Honda Insight - My First Impressions From the Auto Show

Another fact was found on the Insight degeneration.
HCH-II and Prius are equipped with the brake oil accumulator to help the braking power.

Insight uses just a vacuum booster same as a conventional vehicle.
Insight has to start the ICE (consume gasoline) on deceleration when the vacuum volume is not enough.

Ken@Japan

 

Why would the ICE need to inject fuel to get vacuum? The Insight spins the ICE any time the vehicle is in motion. Simply opening the valves to allow airflow through the engine would create manifold vacuum and supply vacuum to the brake booster. Opening the valves will also create engine braking.

 

I'm not sure the reason.
Maybe, fuel is needed below 1100rpm.
InsightCentral.net - Encyclopedia - Honda Insight Fuel Cut Mode

Ken@Japan

 

It is real LED lights.
But, the real Insight has only halogen or HID.

Yes. the HCH-I used two stages ICE and 10kW motor, so the Insight-II goes back to CY2001 level.

Ken@Japan

 

Nice web site. Clear explanations. But I don't like the way the Insight operates. The engine has to run under conditions when the Prius can run in electric mode. That's actually one of the principal reasons I bought a Prius instead of an HCH. I was predisposed toward the HCH because I like Honda and I liked my old Civic. But IMA didn't do it for me when compared with HSD.

Now I'm dissatisfied with HSD because it's not an EV.

 

That reference is talking about a 1G Insight with a manual transmission. The clutch allows the engine to be disconnected from the wheels. This would cause the engine to slow down and the brake booster to loose vacuum. A very low engine speed would also make it difficult for a human driver to release the clutch and press the throttle correctly to keep from stalling if they suddenly when from braking to acceleration.

The 2G Insight has a CVT that is completely controlled by the ECU. I still don't see why a CVT equipped Insight would need to add fuel to get enough vacuum for the brake booster.

 

Thank you!

I believe you are mandated to have DRL in Canada.
I'm not sure the HID can be configured as DRL.
Are there any vehicle using the HID as DRL?

Ken@Japan

 

As I wrote, I'm sure the HCH-II has the brake oil accumulator same as Prius, but I'm not sure about the HCH-I.
Anyway, the Insight-II has only the regular vacuum booster.

Ken@Japan

 

Again, I don't know the real reason. The site information is for only a reference.

Anyway, let's think about a situation when the vehicle is stopped at the uphill.
We need a brake assist, but no vacuum there, then the engine has to start to produce enough vacuum for braking.

Ken@Japan

 

The vacuum booster can only supply assist for two or three brake applications, after that the engine will have to start to resupply vacuum.

 

Yes, but as JSH pointed out, the vacuum is created by pumping air, which doesn't necessarily mean gasoline needs to burned with a hybrid. I FAS my car, and get brake boost back as soon as the turns over. That's probably in the neighborhood 700 to 800 rpms. The Insights motor should be able to handle that.

 

While in a stop and car is not moving, in order for ICE to turn to pump air, either use IMA motor to turn ICE or use gas to keep ICE running.

 

True but when the car is stopped, most people aren't pumping the brakes. A vacuum booster retains enough vacuum for several brake applications even if it looses manifold vacuum. They also have a one-way valve so that the vacuum can't escape when the engine stops turning.

I can see that the 2G insight might have a sensor that starts the engine when vacuum is lost or gets low. I can't see any reason that under normal circumstances this would be required.

Take the example of the car braking to a stop. If vacuum is needed the valves can be opened to create airflow. As the vehicle speed decreases, the CVT can change ratios to keep the engine spinning at a constant speed. Wouldn't be practical at very low vehicle speed but again most people don't apply and release the brakes multiple times from say 10 mph to 0 mph.

 

For a normal stop, yes.
Have you been in a traffic jam in the southern California freeway? You will be riding the brake for miles, creeping along.

 

The Insight fires the engine to accelerate from a stop. In stop and go traffic the engine would be on and off regardless of vacuum need.



Yes, I have been to California several times. (LA and SF) Your traffic isn't nearly as bad as you think. In LA you have 6-8 lanes of stop and go traffic. Here we only have 2-3 lanes of stop and go traffic. We don't get anywhere any faster. (My wife's commute is 45 minutes to go 7 miles.)

The difference is that you have the option of public transportation while we don't.

 

I am not sure about the Insight2, if you lift the brake on the Prius it will creep forward without the ICE firing, I assume Insight2 will do the same.
The speed is too slow for the ICE to pump air or to create sufficient vacuum, so ICE will fire up if creeps along and brake is applied many times in succession on rush hour traffic.

 

Prius does a lot of things the less advanced Insight wont do.

 

The Civic Hybrid's I rented in LA and SF didn't creep using the electric motor. The engine fired up every time I moved. I assume the IMA in the Insight will do the same.