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The 2013 Honda Insight is the first mass-produced gasoline electric hybrid vehicle to be sold in the United States. The Honda Insight, a parallel hybrid, combines an advanced powertrain with lightweight materials to achieve extraordinary aerodynamics and ultra-low emissions. The heart of the hybrid system is Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), which combines a compact 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine and an ultra-thin permanent magnet electric motor for outstanding efficiency. The IMA system, combined with a rigid aluminum body structure and highly aerodynamic design, allows the Insight to travel as far as 68 miles per gallon of gasoline and meet California’s ultra-low emissions vehicle (ULEV) standards making it one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles available today.
The Insight offers many innovative features:
- Advanced power control system that efficiently manages the power of the engine, assist
motor, charging system, and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.
- Compact and efficient 5-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic transmission.
- “Idle stop” feature that shuts off the engine when the car is coming to a stop to conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions.
- Lightweight aluminum body and reinforced frame that is 40% lighter than a comparable steel body.
- Highly aerodynamic body one of the lowest coefficients of drag of any mass-produced vehicle.
- Electronic display that shows real-time trip and lifetime fuel economy.
The 2013 Honda Insight hybrid system is seamless and transparent you just fill the car with unleaded gasoline and drive it like any other car. With the highest fuel economy of any car on the road, the Insight represents a different approach to passenger car technology. The car looks and feels sporty, but it offers important environmental and economic advantages.
The Insight’s IMA system depends on its gasoline engine to supply primary power for driving. An ultra-thin electric motor provides additional power only when needed, such as when the car is accelerating or climbing a hill. When braking or coasting, the car’s momentum drives the generator, which recharges the battery. If the battery charge is low, the motor/generator will also kick in while cruising. The benefit of Honda’s IMA approach is that it does not require a large onboard electrical generating system, thereby reducing vehicle weight and leaving more space for passengers and cargo.
The Honda Insight has an electronic control system that “talks” to the car’s key components and ensures that the car always operates in its most fuel efficient mode. An onboard electronic display provides the driver with real-time information about fuel economy and, in the manual transmission model, suggests the most economical time to shift gears. This display also provides information about battery charge status and tells the driver whether the IMA electric motor is in use.
The Insight’s efficient Variable Valve Timing and Lift Control for Economy (VTECE) engine is built with ultra-lightweight materials like aluminum, magnesium, and plastic. The engine incorporates a catalytic converter that adsorbs nitrogen oxides (NOx) so they are not released with exhaust emissions. Several friction-reduction techniques minimize power losses caused by friction. The 2013 Honda Insight is available with a specially designed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) (automatic model). These new transmissions have been sized to meet the power requirements of the car while also reducing weight and physical dimensions. The manual transmission incorporates gears designed to reduce power loss and make shifting easier. The CVT provides two driving modes: sport, which maximizes power but reduces fuel economy (for acceleration), and drive, which reduces power but improves fuel economy (for cruising).
Posted in: Honda
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