How the Honda Insight hybrid works

All you need to know about Honda's newest car
The guiding design mantra behind the all-new Honda Insight is “Aero Athlete.”

And while that may sound more apt for an exotic Italian two-seater or muscular sport luxury whip rather than an uber-economy car, the sinewy exterior and sporty interior of the 2010 Insight do conjure up athletic images.

“This is an image we use through the design process to communicate our goals for Insight,” explained Yasunari Seki, Honda’s chief engineer of the new 2010 Insight. “It features a chiseled, aerodynamic shape that promises muscular driving.”

He added that the muscular yet elegant lines of the new vehicle form a sharp wedge meant to visually communicate an athlete’s speed, all the way back to the aerodynamic tail of the car.

“Of course, we’ve subjected the allnew Insight to intensive wind tunnel testing and can literally state that the wind helped us design it too.” That’s not to say it is totally removed from the original, which debuted 10 years ago as the first hybrid available in North America.

“We wanted to keep a linkage to the original and provide the new Insight with a design that was distinctive and would communicate its unique personality.”

Designers succeeded in maintaining that ‘linkage’ to the original Insight’s aerodynamic wedge appearance, but there are many all-new design cues, particularly on the outside. For example, the new version’s frontend borrows heavily from the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, while the rounded rear-end and wide lower body is reminiscent of Honda’s sports car designs.

Seki explained that the FCX look indicates that “Insight is a member of Honda’s environmental product lineup,” and the sports car cues are “a key part of Honda’s fun-to-drive product philosophy.” With “Athlete Aero” guiding the exterior design, Seki said the interior’s philosophy is something Honda calls “Emotional Hybrid Interior.” Upon stepping inside it is apparent that a linkage to the past Insight’s cabins was not a high priority.

“In contrast to the concave cockpit designs of the past, the Insight’s cockpit is convex, a refreshing change that lends an advanced, futuristic feel,” said Seki.

“We have also included lots of storage areas for everyday usability, since Insight is meant to be a very usable car for everyday driving. Overall, we have gone for a simple, efficient and clean look and feel.”

Eco Assist system leaves you green
As you’d expect from a vehicle that is full of the unexpected and unorthodox, the 2010 Insight’s dashboard is filled with unique readouts, buttons and systems.The Eco Assist system uses indicator lights and a numerical readout to guide drivers to accelerate and brake in ways that consume less fuel and also increase power regeneration.

Similarly, the Eco Guide readout keeps score of your driving habits, awarding green leaves and blooming flowers.

The speedometer even gets into the act, glowing green when you maximize fuel economy, and blue when you guzzle fuel inefficiently.

Simple as pushing a button. Really
Improving fuel economy in the 2010 Insight is as simple as pushing a button. Really. Just press the ECON button on the far left of the dash and the savings begin. When engaged, the system regulates a number of onboard systems, including air conditioning, climate control, engine operation and the idle stop feature. Estimated combined fuel economy of the 2010 Insight is 4.7 L/100km.

Injury mitigation design
You never want to get hit by a car, of course, but if you ever do, hope it’s a 2010 Insight. The Pedestrian injury mitigation design of the front end and hood helps absorb energy and, according to research, can dramatically reduce the level of pedestrian injury in a front-end collision.

Features include: impactenergy absorbing hood; deformable hood hinges; impact energy-absorbing front fenders; and deformable windshield wiper pivots In addition, space is provided over engine room components to allow the hood to bend and deform.

Body Structure box
Just as the new Insight’s engine has shed a few pounds from its previous incarnation, so too has the high-tensile steel body structure of the 2010 model. In addition, increased rigidity of the body has resulted in better occupant safety, less vibration and a smoother ride.

Sound absorption in the roof, carpet and dashboard keep the cabin quiet, as does the heat and sound insulation in the windshield glass.

H-shaped torsion
McPherson struts up front and an H-shaped torsion beam in the rear give the Insight a smooth and very responsive handling characteristics, but also create a very roomy cabin space, particularly in the rear.

The Insight’s low height and low centre of gravity — remember those batteries under the rear seats — also contribute to the lively driving attributes of the Insight.

This skin is in
As with all great designs, form follows function in the 2010 Insight’s exterior skin. The car’s low height and extremely flat underbody are hallmarks of improved fuel efficient vehicles, and the Insight’s aerodynamic sweep creates a slippery wedge that slices through the air. Sculpted LED lights enhance the four corners of the Insight, and blue-coloured low beams add to the Insight’s clean look.

Source;
http://www.canada.com/Cars/Honda+Insight+hybrid+works/1445059/story.html

2010 Honda Insight EX Hybrid goes 100 km on five bucks

"Is that one of those hybrids?" the guy next to me at the gas station asked as I topped off the Honda Insight's tank.

"Yes, it is" I replied. He inspected the cars awkwardly-shaped body for a moment, one lip half curled. After a moment's pause, he commented "I'd never buy one of those". "Why's that?" I asked. "They're all weird" was his response.

He was referring to the relative unfamiliarity hybrid cars pose for the majority of the car-buying public. Hybrids are popular in their own small circles-- but a relatively tough sell to the majority of shoppers who don't know what they do, how they work, or what they'll be like ten years down the road. Despite all the good intentions, hybrids haven't exactly been flying off dealer lots.
Somewhere beneath Insight's odd shape and promise of eco-minded driving is an attempt to change that. It seeks to do away with many of the stigmas surrounding hybrid cars, and is accordingly clever, un-compromised and relatively affordable. Priced from under $24,000, rumor has it that the Insight's pricetag made a few folks at Toyota scratch their heads. For its second iteration, Insight's mileage and performance are up, and the compromise factor is way down.

Get-up-and-go is on par with most small four-cylinder cars, thanks to the four-cylinder gas engine that's hooked up with a torque electric motor system for enhanced power delivery. All power is generated on board, and there's no need to plug Insight in.

The interior is accommodating and offers more than adequate space-- though it does tighten up quickly with 5 people on board. Like goodies? The loaded $27,500 Insight EX tester included navigation, automatic climate control, Bluetooth, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, voice-command and more. That's enough to satisfy the atmospherically-minded techie any day of the week.

There's no hit in the safety department either. Side and curtain airbags are standard across the Insight range, alongside advanced antilock brakes and active head restraints. The tester even included a stability control system.

Long story short, it seems that Honda's worked hard to create a hybrid that should even appeal to skeptical shoppers. It's barely different than any other small, upscale car-- except for the looks. It's function over form here: a giant victory for aerodynamics over style.

Insight's cabin is bright, airy and very energetic. Entry and exit are easy, controls are mainly simple to find and use, and there are gobs of storage in the form of compartments and cubby-holes.

Multiple power outlets and covered compartments complete the package, and the hatchback body style lends itself to easy handling of numerous jobs. Visibility is good, albeit out the rear hatchback where the split-window design blocks some of the view.

The instrument cluster is the cabin's most striking element. A slew of high-tech indicators are included, and the whole things lights up like the console of a shuttlecraft from Star Trek at night.
There's also a multi-function digital display to track, among other things, your digital alfalfa garden. This grows or dies off at the hands of your driving habits, which Insight tries to guide via a color-changing light ring around the HUD-style speedometer.

In gentle driving, it stays green. Push too hard, and it turns turquoise or blue. Not long thereafter, your digi-sprouts will start to die off as if you watered them with professional-grade Round-Up. Careful and patient manipulation of the throttle is vital to playing the Insight's green driving game.

I'm no hyper-miler, nor am I typically willing to frustrate other traffic by accelerating as slowly as possible. Even still, fuel consumption averaged 5.7L / 100km on my 1,200 km test drive. This figure came relatively effortlessly, though it left room for improvement compared to the 4.7L / 100km figure Honda advertises for the car.

Put simply, Insight drivers can expect to go 100 km on five bucks worth of gas--or less. Even if you've got a lead foot, you'll still wind up with mileage better than most conventional small cars. Of course, if you're considering a hybrid, chances are that you haven't got a lead foot.

Proud Insight owners will be taking to the internet to post their fuel consumption figures in the near future-- so consult with them if mileage maximization is your sole reason for owning an Insight. Of course, if you're just after a fuel-efficient and upscale small car, you'll probably like it too.

Source;
http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/wheels/article/709324

How the Honda Insight hybrid works

The guiding design mantra behind the all-new Honda Insight is “Aero Athlete.”

And while that may sound more apt for an exotic Italian two-seater or muscular sport luxury whip rather than an uber-economy car, the sinewy exterior and sporty interior of the 2010 Insight do conjure up athletic images.

“This is an image we use through the design process to communicate our goals for Insight,” explained Yasunari Seki, Honda’s chief engineer of the new 2010 Insight. “It features a chiseled, aerodynamic shape that promises muscular driving.”

He added that the muscular yet elegant lines of the new vehicle form a sharp wedge meant to visually communicate an athlete’s speed, all the way back to the aerodynamic tail of the car.

“Of course, we’ve subjected the allnew Insight to intensive wind tunnel testing and can literally state that the wind helped us design it too.” That’s not to say it is totally removed from the original, which debuted 10 years ago as the first hybrid available in North America.

“We wanted to keep a linkage to the original and provide the new Insight with a design that was distinctive and would communicate its unique personality.”

Designers succeeded in maintaining that ‘linkage’ to the original Insight’s aerodynamic wedge appearance, but there are many all-new design cues, particularly on the outside. For example, the new version’s frontend borrows heavily from the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, while the rounded rear-end and wide lower body is reminiscent of Honda’s sports car designs.

Seki explained that the FCX look indicates that “Insight is a member of Honda’s environmental product lineup,” and the sports car cues are “a key part of Honda’s fun-to-drive product philosophy.” With “Athlete Aero” guiding the exterior design, Seki said the interior’s philosophy is something Honda calls “Emotional Hybrid Interior.” Upon stepping inside it is apparent that a linkage to the past Insight’s cabins was not a high priority.

“In contrast to the concave cockpit designs of the past, the Insight’s cockpit is convex, a refreshing change that lends an advanced, futuristic feel,” said Seki.

“We have also included lots of storage areas for everyday usability, since Insight is meant to be a very usable car for everyday driving. Overall, we have gone for a simple, efficient and clean look and feel.”

Eco Assist system leaves you green
As you’d expect from a vehicle that is full of the unexpected and unorthodox, the 2010 Insight’s dashboard is filled with unique readouts, buttons and systems.The Eco Assist system uses indicator lights and a numerical readout to guide drivers to accelerate and brake in ways that consume less fuel and also increase power regeneration.

Similarly, the Eco Guide readout keeps score of your driving habits, awarding green leaves and blooming flowers.

The speedometer even gets into the act, glowing green when you maximize fuel economy, and blue when you guzzle fuel inefficiently.

Simple as pushing a button. Really
Improving fuel economy in the 2010 Insight is as simple as pushing a button. Really. Just press the ECON button on the far left of the dash and the savings begin. When engaged, the system regulates a number of onboard systems, including air conditioning, climate control, engine operation and the idle stop feature. Estimated combined fuel economy of the 2010 Insight is 4.7 L/100km.

Injury mitigation design
You never want to get hit by a car, of course, but if you ever do, hope it’s a 2010 Insight. The Pedestrian injury mitigation design of the front end and hood helps absorb energy and, according to research, can dramatically reduce the level of pedestrian injury in a front-end collision.

Features include: impactenergy absorbing hood; deformable hood hinges; impact energy-absorbing front fenders; and deformable windshield wiper pivots In addition, space is provided over engine room components to allow the hood to bend and deform.

Body Structure box
Just as the new Insight’s engine has shed a few pounds from its previous incarnation, so too has the high-tensile steel body structure of the 2010 model. In addition, increased rigidity of the body has resulted in better occupant safety, less vibration and a smoother ride.
Sound absorption in the roof, carpet and dashboard keep the cabin quiet, as does the heat and sound insulation in the windshield glass.

H-shaped torsion
McPherson struts up front and an H-shaped torsion beam in the rear give the Insight a smooth and very responsive handling characteristics, but also create a very roomy cabin space, particularly in the rear.

The Insight’s low height and low centre of gravity — remember those batteries under the rear seats — also contribute to the lively driving attributes of the Insight.

This skin is in
As with all great designs, form follows function in the 2010 Insight’s exterior skin. The car’s low height and extremely flat underbody are hallmarks of improved fuel efficient vehicles, and the Insight’s aerodynamic sweep creates a slippery wedge that slices through the air. Sculpted LED lights enhance the four corners of the Insight, and blue-coloured low beams add to the Insight’s clean look.

Source;
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Cars/Honda+Insight+hybrid+works/1445059/story.html

2010 Honda Insight Powertrain Information

Now in its fifth generation since debuting on the original Insight in 1999, Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) is a parallel hybrid powertrain that increases efficiency through power assist, energy regeneration and idle stop capabilities. The system consists of a low-friction 1.3-litre SOHC, 8-valve i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) that serves as the primary power source; a 10-kilowatt, lightweight, ultra-thin electric motor that provides additional power and electricity generation; a lightweight and compact battery; and a continuously variable transmission. The combined output and overall torque of the engine and motor (max. output 98 hp @ 5,800 rpm, max. torque 123 lb-ft. @ 1,000-1,500 rpm) allow for responsive acceleration in the city and confidence-inspiring performance on the highway. The IPU of the new IMA is 19 per cent more compact than that of the fourth-generation system, contributing to spaciousness and utility, while the powertrain’s efficiency is the key to the Insight’s exceptional fuel economy: Honda estimated combined fuel economy of 4.7L/100km and a 40 litre fuel tank deliver a maximum driving range of over 640 kilometres.

• Fifth-generation, Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid
system
• 1.3-litre, SOHC, 8-valve i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with
Variable Cylinder Management (VCM)
• High-power, lightweight, ultra-thin electric motor
• Lightweight, compact, durable battery
• Standard continuously variable transmission (CVT)
• Cooperative regenerative braking
• Drive-by-Wire™ throttle control


High-efficiency, lightweight, low-friction 1.3-litre, SOHC, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM)
The heart of the Insight powertrain is the i-VTEC engine, which combines responsive performance and excellent fuel efficiency as a result of its lightweight, low-friction and efficient design. Rated output is 88 hp @ 5,800 rpm, and rated torque is 88lb-ft. @ 4,500 rpm.

Source;
Honda Canada

Canadian 2010 Honda Insight Spec's

Tried my best at getting this to line up.

Source;
Honda Canada

2010 Honda Insight; This hybrid gives driving lessons

Just press a big green button to get into an economical mode



Bob McHugh
Special to The Province

I t was the very first production hybrid sold in Canada, when first released as a 2000 model year vehicle.

While the bullet-shaped little two-seater never sold in huge numbers, right up to its exit in '06, the first-generation Honda Insight was still the most fuel-efficient car sold in Canada.

A new 2009 Honda Insight was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show this week.

Like its predecessor, it's also a dedicated hybrid, only it's now a little bigger. It's also a more practical hatchback with four doors that offers seating for five.

Although prices have not been revealed, Honda has already stated that Insight will be the lowest- priced hybrid on the market.

A neat feature of the new Insight is the way its hybrid system has two driving modes of operation and uses performance indicators to engage and teach the user to drive in the more fuel-efficient manner. The driver can choose to drive in the default standard mode or choose what's called the Econ mode.

A big green button on the dash, left of the steering wheel, activates the Econ mode. It instantly changes the behaviour of the engine, the CVT transmission, the regenerative braking system, air-conditioning and cruise-control systems.

Colour-changing dials and graphic displays also indicate how well you're driving, in terms of fuel-efficiency.

On an under-five-kilometre test loop in the standard mode and driving normally, I averaged 5.4 litres per 100 km.

I did it again in the Econ mode, paying more attention to the onboard fuel-efficiency coaching, and I got 4.3 L/100 km. A few in our group did get better than 4.0 L/100 km.

By the way, this was in less-than-ideal wet-driving conditions. Honda claims a 4.7 L/100km average for the Insight, based on the standard government fuel-economy test. All of which proves that when you get to this level of frugal fuel-efficiency the driver becomes an even bigger factor, I guess.

Insight's parallel hybrid powertrain is the latest (fifth generation) version of the Honda Integrated Motor Assist system.

It's similar to the Civic Hybrid with some noteworthy performance differences plus decreases in cost, weight and packaging.

The electric motor can now propel the Insight, but only when it's driven on a flat surface at a steady speed of about 45 km/h. It's an ultra-thin, brushless motor, located between the engine and the transmission.

It can produce up to 13 horsepower and its main function is to "assist" the Insight's small gasoline engine.

Like the Civic Hybrid, the Insight uses a nickel-metal hydride battery, but it's a new-generation unit that's 28-per-cent lighter and 19-per-cent smaller.

Internally it has seven instead of 11 modules, but the power output of each module is 30-per-cent higher.

Talking to Honda engineers I learned that the internal engineering life-expectancy standard for this battery is 15 years or 240,000 km.

The battery is located in an intelligent power unit that's more compact and can now fit below the rear cargo floor.

So the Insight can essentially function like most small hatchbacks, with split-fold rear seats that enlarge the cargo area, which Honda claims is larger than in the Toyota Prius -- the only other dedicated hybrid.

The Insight is lower than the Prius and after driving both, back-to-back, I noticed it had a lighter and more car-like, agile-handling feel to it. Prices will not be announced until closer to dealer launch date in April.

The Insight will come in two trim levels LX and EX.

The main additional features in EX include electronic stability and traction control systems, a navigation system, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, a 160-watt audio system upgrade and alloy wheels.

Bob McHugh is a freelance automotive journalist, writing on behalf of the B.C. Automobile Association.


Source;
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/cars/story.html?id=24558b97-3f3a-4f1e-9256-b86e5f34fd5a

2010 Honda Insight Features, Pic's, and Information

Details on the instrument panel and driver assist systems on the new 2010 Honda Insight have been released and it seems Honda is intent on training the new hybrid's drivers in much the same way other auto manufacturers have announced. The "Ecological Drive Assist System" uses a combination of color cues in the speedometer and "leaves which grow" to encourages economical driving behaviors. When you push the "Eco" mode button, the speedo turns green when you're being frugal or blue when you're hooning it, also a panel grows "leaves" to reward short term driving and displays the long term performance as well. This of course comes on the heels of the announcement from Ford about their "Smartgauge with EcoGuide" system in the Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid which also rewards judicious use of the go-pedal with growing leaves. We expect everyone who complained about that system to bellyache about this too.

But that's not all these new images tell us. If we take a closer look at the rest of the dash, it looks like the Insight will share design cues with its Euro Civic cousin and offer such features as a USB aux audio input, a CD/MP3/WMA disc drive and an overall simple control scheme. What we don't know is what the heck an "S" means in the PRNDL cadence. What the heck does "PRNDSL" mean? Park, reverse, neutral, drive, second and low? Probably, but we're holding out for a "Superamazing" gear.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5094111/2010-honda-insight-ecological-drive-assist-system-grows-leaves-gets-other-features

Here's a link to my original post;
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/11/honda-insight-to-introduce-ecological.html

Honda Insight to Introduce Ecological Drive Assist System in Spring 2009

11/19/2008 - LOS ANGELES -
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced that a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™) will debut on the new Honda Insight in spring 2009.

The Honda Insight Concept, making its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, provides a strong indication of the design and styling of the all-new gasoline-electric hybrid model from Honda.

Eco Assist combines multiple functions: the driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable transmission, engine and related powertrain components to conserve fuel; and a feedback function that uses speedometer background color to provide real-time guidance on environmentally responsible driving. An economy scoring function further provides feedback about current driving techniques, as well as feedback on cumulative, long-term driving style.

"Hybrid drivers enjoy trying to get the most fuel economy from their vehicles," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The visual nature of Eco Assist is intended to help drivers improve their efficient driving skills by making the hybrid experience more fun and rewarding."

Honda developed the powertrain control, driver guidance and driver feedback functions of Eco Assist to help enhance real-world fuel economy. In particular, the scoring function provides cumulative, long-term feedback through graphic 'leaves,' which grow over time as drivers learn and implement driving practices that increase fuel economy.

The guidance function uses the speedometer background's color-changing, three-dimensional appearance to indicate fuel efficiency in real time. Fuel-saving activities like smooth acceleration and braking make the meter glow green. Somewhat less efficient driving makes the meter glow blue-green. Aggressive starts and stops that consume extra fuel make the meter glow blue. By observing the speedometer background's response to driving practices and seeking to achieve a consistently green color, drivers can receive assistance in developing driving habits that typically enhance fuel economy.

The scoring function provides feedback about current driving practices, as well as cumulative, long-term feedback tracking progress. Located in the center of the instrument panel of the all-new Insight, the Multi-Information Display offers drivers a selection of informational displays, including the scoring function, in which the number of 'leaves' displayed indicates the level of environmentally responsible driving performance. When the ignition switch is on, the display scores driving practices in real time. When the ignition switch is turned off, the 'leaves' in the top line of the display score driving in the just completed cycle (startup to shutdown), while a horizontal bar in the lower part of the display scores cumulative lifetime performance.

The Multi-Information Display also allows drivers to view fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics. The scoring function encourages drivers to take an interest in developing fuel efficient driving habits over the long term.

Going on sale in North America next spring, the all-new, purpose-built Insight will come to market at a price significantly below that of 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.

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 the 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, a concept car first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as North America's first gas-electric hybrid car. The original Insight was designed from the ground up to demonstrate the ultimate potential for fuel-economy in a two-seater subcompact automobile.

A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda was the first to market low-emission gasoline vehicles, a gasoline-electric hybrid car in North America, 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, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4878

Honda's Hybrid plan at odds with industry and just might work

I found this article on how Honda's way of developing their Hybrid differ's from the rest of the industry, it's a good read.
Honda plan at odds with industry and just might work
Updated Thu. Oct. 16 2008 12:34 PM ET
Jeremy Cato, Autos.CTV.ca

Honda's plan for electric vehicles is daring in its simplicity, comprehensive and forward-looking in its scope, completely at odds with the rest of the auto industry and it just might work.

It just might work at making hybrid electric/gasoline vehicles affordable for the masses in the short term and work at making hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - in essence electric vehicles using hydrogen as a source of on-board electric power -- viable in the long term.

"We are trying to make hybrid cars mainstream," said Honda official Sage Marie at the recent Paris auto show. "The biggest obstacle to that right now is price. Therefore, we are trying to bring the costs down and make hybrids affordable."

In Paris, Honda showed its four-door hatchback Insight that will go on sale in the spring for about $20,000. But the Insight is just the first of three dedicated hybrids Honda will bring to market over the next four years.

A hybrid version of the CR-Z sports car is also coming, as well as a hybrid version of the Fit subcompact sold in North America (also known as the Jazz around the rest of the world). Within the next year the Honda Civic Hybrid will also get a major makeover to separate it from the Insight.

All these are so-called "mild" hybrids. None will run on battery power alone. Instead, they use technology similar to that in the current Honda Civic Hybrid ($26,350). As such, there is a much smaller, much less expensive battery pack designed to run the car's accessories when stopped and the gasoline engine is turned off to save fuel.

The electric motor also provides a power boost when accelerating. Meanwhile, the car's regenerative brakes return energy to the batteries under braking - a side benefit of which is reduced brake wear and lower maintenance costs for owners. The Insight should deliver about the same fuel economy as the current Civic Hybrid (4.7 litres per 100 km in the city, 4.3 on the highway).

All the new Honda hybrid are alike in that they are small cars designed primarily for city driving, where hybrids are best at delivering fuel economy gains and lower emissions. For now, Honda is not pursuing full electric cars or so-called plug-in hybrids. And Honda has also not committed to any one supplier for advanced lithium ion batters, in sharp contrast to rivals such as Toyota and General Motors.

J.D. Power and Associates, the market research firm, thinks Honda might succeed in attracting large numbers of buyers to its hybrids if the price premium is about US$1,250, rather than as much as US$10,000 for hybrids such as GM's upcoming Chevrolet Volt which uses lithium ion batteries.

Indeed, Honda is expecting to sell 200,000 Insights a year, 100,000 of them alone in North America. That's a bold prediction.

Honda has never sold more than about 30,000 Civic Hybrids in a single year. By contrast, Toyota sold about 200,000 Prius hybrids in Canada and the United States combined last year.

The Insight's design suggests that Honda has learned at least one lesson from Toyota: make hybrids look different than anything else in the lineup so that owners have obvious proof for the world that they are driving a "green" car. But that's marketing.

But Honda is not using technological solutions similar to Toyota or any other global manufacturer.

"Honda is doing it Honda's way," Takaki Nakanishi, an auto analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co, told Automotive News.

But this is nothing new. Honda signaled its lack of interest in pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids more than a year ago. Honda CEO Takeo Fukui then expressed skepticism about plug-in hybrids, saying they offer too few environmental benefits. Such vehicles, like GM's Volt, are recharged through an electrical outlet yet are still partially powered by gasoline.

"My feeling is that the kind of plug-in hybrid currently proposed by different auto makers can be best described as a battery electric vehicle equipped with an unnecessary fuel engine and fuel tank," Fukui said at the company's research-and-development center. He was referring to plug-in hybrids such as the Chevy Volt.

Honda also is not interested in installing hybrid technology in larger vehicles and luxury models. Toyota has met with only limited success with that strategy.

Honda is not putting hybrid technology in large sport-utility vehicles, either. Toyota, along with GM, Chrysler and European makers, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, are going down that road. So far, GM, Toyota and Chrysler have had little success with that strategy, either.

But small cars, they are ideal for hybrid technology, say Honda officials, because they are typically used for stop-and-go city driving - where hybrids deliver the most in terms of fuel economy gains and emissions reductions. In a nutshell, Honda's Fukui says his company's focus is on improving the economics of buying a hybrid.

"The price needs to be reasonable and fuel efficiency higher so the (premium) the consumer pays (for a hybrid car) can be returned in a short period of time," he says.

At the same time, Honda also is not interested in stand-alone electric vehicles, though rivals such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Subaru and perhaps others plan to sell them in the next few years. To get reasonable performance and range from an electric vehicles requires a huge, heavy and expensive battery pack, say Honda officials.

And while next-generation lithium ion batteries have promise, the technology is not mature enough and is not likely to be for some time to come. Honda cites safety and durability issues with this technology.

If a breakthrough happens with lithium ion batteries, Honda feels they will be available as a matter of simple economics. That is, to offset development costs, battery makers will sell to anyone and everyone.

Thus, for the foreseeable future, Honda is sticking with affordable and proven nickel-metal hydride batteries. Only Honda's limited-edition FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan uses lithium ion batteries, and while a few of these prototypes have been leased to customers in the U.S., a mass production fuel cell car is years away. Ultimately, though, Honda sees hydrogen fuel cells as a viable solution, though there is no filling station infrastructure and none planned.

Not to be lost here is the fact Honda has the resources to develop any technology it needs. This year Honda's research and development budget is US$5.75 billion, which is about two-thirds of what GM spends on R&D, though Honda sells about one-third the vehicles and has a far more streamlined model lineup.

So where does this position Honda versus its rivals?

Toyota, for one, is considering an entirely separate brand for its Prius hybrid - in essence a Prius lineup of large and small hybrid models. At the upcoming Detroit auto show in January, Toyota will be unveiling a new, bigger version of the Prius and at that time company officials may reveal more about its plans for a range of Prius models.

Toyota will also unveil a new hybrid car for its Lexus luxury brand at the '09 Detroit show. Indeed, Toyota has said it plans to make a hybrid-electric system available on every vehicle it sells worldwide sometime in the next decade.

Toyota has been clear on one thing: gas-electric hybrids will form the majority of its alternative-technology vehicles for decades to come. Toyota has said it expects to be selling one million hybrid vehicles a year early in the decade beginning in 2010.

Still, no auto maker is suggesting an imminent end to internal-combustion engines anytime soon. That technology is established and widespread.

Nonetheless, industry leaders are worried about new regulations aimed at the issue of climate change, not to mention unstable oil prices and oil supply. These factors will, they believe, force car makers to dramatically decrease petroleum use in new vehicles.

Honda thinks its hybrid strategy, clear, simple and based on viable, available and affordable technology, is the best way to get there over the next few years.

Source;
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081015/AUTOS_honda_081015/20081016?s_name=Autos

2010 Honda Insight BLOG

Here is something interesting from Honda, they have created a blog which will keep us up to date of the goings on of the next Honda Insight.

Welcome to Latest Insight, a Honda blog that follows the journey of our latest hybrid, the Insight.

Link;
http://automobiles.honda.com/insight-hybrid/blog.aspx

Honda Worried that Dealers may Raise the Prices of the the Upcoming Honda Insight

I found this article to be an interesting read, I did not know that some dealers had been artificially marking up the price (suppy and demand) of the Civic Hybrid and the Fit. As far a I know, I haven't seen this practise in Canada.

The thrust of the new Honda Insight hybrid -- which debuted in Paris this week as a near-production concept -- is to "bring hybrid vehicles into a price bracket where a broader range of people can afford them," says the press materials. Cheaper, in other words. The current estimate is that the Insight -- powered by a 1.3-liter gas engine and Integrated Motor Assist, good for about 45 mpg, on average -- will cost about $20,000, though final pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date next spring.

It must have taken a heroic effort for Honda to hit that price point. According to the company, major savings had to be realized in the design and manufacturing of the IMA and other hybrid components (like the battery). Tankers of midnight oil must have been docked right outside Honda's R&D center.

However, all that hard work -- and the neat marketing and sales strategy designed to undercut Prius -- will amount to little if Honda dealers tag on thousands of dollars more in dealer markups and price premiums, as they have been notoriously doing with the Fit and Civic Hybrid. "We don't like it whenever premiums are added," says company spokesman Kurt Antonius. "But it's driven by supply and demand. We don't condone it but we can't control it."

Perhaps not, but Honda of America could probably, oh, let's say, de-incentivize the practice, and considering that the low entry price of the new Insight hybrid is the whole point, I suspect they probably will.

More about the car: Yes, it looks vaguely like a Prius. "We would say it looks more like the Clarity," says Antonius, referring to Honda's sleek and awesome hydrogen-powered car. I would say that the Prius, the GM Volt and the Honda Insight all resemble one another as a consequence of aerodynamics and engineering constraints that nominalize design. In other words, if you want a car of a certain size to carry five passengers and some luggage, and you want it to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, there's only so much you can do about styling.

Unlike the Prius, the Insight does not move under electric power alone. Honda has long believed the tradeoffs of weight and cost don't justify electric-only propulsion. The company expects overall mileage to be like that of the Civic Hybrid.

Honda expects to make 200,000 Insights per year for the world market, 100,000 of them destined for the U.S.

Source;
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/uptospeed/2008/10/honda-insight-h.html