Honda Insight Hybrid!

Jonnycoupe · 18 May 2009 at 23:54

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dr...article6294116.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1

Slated by the man who know how to do it best.

A work colleague of mine has a friend from Honda Swindon who brought one over for him to see, amongst the usual things (tragic dash, silly flowers, crappy CVT leading to noisey engine) there was the extra one of it only got 52mpg :confused:

Thats seems good enough to me.

MrFunex · 19 May 2009 at 00:16

only 58mpg at 68mph... I do think hybrids are a half-step in the right direction, but most small diesels will trounce that... Even some of the bigger diesels will get that level of economy.

The electric assist round town is a good idea. The number of times I've wondered how a small electric motor would help things when we're all crawling along at 2mph...

Jonnycoupe · 19 May 2009 at 00:22

Yeah especially when most of that power is free energy you got from slowing down. I think buses and refuse trucks are there best application.

On the motorway with the Honda setup doesnt really change cruise mpg it just means under load and moving from stop its not as comically slow as it could be.

I think Honda and Toyota are going this way with petrol ready for HCCI whilst the diesels will be struggling with all their Euro6 add-ons. HCCI should allow constant lean burn with the battery providing enough assist to maintain speed etc up gradients without giving the petrol engine anymore load and dropping out of lean.

rypt · 19 May 2009 at 00:25

Totality said:
Now that's something I'd agree with! Fuel cell cars I can see being the saviour that people want, but hybrids to me are just a marketing gimmick as far as I'm conerned at the moment. Will find out for definite tonight!

The VW TDI/Bluemotion range gets better MPG figures than the Insight ... hybrids fail

Bring on HYDROGEN!

Jonnycoupe · 19 May 2009 at 00:28

rypt said:
The VW TDI/Bluemotion range gets better MPG figures than the Insight ... hybrids fail Bring on HYDROGEN!

The larger car that runs on petrol? Not really a fail.

My Insight = no fail on the mpg front

Although I see VW have done another Polo BM with a 75bhp 3 cyl derv for next year and does some really good numbers with minimal effort. I think thats the issue at the moment, you actually have to drive a hybrid differently to optimise energy use. Dervs just drive the same but the inherent energy efficiency and density of the fuel means the mpg comes with no effort/change

rypt · 19 May 2009 at 00:39

The Insight is rated at around 64MPG; the Jetta Bluemotion is 62mpg I think - and the Jetta is a bit larger I think.

Jonnycoupe · 19 May 2009 at 08:17

rypt said:
The Insight is rated at around 64MPG; the Jetta Bluemotion is 62mpg I think - and the Jetta is a bit larger I think.

How familar are you with the NEDC ? Those figures dont tend to mean much in the real world.