Honda CEO orders Prius beating hybrid

It's not hard to predict the future when it comes to gas: prices are going up as supplies are going down. With that in mind, this is great news. It puts the emphasis on the best possible goal for the near and longer term future.

I have a lot of confidence in Honda's engineers and tech people to produce a vehicle at least as fuel efficient and feature-laden as our beloved Prius. Choice is good.

 

Well, not until they get rid of IMA and come up with much better system. But they are surely capable and I wish them good luck. It would surely be a good thing if they succeed.

Oh yes you can, Honda!

 

Great - but at what price? How many people here would pay thousands more for a few extra mpg?

The Prius has been in mass production for so long at this point that I highly doubt that Honda can match it in terms of both fuel economy and price.

In order to really "beat" the Prius I think they have to deliver a car with the same passenger/cargo space, better than a 50 mpg rating, and costs less than $20k. I think the new Insight failed all three ways.

Tim

 

I naturally looked at the Insight before buying the Prius. It feels very small, and the back seat is almost useless (I am 6' tall and my son, who will ride in back with my grand daughter is over 6'). I live on Long Island, NY and only two hybrids are allowed in the HOV lanes with a single occupant at all hours - the Prius and Civic Hybrid. I preferred the styling to the Civic, and besides at the time I bought the '10 Prius, there were no new Civic Hybrids available since Honda had stopped making them so as not to compete with the Insite - clever. The reason the Insight is not allowed in the HOV lane is because although it has adequate gas efficiency, it pollutes too much. This was also a deciding factor in my not getting it. Honda will have to do a lot to catch the Prius.

 

its great that honda is not willing to sit back and settle for what they have. if they put out a better hybrid i am sure Toyota will do the same and the only benefit is to us. so i say GO FOR IT!!

 

I thought it was the other way around. You need 45 MPG and SULEV. Insight only get 41 MPG.

 

12 months ago, I figured to get the Insight since I liked Honda and it would be a little different. When I saw that the Insight had almost the same body style with way less MPG, I decided the extra $2000 for a Prius was money well spent on a proven vehicle. The Civic costing more than a Prius also ended that thought.
Nice article ... it will be interesting to see where Honda goes with this.
Bart in SoCAL

 

Given the Honda Insight is a compact car versus the Prius, family sedan, the Honda Insight users are reporting good mileage:

• 49.2 (11) - Honda Insight 2010
• 48.1 (11) - Honda Insight 2010
• 49.4 (67) - Prius 2010

I haven't checked Fuelly but these rough mileage numbers are what we're seeing at MyHybridCar.com.

Bob Wilson

 

Look what Toyota has done each time they anticpated a move by the competition. From what I understand, they developed the Prius due to the anticipation of the GM EV design. They also came out with the Gen III 2010 when they anticipated the release of the 2010 Insight.

It is unfortunate that both times the competition did not deliver and give Toyota some true competition. Just think of what Toyota may be able to accomplish if they really were given some stiff competition.

I also have a lot of faith in the Honda engineers. Now maybe the CEO will release them from the constraints of the IMA technology and let them develop some truly new technology that can outperform the Prius.

 

That's exactly the response and reaction I'd expect from Honda. If they want to compete within the Hybrid market "mediocrity" will not suceed.

That's a better reaction to hear about, then the simple reaction of a "new" advertising campaign.

 

Really the biggest drawback of the IMA system is that the engine has to be turning if the transmission is engaged.

That could be solved by adding a clutch.

Then they need to bump up the power of the motor (and associated electronics) to at least 50kW, preferably more to allow more use of EV mode when it's efficient to do so.

Get the motor up to 100kW and then they'll have a suitable platform for a PHEV.

 

Funny thread - Honda was supposed to beat the Prius on price and mpg with the Insight, but they only succeeded on price (largely because it's a significantly smaller vehicle). Most of the people who bought Insights were likely the "Honda faithful" who desperately wanted a hybrid but couldn't bring themselves to consider any other brand. (And I understand this, because I used to own a Honda and loved it.)

But absolutely nothing can match the Prius's combination of capacity, efficiency, and price in the midsize category. Nothing.

Honda was hoping the Insight would be roughly the same on mileage and enough cheaper to offset the difference in size, but there was too much of a gap on mileage and not enough difference in price.

Now Toyota is working on a smaller equivalent to the Prius, which will be more efficient AND cheaper - and will steal whatever sliver of the market the Insight might have had.

So yeah, it's about time Honda's CEO woke up and smelled the coffee - this is Toyota's turf, and if Honda wants a piece, they're going to have to EARN IT.

 

i can't help but wonder why we don't have a "live" tracking of average mpg on the main page.... for that matter.. why not have priuschat be hybridchat (since it's owned by "priuschat") and link priuschat to hybridchat...

(just scrap hybridchat.. i think i was the last active person...

 

... i mean... combine sites....

 

This is good the CEO feels this way. I hope they accomplish this. This will also keep Toyota on their toes to keep getting better and better.

 

Wasn't the Gen II Insight suposed to be the best hybrid? Sheesh ... between GM planning to ramp up production of their company-sinking land barges, and Honda re-inventing the mediocre hybrid, Toyota doesn't hardly have to take note. Guess it's a good thing for them.

 

Deep down, he's a Toyota fan.