What Should Honda Hybridize Next?

Choice limit was 10 so I had to consoldate some of the Acura choices - sorry

Correction: Last choice should have read "Acura NSX Sportscar"

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

Fixed.

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

Thank you tbaleno!

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

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I would of gotten an Element 3 years ago if it would of been a hybrid. That's what I originally went in to look at as I had given up on the HCH ever being easily available. That would of been the smartest thing for Honda to do even though it looks like a Toaster, it would at least be a Electric Toaster.

'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles
'03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06)
"I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."

It will be interesting when Honda gets around to putting an IMA into a larger vehicle. I hope they do their homework as well as they did with the 2006 Civic. I think there had been rumors of a hybrid Pilot. It seems Honda slowed or halted this....

I think somewhere on GH there is a mention of Toyota's problems with their hybrid pickup truck prototype. If it's stuck in the mud, the electric motor could burn up.

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Hmm... that's a problem that I don't believe can be avoided with Toyota's eCVT. I would have suggested having a sensor shut off the motor if the engine is spinning but the vehicle isn't accelerating (stuck in the mud), but without the motors, the Toyotas would be perpetually stuck in high gear.

With say an IMA ridgeline though, the vehicle could use the same engine combo as the Hybrid Accord -- VCM V6 with IMA -- and simply disable IMA if the car detects that it's in a "stuck" position. With pickup trucks, downsizing the engine wouldn't be a possibility, it woudl still need enough torque from just the engine to handle potential off-road or or towing situations, but for everyday driving, using the IMA system as a way to power accessories, offer a mild "boost" and an engine start/stop device would still save considerable fuel.

I think Honda needs to stay competitive and offer an SUV with the IMA system. The CRV would be a perfect fit for this. I think the Pilot is too large and wouldn't get the fuel economy gains the CRV could.

Bill

From the Valley of the Sun. -Phoenix, AZ

If they hybridized the Odyssey, they would bust that market wide open. It's a hugely popular minivan as it is, and that's something that hasn't been done yet. The SUV market is heavily power-oriented, where bigger is better in terms of both size and engine. But I'm willing to bet the average minivan driver doesn't care about extreme power as long as the van gives them enough oomph to get out of the way in time, to merge onto the interstate, etc. Minivans are almost as offensive as mainstream SUVs as far as FE goes. A hybrid just might be the ticket.

Hybridizing the S2000 makes as much sense as hybridizing a Hummer with a HCH engine.

I'd give the minivans a little break. A lot of factors contribute to the low FE in SUV's, but a similar-size minivan will be more fuel-efficient because:

• It's lower to the ground thus reducing drag
• It's usually more streamlined anyway
• Minivans are generally two-wheel, not four-wheel drive
• (Not positive on this one) Minivans are probably not geared to carry as heavy a load as an SUV
• (another fuzzy point) the Minivan target market tends to be less agressive in temperment and driving

Keith Bradshier's The High & Mighty states that the minivan target market then to be more civic and/or church-oriented doing things that help others. He also says a lot (not all) of the SUV buyers are narcassistic, insensitive, an not as inclined to do community service.

While hybridizing a minivan would be a bigger challenge than a Civic, it would have more room for the batteries, and as was pointed out, the pioneer in the minivan market.

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I'm trying to recall is the EPA estimates on the S2000 is 25 or 20mpg. If it was hybridized, it would obviously be for more performance - more so than the HAH. Trying to remember if Honda was considering an S2000 with conventional rear-wheel drive, but electric front-wheel drive with 400 horsepower. Agreed, hybridizing the S2000 would probably not make it more fuel-efficient.

I have thought a hybrid Mustang would be a slam-dunk that would come at a critical time for Ford....

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated