How a 2006 to 2008 Civic Hybrid Works and other FAQ's

I get alot of questions about how the Civic Hybrid works. Hybrid vehicles are powered by a conventional internal combustion engine just like any other vehicle. The difference is that on a hybrid, that engine is supplemented with an electric motor. In Honda's case, the system is known as Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). Both the gas engine and the electric motor are used to propel the car. The electric motor on the Civic Hybrid is sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. The engine and electric motor are directly connected together and turn as a single unit; the Civic engine is always turning while the car is moving.

Whenever you step on the brake pedal of a hybrid, or even just let go of the gas, the computer switches the polarity of the electric motor turning it into a generator to recharge the battery. The brake pedal regulates how much current is sent back to the battery. The harder you step on the brake pedal, the more drag the generator places on the forward motion of the car thereby slowing the vehicle. If the vehicle is not slowing enough, the regular brake system takes over seamlessly to stop the car. When we are ready to go again, the computer will send battery voltage back to the electric motor to move the car. This amounts to free energy, so we need less power from the gasoline motor, hence less gasoline is needed. Since we do not need as much power from the gasoline engine, it can be made smaller and more fuel efficient.

Another way that the Civic Hybrid saves gas is by shutting the engine off whenever you come to a stop. As soon as you remove your foot from the brake pedal, the engine comes back to life without skipping a beat.

You never need to plug the car in to charge the battery, keep in mind that in climates that are cold (ie: Winnipeg, Canada - where I am from), it is wise to plug the car in via the block heater. The battery pack is self-sufficient and recharges itself automatically when decelerating through regenerative braking, as well as when cruising.

The Civic Hybrids run on just regular unleaded gasoline.

You cannot run on the electric motor only when you run out of gas.

The battery pack in designed to last 10years under normal driving conditions.