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In 1999, Honda introduced the hybrid Insight to the US market. The first gasoline-electric hybrid car sold here, it has EPA ratings of up to 70 mpg, making it the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the country. The Insight received accolades and international design awards for innovative styling and technology and performance. Despite being a two-seater and marketed to young, “green” buyers, demand exceeded predictions and the Insight set the standard for hybrid technology.
Since the introduction of the Insight, several auto manufacturers have introduced hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles, and the trend is expected to continue and increase exponentially.
It may be interesting to note here that “alternative” and hybrid automotive technology is not a recent phenomenon. In 1839, Scottish engineer Robert Anderson built the first electric car. In the ensuing years, many vehicles were built and marketed using various combinations of gas, electric and battery power. However, none of these could match the range and speeds of gasoline powered vehicles, and none ever captured wide public interest. In 1996, Honda sold 330 electric cars in the US, but the expense and bother of plugging an expensive little two-seater for two hours for a meager 75 mile range had no wide appeal. After three years, Honda terminated leases and stopped production in favor of the much more versatile and practical hybrid.
Any vehicle combining two or more power sources is a hybrid. Honda’s hybrid vehicles use a combination of gasoline and battery power. The gas engine recharges the battery-powered electric motor, primarily through braking and decelerating – the heat from braking regenerates the battery. During slow, city driving, the electric motor powers the car, and at higher speeds, or when climbing long hills, the gasoline motor takes over, with electric boost as needed. The two systems work together efficiently, and when the gasoline motor is not needed, the electric motor operates silently.
With the commercial success of the Insight, Honda introduced a hybrid version of the popular compact two door Civic in 2003. Unlike the distinctively styled Insight, the hybrid Civic appeared virtually indistinguishable to the conventional Civic. Also unlike the Insight, the larger, 4-seater Civic gets on average 45mpg, compared to an average 64mpg, although this is still much thriftier than the 35 mpg in the gasoline powered model.
For the 2005 model year, Honda produced its third hybrid, the larger, more upscale four door Accord. This is the world’s first 6-cylinder hybrid, and the first hybrid actually more powerful than the gas-powered equivalent, delivering 255 horsepower to the conventional Honda V-6’s 240 hp. To compensate for the larger engine, the Accord hybrid only uses three of the six cylinders when not under load, thus saving more fuel.
The Insight was available only with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the Civic came with both manual and the “continuously variable transmission.” The CVT improved mileage by keeping the revs very low – about 2000rpm - until more power was needed. The surges in rpms disconcerted some drivers, because it was neither as smooth as a conventional automatic, nor as quick-to-accelerate as a manual. With the Accord, Honda has paired a conventional 5-speed automatic transmission with the hybrid technology without compromising fuel economy.
All three Honda hybrid models are available with the bells and whistles common to other cars in their class, like anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags and traction control. Safety ratings are no different to the conventional models and the Honda hybrids all rate highly on federal crash tests. Honda offers the same warranty on hybrids, as well as an additional 80,000 miles on the battery pack and emission controls. Battery packs are expected to last 150-200K miles, and some experts predict overall maintenance costs to be lower, due to less wear on the engine and braking system.All use regular unleaded gas and are easily serviced at any dealer or authorized repair facility.
Trunk space in a hybrid is marginally less because the battery pack is stored there, and the cars are about 130lbs heavier, but otherwise the interior of the Civic and Accord is virtually indistinguishable from the gasoline powered models. Both the Civic and Accord cost approximately 10% more than their gasoline-powered counterparts, with comparable insurance premiums and roughly 1/3 lower fuel expenses.
As Honda (and other car makers) are producing more hybrid vehicles, the target buyer is no longer the “green conscious” affluent young consumer, but well educated, middle aged commuters. According to Honda, the average buyer for the Accord will be a 50 year old married man with an annual income of $100,000 or higher. Industry analysts predict that as hybrid vehicles become more mainstream, they will attract more middle-income buyers. And following decades of tradition in innovative engineering and technology, Honda will no doubt continue to blaze the trail.
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