Toyota Offers Automatic Parallel Parking Option

Posted by timothy on Monday January 19, 2004 @10:57PM from the hover-parking-would-be-better dept.

dstone writes "For drivers who can't parallel park very well, relief is available in Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. is offering a $2,200 option package for its Prius (a gas-electric hybrid car) that includes a computer imaging system which stuffs your car into parallel parking spaces on demand. The driver must manually initiate the process and control the brakes while the car steers in reverse. Some might say if you can't master parallel parking, perhaps you shouldn't be driving. However, the article at Modbee.com points out that in Japan, streets are jammed and parallel parking spaces can be ruthlessly small. 80% of Prius customers have opted for this package. But will the car plug the meter when I run out of time?"

1 of 504 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Re:Why the brake need? by aonaran · 2004-01-20 01:57 · Score: 5, Informative

Because a Prius doesn't have a clutch.
It's an hybrid electric car with "Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission"

There is nopt only not an option to get manual gear shifting, but the car doesn't even really shift in the traditional sense, it just moves up along a cone shaped gear.

Look here for an explaination of CVT.