Car and Driver: A look at the 2013 Honda Accord

What It Is: The ninth generation of the longest-running 10Best winner. Unlike many of  its mid-size competitors, the Accord will continue to be offered as a coupe and a sedan. Slightly smaller and lighter than the current Accord, the new version also will have softer lines and more cohesive styling.

Why It Matters: This Accord will be as important to Honda as anything it’s done in the past decade. Will it be able to beat the growing range of exceptional mid-size competitors? Will it have the magic feel of previous Accords? Will Honda get its size right? Will it deliver Honda-style innovation and fuel economy? The new Accord needs to answer these questions in the affirmative.

Platform: The new Accord likely  will be based on an updated version of  the current car’s architecture.

Powertrain: While many mid-size competitors are dropping their six-cylinder options, the Accord will offer a revised and more powerful version of its familiar 3.5-liter V-6 with cylinder deactivation. But the bread-and-butter Accord will be the four-cylinder model. Direct injection helps the 2.4-liter four make at least 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, with improved fuel economy. A six-speed manual will be offered; the automatic will be a CVT. A plug-in-hybrid version will couple a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a 161-hp electric motor.  A 6-kWh lithium-ion battery  will offer 10 to 15 miles of city driving range and will recharge in less than four hours using a standard 120-volt outlet. Three selectable modes will allow the hybrid driver to choose among fully electric, hybrid, and “direct drive,” which decouples the electric motor for more efficient cruising.

Competition: Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat.

What Might Go Wrong: The conservatively styled and engineered Civic has us wondering if the Accord will suffer the same fate. After seeing the new Accord coupe in concept form at the Detroit auto show in January, the threat of dullness remains.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The two- and four-door Accords arrive this fall. Pricing is expected to remain in the $20,000-to-$30,000 range for the vast majority of the lineup. A well-equipped hybrid and a loaded V-6 model will crest $30,000.

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2013-honda-accord-future-cars

Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid

Two electric motors and a plug, coming soon to an Accord near you.
January 2011
BY MICHAEL AUSTIN

While in Japan for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, we visited Honda’s Twin Ring Motegi racing facility to see some of the company’s future products. Among them was a plug-in hybrid system, a prototype of which was installed in a current-generation Accord. While the car we drove is just a development mule, we can confidently say that a hybrid like this one will be part of the lineup when the next-generation Accord debuts for the 2013 model year.

Honda’s new plug-in system is totally different from the single-motor IMA drivetrain found in the Insight, CR-Z, and Civic hybrids. The main powertrain components are a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-four and two electric motors—one to charge the battery pack and one to spin the wheels. The gas engine puts out 134 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque; the drive motor is good for 161 hp, and the generator is rated at 100 kW.

We first saw this system previewed at the 2010 L.A. auto show, and the specifications are largely unchanged. EV mode works up to 62 mph for 10 to 15 miles. The gasoline motor can spin the drive wheels directly, bypassing the electric motor and returning highway fuel economy closer to that of conventional cars, which typically fare better than hybrids at high speeds. How this works is the curious part. My exchange at a powertrain display stand with a Honda engineer who was barely conversant in English:

“So how does the transmission work?”
“No, no transmission.”
“Yeah, okay, so the motors make a CVT like in the Prius? How does that work here?”
“No, the motor is direct drive.”

We went back and forth in this manner for about five minutes. When I then asked how the gasoline engine works at highway speeds, he told me that there’s a single ratio with no transmission. Take this with a grain of salt, as Honda’s specification sheet says the car uses an “electric CVT.” Later follow-up didn’t provide a more clear answer, so a better explanation down the road could prove the above to be inaccurate.

Going back to the engineer’s explanation, multiple clutches allow the system to work in full-EV mode, full-gas mode, or a mix of the two. When driving the wheels, the engine is always using a tall highway ratio, and the electric motor uses a single-speed gear reduction as well. At slow vehicle speeds, the electric motor can work on its own or feed in to provide assist. Conversely, in cases where the battery’s charge is depleted, the gas engine can produce juice using the generator, which then sends power to the drive motor; in effect, this means that the engine would indirectly drive the wheels.

Our test drive of the Accord was limited to a few miles at low speeds, but the system looks very promising. You can get a decent amount of power without activating the combustion engine (we were unable to determine, and Honda isn’t willing to share, the parameters that allow for EV operation). When the engine does kick in, though, its speed isn’t relative to vehicle speed, and it drones a bit—but Honda has plenty of time to rectify that before we see such a system in production. There is a slight delay between pressing the pedal and the gas engine kicking in, a feeling that reminds us of the Chevrolet Volt.

The Honda’s all-electric range is much shorter than the Volt’s. On the upside, its 6-kWh battery is lighter than that car’s. And the charging time, at around two hours on a 120-volt source, is a lot more attractive than the 10 a Volt needs from the same outlet. Honda didn’t provide any fuel-economy targets or estimates for the system.

Toyota, Ford, and Hyundai all have hybrids in the mid-size-sedan segment, and Nissan will soon return with a new Altima hybrid. Ford’s current Fusion in particular is very nicely executed and decent to drive; the 2013 Fusion will become the first to offer a plug-in option with the Energi model. So far, though, no one has figured out a similar solution for improving highway fuel economy in a hybrid. For a company that sold the first hybrid in the U.S. market and has since been eclipsed by its competitors, it’s nice to see some innovative thinking from Honda.

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/honda-accord-plug-in-hybrid-prototype-drive-review

First Drive: Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Mule

Honda’s reputation as an innovator and technology leader wasn’t earned with the first hybrid brought to the U.S. market or its stubborn commitment to a hydrogen-powered prototype. Honda built its brand on the fundamentals of its most accessible and popular vehicles. Americans admired the simplest solutions to the most complex problems; they respected diligent engineering that set a standard of continuous improvement; and they believed in the company that was consistently one step ahead of the competition.

The company that once sold an affordable compact so clean it met emissions standards without a catalytic converter is hell bent on owning the hybrid market -- small as it may be, Prius be damned, and cost no object. So next year, Honda will add to its crowded stable of hybrids -- CR-Z, Civic, and Insight -- with a mid-size plug-in hybrid.

Not your typical Honda hybridHonda’s plug-in hybrid powertrain is far more sophisticated than the simple Integrated Motor Assist system found in Honda’s existing hybrids. It is also significantly different than the configurations used by the Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt. No matter whether the Honda plug-in is relying on energy from its 6-kWh lithium-ion battery or its fuel tank, the wheels are primarily powered by a 161-hp electric motor. A second electric motor functions as a generator to convert power from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder into electricity for range far beyond the battery’s 10 to 15 miles. If the driver calls for quick acceleration or exceeds 62 mph, the gas engine will also kick on before the battery’s charge is exhausted. Recharging takes about one and a half hours with a 240-volt connection.

The Honda’s unusual trick (all good hybrids have at least one) is that the gas engine can be mated to the front wheels through a fixed gear ratio. While single-speed transmissions are common in electric vehicles, gas engines require multi-speed gearboxes to match the narrow rpm band where the engine is most efficient with the wide range of road speeds. Both the Prius and the Volt use continuously variable transmissions to blend electric and gas power on its way to the wheels. Honda’s single gear ratio has been optimized for low-load highway cruising, such that the gas engine never engages the wheels below 40 mph. An electronically controlled clutch engages the engine when the computer decides to send power directly from the gas engine to the wheels.

A test drive shorter than its electric rangeOver an extremely short, city-like loop, we sampled the hybrid powertrain packaged in the chassis of the current Honda Accord. The electric motor is plenty powerful to move at a normal pace without calling on the gas engine. Stomp on the throttle, though, and there’s a slight lag in power delivery and a CVT-like audible awakening as the engine spins up to high rpm and parks itself there. The Honda mule drove with less moaning than a Prius but less engine isolation than the Volt. Maximum acceleration is adequate but not quick.

We were never able to discern if the engine was driving the front wheels, although that doesn’t necessarily mean the system is seamless. It’s possible that the computer simply never saw fit to engage the clutch during our limited test drive. Brakes are easily modulated by hybrid standards.

Honda has committed to production for 2012, but it hasn’t let on if the powertrain will appear in the next Accord or an exclusive hybrid model. If Honda delivers on its claimed electric range of 10 to 15 miles, the mid-size plug-in hybrid will be aimed squarely at Toyota’s forthcoming Prius plug-in, a car that will certainly benefit from instant recognition as a hybrid.

The mysteries that remainIt’s clear that Honda is hoping the more sophisticated powertrain will be a feather in its cap and a step toward reclaiming its reputation as a technology leader. For that to happen, though, buyers will have to respond to this hybrid more strongly than they have to any of Honda’s previous gas/electric cars. While the plug-in hybrid features some genuine innovations, its chance of success depends just as much on unknowns like styling, pricing, and fuel economy.

Source;
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1112_honda_plug_in_hybrid_mule_first_drive/index.html

Civic hybrid tests Honda's new strategy

Despite being the first to sell an electric-gasoline car in the United States and making hybrid technology a centerpiece of its fuel economy push, Honda Motor Co. has yet to have a hybrid hit.

But the redesigned Civic Hybrid, launched April 20, is the first test of whether Honda's new strategy of tapping lithium ion batteries and, later, two-motor systems can break the streak.

Past Honda hybrids have fallen short on fuel economy, as the Insight did against the Toyota Prius, or on power, as the short-lived Honda Accord hybrid fared against nonhybrid rivals.

Honda's new hybrid plan aims to fix both problems.

The first improvement is using lithium ion batteries, made by Blue Energy Co., a joint venture between Honda and GS Yuasa Corp. The goal is to save weight and space, while increasing fuel economy. But the new batteries are costly.

The new Civic's lithium battery weighs 48.5 pounds, compared with 69 pounds for its predecessor's nickel-metal hydride battery. That helps the new Civic Hybrid get 44 mpg in both city and highway driving , edging the previous generation's EPA rating of 40 city/43 highway.

The updated hybrid also gets a lighter, more powerful electric motor, with output increased to 17 kilowatts, from 15 kilowatts. It also offers more cabin space.

Its sticker starts at $24,800, including shipping, just $100 more than the earlier version's base price. But the Civic's sticker tops the Prius' base price of $22,880, including shipping.

So far sales have been sluggish. That is due in part to limited availability of the Japan-made hybrid because of earthquake-induced supply chain disruptions. Through May, Honda sold only 389 new Civic Hybrids in the United States, less than 1 percent of all Civics sold in that period. In 2010, hybrids accounted for 3 percent of the 260,218 Civics sold.

But slashing costs eventually will be key to driving sales higher.

"Toyota has already reduced the cost of its hybrid system over several years," says Toru Hatano, a powertrain analyst at IHS Global Insight in Tokyo. "But Honda is launching a whole new system, so we can expect their costs to be higher in the near term."

Honda also will install lithium ion batteries in a new two-motor hybrid system debuting next year in the United States for mid-sized plug-in hybrids.

Honda hasn't said what car gets it first. But engineers are testing the system in an Accord. A suitcase-sized lithium ion battery pack sits behind the back seat, eating trunk space.

An engineer involved with the project said testing is expected to continue through year end, and the company must decide if the 15-mile range in electric-only mode is sufficient. If user feedback suggests more range is needed, Honda will have to make the battery bigger or cut the car's weight, he said.

"We think a 15 mile range satisfies about 70 percent of the users," he said.

Already, Honda has tweaked the plug-in version of the Accord with an aluminum hood and other weight shavings. But the plug-in still weighs 330 pounds more than its gasoline counterpart.

Honda is rolling out the new hybrid system to counter criticism that its current technology is too weak to provide extended electric-only travel. The Integrated Motor Assist system used in the Insight, Civic and CR-Z hybrids uses the electric motor mostly to assist the gasoline engine.

The new system uses one traction motor to move the car and one generator motor to recharge the battery. The former, a 120-kilowatt motor, is combined with a 2.0-liter, four cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission.

The car has a top speed of 62 mph in electric-only mode, but a big question will be how far it can travel at that speed. The Accord plug-in hybrid can recharge in four hours from a 100-volt source or in 1.5 hours from a 200-volt source, the engineer said.

Honda President Takanobu Ito said last fall that the new hybrid system for larger vehicles will give electric-gasoline drivetrains a bigger slice of Honda's global sales -- pushing hybrids to around 10 percent of global sales by 2015, from less than 5 percent in 2009.

The electrified powertrains also will feature prominently in the Acura lineup, Ito said, reinforcing what he calls the "smart premium" image to which the brand aspires.
Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110606/CARNEWS/110609917#ixzz1Ob4yjDH4

Honda says plug-ins will go 15 miles on battery

The new line of mid-sized plug-in hybrids that Honda Motor Co. aims to introduce next year will be able to travel up to 15 miles in electric-only mode, an executive says.

That would counter criticism that Honda's current hybrid technology is too weak to provide extended motor-only travel. The Integrated Motor Assist system used in the Honda Insight, Civic and CR-Z hybrids uses the electric motor mostly to assist the gasoline engine.

The new technology, which is scheduled to debut in 2012, is a two-motor system that runs on a lithium ion battery. The battery will be supplied through Blue Energy Co., Honda's battery joint venture with GS Yuasa Corp, said Hirohisa Ogawa, a chief engineer of battery research at Honda.
Ogawa, speaking at the International Rechargeable Battery Expo in Tokyo, said the new plug-ins would be able to run nine to 15 miles in electric-only mode.

Honda began testing the vehicles late last year, he added.

President Takanobu Ito has said his engineers are preparing to put the system in the Accord mid-sized sedan. Honda discontinued an earlier hybrid Accord, which was equipped with the Integrated Motor Assist system.

Source:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110308/GREEN/110309916#ixzz1GDO2bRWk

2013 Honda Accord (codename 2GA) rendering and information

Back in July Honda President, Takanobu Ito, reveal plans to introduce midsize plug-in hybrid car to United States and Japan in 2012. Accoding to latest report from Japanese Mag-x,the car will be a plug-in hybrid version of next generation Honda Accord (codename 2GA).

The same source also reveal that the car is in research and development at Honda R & D center in Japan. The new car will divide to Japanese/European version and U.S./China/Asia version.body size of the new North american’s Accord is about 4895×1845x1470mm.

The engine will be the range of inline four cylinder 2.0L, 2.4L and V6. 3.5L.But the most interesting is the debut of Plug in Hybrid-petrol version.

In 2010 LA motorshow honda reveal a plug-in hybrid platform which autoten expect to use in the 2013 Honda Accord hybrid. A four cylinder 2.0L petrol have The two-motor system continuously moves through three different modes to maximise driving efficiency: all-electric, petrol-electric and a unique, engine direct-drive mode. The plug-in hybrid also uses regenerative braking to charge the battery.

When the Honda plug-in hybrid system operates in electric mode, it can achieve a range of approximately 10-15 miles in city driving and a top speed of 62 mph.Fully recharging the battery will take 2 to 2.5 hours using a 120-volt outlet and 1 to 1.5 hours using a 240-volt outlet.

The car will arrive in November 2012.

Source;
http://autoten.com/2010/12/08/2013-honda-accord-codename-2garendering-and-information/

Electric Honda Fit Hits The Road In CA, Accord Plug-In Hybrid To Follow

Well, that was quick. Just one month after it unveiled the electric Fit EV prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda is about to put the first of its electric subcompacts into daily use in southern California.

Amusingly, it's in Torrance, where rival automaker and hybrid leader Toyota has its U.S. headquarters.

The city of Torrance will receive a Honda Fit EV to test early next year, and then in 2012, a Honda Accord sedan fitted with Honda's new plug-in hybrid powertrain as well. Stanford University and Google will also receive their own Fit EV test cars.

In Torrance, the cars will be used by various city departments, including the Economic Development office, the Community Development department, and the Public Works office.

The president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Tetsuo Iwamura, took part in a ceremony with Torrance mayor Frank Scotto to hand over a symbolic Honda key. Honda's demonstration program will give the company real-world data on how drivers use both electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The all-electric Honda Fit EV will be launched in 2012 in the U.S. and Japan, probably as a 2013 model. Its lithium-ion battery pack gives it a range of up to 100 miles (70 miles when applying EPA's adjustment factor), and Honda quotes a top speed of 90 miles per hour.

Source;
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1052617_electric-honda-fit-hits-the-road-in-ca-accord-plug-in-hybrid-to-follow

Honda Accord Hybrid V2.0: Honda Preparing to Resurrect the Accord Hybrid

I always thought that the Accord Hybrid was a nice car, just it had to be a 4cyl, people buying hybrids are after the fuel economy, not so much performance....
In 2004, Honda released its third hybrid, a gas-electric version of the Accord EX V6 sedan. The car represented a new spin on hybrid powertrains, with the carmaker opting to use supplemental power from the vehicle's battery to enhance performance rather than maximize fuel efficiency.

Where the obvious move would have been to attach its hybrid system to the four-cylinder Accord model—potentially boosting fuel economy from a pedestrian 24 mpg combined rating into the range of other best-in-class mid-size offerings—Honda instead chose to pair the system with a V6 and configure that pairing to provide an additional 15 horsepower to the Accord EX V6's already meaty 240 hp. Fuel efficiency for the vehicle languished at a paltry 25 mpg city, 34 mpg highway rating—with the combined number coming in just 1 MPG higher than the base model Accord.

Consumers were not impressed. Honda sold less than 6,000 Accord hybrids in 2006 and less than a year later, the car was canceled. "Hybrid manufacturers have largely been unable to expand the public's perception of hybrids beyond high fuel economy," said Kelley Blue Book's Jack Nerad at the time.

Now comes word from Automotive News that Honda is once again preparing a hybrid version of the Accord. Will the carmaker aim to bring big efficiency gains to the vehicle's 24/31 fuel economy rating, or has it decided that the market is finally ready for a hybrid that boosts power at the expense of substantive fuel economy gains?

With gas prices low, and Toyota recently deciding to go in a similar direction with its new Highlander hybrid SUV, it's possible that performance-oriented hybrids could be making a comeback. But with Honda's green vehicle lineup struggling and the carmaker's own president complaining that company had become "complacent" about new technology in recent years, it's difficult to see how an extra 15 horsepower and 1-2 MPGs could bring Honda back to prominence as a maker of fuel-efficient vehicles.

For now, all that's known is that a new gas-electric Accord is on its way, so we'll have to save our judgments for when more details are available. Hopefully, Honda will be a little more bold with its hybrid this time around.

Source (via autoblog);
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/honda-preparing-resurrect-accord-hybrid-28644.html

To put it mildly, sales of the Honda Accord Hybrid never quite set the world on fire. Regardless, Japan's second largest automaker is reportedly hard at work developing its proprietary Integrated Motor Assist hybrid platform so that it can once again be used to power larger vehicles like the Accord.

To make it all work out, Honda is adding an extra electric motor to the mix for a total of two, both of which will be more powerful than the single pancake motor used in the current Insight and Civic Hybrid. Also on the menu is a lithium ion battery pack to replace the current nickel metal hydride unit, with added capacity to allow for electric-only operation.

Word on the street (or at least the Nikkei daily newspaper in Japan) is that Honda might place this next-gen hybrid powertrain in a minivan sometime in 2011 or so. Before that, though, we can look forward to the launch of Honda's sporty CR-Z hybrid hatchback. It's important to have your priorities straight, right?

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/report-honda-plans-a-return-to-larger-hybrids/

Edmunds Blog; Honda Awaiting New "Super" Lithium-Ion Battery for Next-Generation Hybrids

Honda's Integrated Motor Assist mild hybrid system (right) would get a boost from new high-power lithium-ion batteries the company could start using for 2010 models.

By Bill Visnic, Senior Editor

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Honda Motor Co. is preparing for an all-new, advanced lithium-ion battery that will allow its engineers to extend Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid-electric technology to larger vehicles, a senior company executive told Green Car Advisor during an annual auto-industry conference frequented by heavy-hitters from carmakers' management ranks.

Honda has in the past been non-committal about lithium-ion, but that posture apparently is changing. And Honda recently was linked in lithium-ion talk with Japanese electronics giant and battery developer Sanyo Electric Co.

John German, American Honda's manager of environmental and energy analysis, said the coming lithium-ion battery formula -- the developer of which he wouldn't name -- does not enjoy extra capacity compared with known lithium-ion characteristics. Instead, the new chemistry is targeted at allowing the batteries to charge much more quickly.

This, in turn, will allow for an increased amount of battery capacity that can be assigned to actually powering the motor. And more power means the IMA system can be employed for larger, heavier vehicles.

In addition, German says the new batteries will be markedly cheaper.

Apart from potential for vehicles such as the Ridgeline midsized pickup or the Odyssey minivan, the extra IMA performance could mean a return of the Accord Hybrid - this time using a 4-cylinder engine instead of the first-generation Accord Hybrid's V6.

German says the new butt-kicker lithium-ion chemistry should be ready in about the same timeframe as GM's lithium-ion-dependent Chevrolet Volt "extended-range" electric vehicle, the car that put lithium-ion development on the hot seat.

And while Honda brags about the slenderness of IMA's engine-enhancing electric motor - which is wedged between the engine and transmission - German says underhood space has become so valuable that even the currently required 1.5 inches or so is tough to engineer.

But Honda's advanced lithium-ion battery's potential for the midsize Accord must be tempting, as the company is no doubt anxious to get back in the game against Toyota's Camry Hybrid, of which Toyota reputedly has just a five-day inventory.

Honda's first Accord Hybrid was designed for performance enhancement, coupling the IMA system with the company's thrusty 3-liter V6.

Accord's loyal buyers didn't respond, however, and Honda dropped the Accord Hybrid after the '07 model year and before the next-generation model was introduced for '08.

While Toyota's hybrids keep selling well, German told Green Car Advisor, that he thinks Toyota invested in the wrong technology by opting for the "full" hybrid design instead of Honda's IMA mild hybrid system.

"We get 80 percent of the (full-hybrid) benefit at 60 percent of the cost," German insists.

Source;
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/08/honda-awaiting-new-super-lithium-ion-battery-for-next-generation-hybrids.html

New Honda Hybrid Over Honda Diesel?

There have been rumblings about the new proposed Diesel for Honda being scrapped in favour of a new Accord Hybrid. This looks to be rumoured because of the run away success of the Toyota Camry Hybrid. There are NO official reports or sources on this, it is just something that I have heard when discussing how well the Toyota Camry Hybrid has been doing.

This time Honda would do well to;

-Make it a 4 cylinder Hybrid

-Put the battery into the floor and allow the rear seats to fold down.

-Have 1X (de-contented, ie: no moonroof, no power seat, no alloys, JUST the basic power group and A/C, Tilt, Cruise) cloth trim level and 1X (loaded up) leather trim level to start.

-Keep the style in line with the current Accord.

Anyway, food for thought.