Honda to Reveal Prius-Fighter Concept on Thurs, Sept 4th

How exactly do you guys "glide" in a hybrid? I glide in my Corolla all the time; it's called "neutral."

 

If it is going to be smaller and lighter than Prius; that should match Prius' acceleration and MPG (or even better) -- since HCH is 2 seconds slower in 0-60.

You end up a smaller / cheaper hybrid that looks and perform like a Prius.

 

Take you foot off the gas pedal (allowing ICE to shut down),
Then reapply enough slight pressure to stop regen but not allow the ICE to restart. No arrows, in a Prius. No charge/assist indication in the HCH.
Applicable Below 42 MPH in the Prius, and above that speed it's a warp stealth (yellow arrows only).

 

GM: Take note, this is how you release a concept car. Build it. Then show it. How long have we been seeing the "old Volt" (with the drag of a parachute) with all the commercials, and PR, prior to the latest concept not yet available to look at except what may be just set of spy pic's?

 

You have to turn off the engine in your Corolla while moving to get the same type of glide that's possible in the Prius. (not recommended or legal!)

 

Yep, at least in regards to the Prius. I don't know much about the HCH II and may be way off, but I thought that engine off does not really happen when speed is above 15 mph.

The engine is still spinning in a regular car in neutral. Hobbit once posted that a minimum engine spin (except when it is off, of course) in the Prius is 2 kW. That is a lot of power to waste in coasting during city driving when total power requirement to offset the remainder of resistances is in the 5 - 6 kW range.

 

I suppose it is a matter of perspective. I consider the practice by some (non-prius) drivers of shifting into neutral or even worse, shutting the engine off, the domain of extreme-mpg enthusiasts. Maximizing coasting in my world is just smart driving, no different than the way I drove for years before I ever heard of P&G. As fuel prices increase more people will see it my way, I expect.

 

Honda is going for a slightly different market. The Honda global hybrid will be a bit smaller then the Prius and about 20% cheaper. It will get Prius like city mpg and possibly greater highway mpg. It will sell.

Mostly highway drivers may prefer the Honda until the new Prius comes out but the city drivers will be better with a Prius.

I am excited to know the details, such as if they improved the power of the IMA or if they have IMA decoupled from the engine this time (which may make it not be called IMA!). Honda is a leader in small engine technology. I wonder if we will see anything new in the ICE or if its going to be the same engine as the HCH.

 

Sorry 9G-man. I am sort of scratching my head on this one...

But, since many here will never have (or want) a chance to do it for real, evoking a glide pattern in an HCH-II is virtually identical to what we do in the Prius. It is pretty easy so much so that it is the very first thing many learning HCH-II owners want to do.

Basic operation of an HCH-2

Cheers;

MSantos

 

MSantos,

I skimmed Tarabel's write-up of gliding in the HCH-II. Please correct me if I am wrong that HCH II gliding implies no fuel use, but ICE spin at 1000 rpm. I use the term 'glide' in the Prius to mean no petrol use and no ICE spin, and call no petrol use but ICE spinning 'warp stealth.'

Do you know how much power it takes to spin the HCH II in Tarabel's version of glide ? S(he) mentions that the HCH II glide in the city cannot be performed above 35 mph. Is that your understanding/experience too ? Many a time I've wished for Prius glide to be allowed up to 60 mph for highway use, or at least 45 for city driving. I think I remember reading that the improved but not plug-in version of the next Prius will have a higher speed threshold before the ICE is forced to spin.

 

The glide in the HCH-II is always induced when the ICE is spinning at 1000 rpm regardless of speed -taking the foot gently off the throttle does this. That is also the RPM range where EV only propulsion occurs and all you have to do is gently go for the throttle again - again, at any speed.

The spinning of the ICE at a steady 1000 rpm is governed by the CVT and it may or may not need fuel to do that. I can find out how much power (or energy) it takes to keep in at that level, but given that the HCH-II has one of the lowest friction engines in the world you can almost guess it is very low.

Anyway, the glide can be usually performed at any speed above 15 MPH. Of course, at higher hwy speeds the speed bleed factor is higher but then we can extend the glide with the EV only assist (very similar to warp stealth).
Also, I don't think Tarabell says that a glide cannot be performed above 35MPH. IIRC, she was referring to EV only operation under 35 MPH and even from a dead stop (the latter is observable under some very odd circumstances).

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Thanks, I'd like to know.

 

this is great. honda is a great company, but IMHO, the HCH lacked acceleration, which opted me to purchase the prius.

competition brings out the best in all of us. it's just the law of business. it doesn't matter to me who takes first, 2nd or 3rd. this competition will allow us to drive better cars with more fuel economy, that's the bottom line.

cheers

 

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Honda will be launching it in the spring of 2009 with target annual international sales of 200,000 units.

And yes it is called "Insight"

 

Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle to Debut at Paris International Auto Show
Concept to show styling direction of new more affordable hybrid vehicle

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 4, 2008 – Honda will reveal a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, to be named Insight, at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show, Oct. 2, the company announced today. The new Insight Concept, shares styling cues with Honda’s FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, and will provide an early look at the highly anticipated 5-passenger hybrid vehicle.

Going on sale in the U.S. next spring, the all-new purpose built Insight will come to market at a price significantly below hybrids available today. From this unique position in the marketplace, the Insight will advance the affordability and accessibility of hybrid technology to a new generation of buyers.

“The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Honda’s commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. CEO. “This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value.”

The Insight Concept defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology, utilizing a more cost-efficient version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) hybrid technology, resulting in a new level of affordability for hybrid customers worldwide. Evoking the innovative styling cues first seen in the FCX Clarity, the Insight Concept is designed with a low center of gravity and a generous five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving pleasure and roomy interior that customers have come to expect from Honda. While the Insight Concept’s aerodynamic design clearly identifies its fuel efficient purpose, its five-door access and folding rear seats speak to functionality that is designed to meet the needs of customers with an active lifestyle. The Insight Concept is a small, fuel efficient hybrid car that delivers big style and functionality with a healthy dose of fun.

Honda achieved a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components which should make Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency. With its affordable price, the new hybrid vehicle will represent the best value in its segment. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at Honda’s Suzuka factory in Japan.

The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year – approximately 100,000 in North America. Following the launch of the new Insight, Honda also plans to introduce another unique sporty hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z Concept, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. All together, Honda’s global sales of hybrids should increase to approximately 500,000 units a year, or more than 10 percent of its total worldwide annual automobile sales.

The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999, as America’s first gas-electric hybrid car. The first vehicle to break the 70-mpg fuel economy barrier, Insight was designed from the ground up to demonstrate the ultimate potential for fuel-economy in a 2-seater subcompact automobile.

A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced the first low-emission gasoline vehicles; America’s first gas-electric hybrid car and the world’s first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named “greenest automaker” by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight Concept and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

 

Or just go here:

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid - Official Honda Web site

Mmm. 2-door version.

 

And just so I get to gloat from what I said on the spy photos thread:

 

looks a lot like the prius and the clarity

 

I guess we have to wait to get more technical details of the '10 Insight.

I'm guessing we can assume that it will at least match the HCH in fuel economy, but I'm hoping it will beat the Prius. Need more competition.

I wonder if they'll also be putting this next-generation IMA into the next HCH?