Report on Toyota/Prius Motor Design and Manufacturing Assessment

In today's hybrid vehicle market the Toyota Prius drive system is currently considered the leader in electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing innovations. It is significant that in today's marketplace Toyota is able to manufacture and sell the vehicle for a profit. This project's objective is to analyze and study the Prius drive system to understand the design and manufacturing mechanisms Toyota utilized to achieved their performance and cost goals. During the course of this research effort ORNL has dissected both the 2003 and 2004 Toyota/Prius drive motors. This study is focused primarily on motor design considerations and an assessment of manufacturing issues.