque, but combined output of the two systems are 134 horsepower. Power from the two “engines” go through an electronically controlled CVT transmission. The hybrid battery pack is still a NiMH (no move to lithium ion yet). The Prius can run in 3 modes – EV, Eco and Power. EV is an electric-only mode (which can run for about 1.6km, good for short trips to the shop or mamak), while Eco and Power should be self explanatory.

This four-door hybrid has become a hit with consumers because of its stellar fuel economy, relatively uncompromised driving and acceleration characteristics and reasonable price.
The Toyota Prius (its name comes from Latin and means "to go before") exists as a partial solution to the automobile's problem of tailpipe emissions.

The Prius, like other hybrid vehicles, has a special powertrain that combines a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor. This powertrain, along with other advanced features, allows the Prius to deliver higher fuel economy and lower emissions compared to regular cars.
An elegant and stylish dashboard,very aerodynamic.

Toyota has the knowledge and experience with nickel metal hydride(NiMH) battery packs.The prototype battery system weighs about 220 lbs. more than the current production Prius pack and intrudes into the trunk so that that’s there’s only room for about two medium size suitcases.
The prototypes can operate on electric power for a range of about 7 miles and can re-charge in three to four hours using a 110-vlot outlet. Under the hood is the current Prius’s 1.5-liter inline four. The electric motor generates 50kW, which combined with the more powerful pack, allows the Prius prototype to reach 62 mph on electric-only power. Current cars can only hit about 25 mph before the gasoline engine cuts in.

The Dow,Tuesday 9/03/10 is 8 market days to Quadraple Witching.

Nikkei futures expiry:12/03/10
9:30am:--Bearish unshaven top 30.0 points down.The greenback is the primary culprit; it is currently up 0.4% against a basket of foreign currencies.

10:30am:--Opening gap-down fully recovered.Bullish spin at near session high.Texas Instruments (TXN) improved its outlook.

11:30am:--Bullish dragonfly doji at current high.

The US Dollar Index pulled back gave renewed strength to the majority of the commodity.

12:30noon:--Consolidation time.No sign of any pullback now at new high.A bearish engulfing warning.

1:30pm:--Another top this time with a powerful bearish engulfing.

2:30pm:--The hangman,triple top bearish engulfing.

3:30pm:--Pierced through the MAV support line hitting the bear pivot covering the opening gap.

4:00pm:--Retracement ending with a small bullish inverted hammer.There wasn't any economic data today.

A lack of upbeat headlines and a stronger dollar left buyers with little reason to get back into the action.The current pair of candlestick resembles a spinning top which is inside the body of last Friday.Any pullback will be near the half body before it retrace again.

Tomorrow brings monthly wholesale inventory data and the Treasury's monthly budget statement which is a non-event so expect another tri-star formation.

Meanwhile it's reported job openings rose sharply earlier this year, evidence that employers are slowly ramping up hiring as the economy improves.So the next jobless claims report on the 18/03/10 will be another boost to the index.