Honda have announced their mid sized Hybrid and electric concept vehicles at the Geneva Motor-show. This is displayed as part of Honda’s “road to zero emissions”, in which Honda is showing the current hybrid technology alongside near future plug in fuel cell vehicles.
The all new plug-in hybrid technology showcases Honda’s next generation, two motor hybrid technology set to debut in 2012. Honda’s EV concept is designed to meet daily driving needs of the average city/urban driver and utilises the same 5-passenger layout found in their popular hatchback models.
The Honda EV concept will be powered by a lithium-ion battery, have a top speed of 144km/h (90mph) and will achieve an estimated 160km (100miles) driving range on a full charge.
The driving range can be extended by using the innovative 3-mode electric drive system, adapted from the 2011 Honda CR-Z sporty hybrid. The system allows the driver to select between ECON, NORMAL, and Sport to select and seamlessly change the driving experience to maximise the efficiency and improve acceleration.
The battery re-charging can be accomplished in less than 12 hours when using a 120v outlet and less than 6 hours when using a 240-volt outlet.
Honda also unveiled a plug-in hybrid which showed their next generation two motor hybrid system. The car is designed to be compatible with daily driving habits, allowing for short or frequent trips while providing long distance driving capability when needed.
The Honda two motor system continuously moves through three different modes to maximise driving efficiency, all electric, all fuel and fuel- electric mode. The Hybrid also uses regenerative braking to charge the battery.
In all electric mode, the vehicle uses a 6kw lithium-ion Battery and a powerful 120kw electric motor. The all electric mode has a range of approximately 16-24km(10-15miles)in city driving and has a maximum speed of 100km/h (62mph). Fully charging the battery will take 2-2.5hrs using a 120volt outlet and 1-1.5hrs using a 240volt outlet.
The fuel engine is a 2.0litre, i-vtec inline 4 cylinder Atkinson cycle engine paired with an Electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT)an on-board generator adds to the battery charging.
For more efficient high speed cruising, the vehicle can engage in direct- drive mode, in which only the engine is powering the car.
No Release date or prices are announced for Ireland.
Honda Civic
The 2012 Honda Civic hybrid has a 1.5l, 110hp 4 cylinder petrol engine and a 23hp electric motor with a lithium-ion Battery pack. The Civic comes with regenerative braking, start-stop technology and continuously variable transmission. Interestingly, although the Civic can’t move away from a stop using only the electric motor, Honda says there is one situation where its hybrid can run on just electricity–at about 15 to 20 mph when cruising on a flat surface at a steady speed with a fully charged, or nearly so, battery pack.
Since the electric motor and the engine rotate inseparably, the Civic must cut off fuel to the engine and use its variable-valve-timing system to close the engine’s valves and make it easier for the electric motor to do its job.
The Civic’s only giveaway that it’s running on electricity alone is the digital bar graph that lights up suddenly when electricity is being sent to the motor. So it might not have the power to get the Civic going from a stop, but the 20-hp electric motor does have enough power to keep the car moving at low speeds–all by itself, if only briefly. However, it’s such a short span of time under such specific and not-often-encountered conditions that the fuel savings are likely minuscule.
The Civic Hybrid’s Lithium-ion battery pack is 30% smaller than the previous nickel-metal-hydride batteries thereby granting more space than the previous model. The civic is rated at 44mpg with a top speed of 185km/115mph