Honda Opens New Hybrid Site

Honda has opened a new "Words of Hybrid" site, featuring the all-new Insight Concept premiered at the Paris Motor Show on October 2, 2008. The site provides details of the Insight Concept and a history of Honda's hybrid development.

Follow the link;

http://world.honda.com/Hybrid/ Then click on the LAUNCH

Honda Insight hybrid goes on sale globally in spring 2009

Neil Winton / Special to The Detroit News

PARIS -- Honda's new Insight petrol electric hybrid will go on sale around the world in the spring of 2009, after the mass production-ready version of the car is unveiled at the Detroit car show in January, the Japanese company said.

The original Insight was introduced in 1999. It only had two seats, whereas the new one has room for five.

"For the long term, we believe fuel cell electric vehicle technology is the ultimate environmental solution. But to reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide emissions in the near term, Honda believes the best approach is to advance hybrid technology to mainstream customers," Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda told a press conference at the Paris Car Show.

"We are developing this vehicle to achieve excellent fuel efficiency on a par with the Civic Hybrid, but at a significantly reduced price. The new Insight is equipped with a hybrid system that combines a lightweight and compact 1.3 litre (gasoline) engine with a motor that will achieve excellent fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions," Fukui said, without revealing any data.

The current Civic Hybrid uses a so-called "mild" hybrid system, which enhances the performance of the gasoline engine. "Strong" hybrids, like that in the Toyota Prius enhance efficiency, but also allow a limited amount of separate, battery-only powered driving.

Fukui didn't say which system would be used in the new Insight.

He said the Insight should sell up to 200,000 versions a year. Hybrid versions of the CR-Z SUV and little Jazz (known as the Fit in the U.S.) will bring hybrid sales up to 500,000 a year, but he didn't say when.

Fukui added that the newly redesigned Jazz/Fit, going on sale across Europe from next month, will be built in Britain, in addition to current capacity in China and Japan.

Source;
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081002/AUTO04/810020430/1001

More Pic's of the Honda Insight Concept at the 2009 Paris Auto Show

For more pic's follow the link below;
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/02/paris-2008-honda-insight-live-reveal/

Honda Introduces All-New Insight Dedicated Hybrid Concept Vehicle at Paris Motor Show

PARIS, France, October 2, 2008—Honda Motor Co., Ltd. presented the concept model of its all-new Insight dedicated hybrid vehicle scheduled to be introduced in 2009, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show (October 2–19; Press Days: October 2–3).

Based on a theme of achieving dynamic performance through excellent aerodynamics, the exterior design of the Insight concept model combines excellent environmental performance and a fun to drive spirit. The compact Insight Concept measures 4,375 mm (172.2 in.) in length, 1,695 mm (66.7 in.) in width, and 1,425 mm (56.1 in.) in height, with specially designed, ultra-light aluminum wheels and 205/40 R18 tires. With a cockpit that enables the driver to experience the joy of driving, the interior of the Insight Concept provides an advanced and futuristic feeling that is possible only through a hybrid vehicle.

The all-new Insight, which will be developed based on this Insight Concept, will be a five-door, five-passenger hatchback equipped with Honda’s lightweight and compact hybrid system, with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine serving as the main power source, assisted by an electric motor. While achieving fuel economy on par with the Civic Hybrid, the new Insight will also achieve excellent utility and light and comfortable driving through the adoption of a new platform developed specifically for this vehicle. Honda will begin sales of the all-new Insight in Japan, Europe and North America in spring 2009, and projects annual global sales of 200,000 units.

In his speech at the Paris Motor Show, Honda Motor president & CEO Takeo Fukui said, “This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop.”

The name Insight was chosen to denote that this new vehicle provides "insight" into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2008/4081002All-New-Insight/

Rumour: Honda Working on Hybrid Motorcycles

The above pic is NOT the hybrid that they are working on.

We must admit, that this one caught us a bit off guard as well. After all when you reall compare motorcycles with cars, the bikes merely sip on the fuel while cars guzzle on it. So its not a surprise that most car manufacturers are concentrating on making 4 wheeled hybrids only.

But given that motorbikes require so much less energy, it would make sense to make hybrid versions of these - imagine having a bike with a potentially unlimited range. Things however are not so easy as you may think - once more due to the battery technology which effectively remains unchanged from the original concept a hundred years back.

However, Honda believes that it can shrink a hybrid engine enough to be mounted on a motorcycle frame. The hybrid motorbikes will be available in engine displacements between 200 and 1,000 cc, and, according to Honda, will be 50 percent more fuel-efficient. Production costs will be cut by using common components in both hybrid cars and motorcycles. Expect the hybrid bikes to be out as soon as 2010.

Source;
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20080927p2a00m0na020000c.html

Honda Insight hybrid (2009) spy video

Click this link to watch the video;
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Video/Search-Results/Video/Secret-New-Cars/Honda-Insight-hybrid-2009-spy-video/#Video

By Ben Pulman
25 September 2008 17:00

Honda will show off its Insight concept at the Paris motor show, but CAR has caught the production version hot-weather testing in the States. An unveiling is scheduled for the LA Auto Show in November, and Honda is promising the new Insight will be the world's most affordable hybrid when it goes on sale in spring 2009. Honda hopes to shift 200,000 Insights each year, along with many more Jazz, CR-Z and Civic hybrid models.

Honda’s Insight looks a lot like the Prius, but that’s just pure coincidence - Huh?

To say that the new Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius look alike is an understatement, however how's this;

Any resemblance between Hondas new Insight, set to go on sale next April, and the Toyota Prius is pure coincidence, according to Honda.

Honda plans to unveil the Insight at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show on Oct. 2 and released images of the vehicle earlier this month. Immediately, automotive publications dubbed the Insight a "Prius fighter" or "Prius killer" -- in part because its design reflects the distinctive egg-shaped Toyota Prius. But Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky disputes the comparison.

It was done that way because it was the most aerodynamic design, and we were going for fuel economy," Schifsky said.

Schifsky says that the design for the Insight was mainly influenced by the FCX Clarity. The production version of the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid car will also look similar.

Source;
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/BUSINESS01/809140416/1014
Orig. Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/09/15/hondas-insight-looks-a-lot-like-the-prius-but-thats-just-pure-coincidence/#more-25896

The smart money is on Honda

Jeremy Cato, September 10, 2008 at 11:01 AM EDT

Honda or General Motors? When it comes to hybrids, who's got it right?

I'm leaning to Honda's simple approach over GM's attempt at a moonshot.

Here's the background. On Monday, unauthorized photos of the Chevrolet Volt, GM's plug-in hybrid, were leaked to the Web. Among other places they popped up on http://www.thecarconnection.com/. GM officials say they had planned to release the photos themselves later this month to coincide with the company's centennial celebrations next month.

Production of the Volt is due to start in November of 2010. If GM pulls this off it will be an amazing technological achievement.

That's because the Volt is really an electric car with a range of about 56 km. It will have a lithium ion battery pack and a small on-board gasoline engine. GM expects owners mostly to re-charge using a wall outlet, but if you get stuck you'll be able to charge up the batteries using the on-board gas motor.

GM actually does not call the Volt a hybrid at all. It is, instead, an “extended range electric vehicle.”

No auto maker has ever managed what GM is attempting. Most troubling of all is the fact the batteries are unproven. GM insists it has all the problems licked and that running prototypes are already being tested. We'll probably see one next week in Detroit at the company's centennial celebration in Detroit.

Even if GM manages to overcome all the technological hurdles, there is the little matter of price. Most believe – me among them – that the Volt will sell for something approaching $35,000 or $40,000. Why? All the new gizmos and gadgets for one. For another, GM will be selling Volts in very small numbers – at least at the outset.

I give GM full marks for being daring, but frankly Honda's approach is less risky and more likely to work as a profitable business.

I am talking about the Insight hybrid Honda showed last week. It is a smallish five-door hatchback due to go on sale next April and it we are led to believe it will sell for about $20,000, perhaps less. The Insight is smaller than the current Civic Hybrid which lists for just under $27,000.

Honda expects to sell 200,000 Insights a year worldwide. Moreover, this Insight is the first of several more hybrids from Honda. A smaller sports hybrid, the CR-Z, will come next and there is talk that around 2012 a hybrid Fit will be added. In each case, Honda will be using hybrid technology that the company has been refining for a decade, since the first two-door Insight hybrid went on sale.

Honda just keeps grinding away at overcoming the technological hurdles, rather than trying to manage a fantastic breakthrough. On top of that, Honda's very clear and oft-stated strategy is to put hybrid systems into compacts and subcompacts because that's where the green technology achieves its greatest efficiencies.

Unlike Toyota and GM, to name two, Honda has no interest in installing hybrid drive trains in luxury sedans and SUVs. And Honda research and development people say a pure electric vehicle, or something close to it, is not ready now and won't be for some time; the battery technology is not there and is not likely to be for many years – not in a reliable and affordable way, at least.

Honda's position here makes the most sense to me. I agree that hybrid systems are best used in small cars which are most often used for city driving – where stop-start technology saves fuel and cuts emissions and regenerative braking constantly recharges the batteries.

Oh, and I like Honda's recent track record overall. Remember, Honda reported a record profit of US $1.68 billion for the quarter that ended in June. GM and Ford, to name two, have lost billions this year.

Honda doesn't need a moonshot to be successful, but GM does. Put all the various factors together and it seems to me the smart money should be on Honda.

Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080910.WBdriving20080910110140/WBStory/WBdriving

More Renderings from Carscoop on Honda's Next Gen Hybrid

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/08/renderings-hondas-hybrid-prius-fighter.html

Honda's 'Prius Fighter' gets Another Rendering

We've heard that the new non-Insight will bear a resemblance to Honda's hydrogen-consuming FCX Clarity and we can certainly tell that it will have a certain Prius-esque look to its profile - all in the name of aerodynamics, of course. Armed with all of this information, the scribes at Japan's Best Car have come up with a rendering of the new car. Based on what we know, as discussed a few sentences back, this is surely pretty close though there will undoubtedly be extra details that nobody is aware of yet. Under hood will be a revised version of Honda's familiar Integrated Motor Assist system hooked to a 1.3-liter four cylinder engine. A nickel metal hydride battery pack will prove the necessary juice to the electric motor.

Source; (via Autoblog)
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/08/2010-honda-hybrid-sedan-rendering-of.html

Honda FIT Hybrid Not Coming to North America

Over the past year, Honda officials have spoken extensively about plans for hybrid vehicles to be added to the lineup. Starting next spring, a new hybrid-only five door hatchback that looks like a scaled down version of the FCX Clarity will debut at a price expected to be less than $19,000. That will be followed by a second dedicated hybrid coupe based on the CR-Z concept. The Civic hybrid will also be staying in the U.S. lineup. What U.S. buyers won't be getting is a fourth model that has been mentioned by CEO Takeo Fukui. Honda will add its IMA hybrid system to the Fit, but only for the Japanese market. During the recent media drive of the new 2009 Fit, I asked spokesman Sage Marie when the Fit hybrid would be arriving. Marie explained that because of supply constraints of the Fit, there were no current plans to bring the hybrid model to the U.S. Much like the MINI Cooper D that is already selling at capacity, Honda is selling every existing Fit it can get, and adding another variant wouldn't likely help the business case. American buyers have shown a preference for a dedicated hybrid and Honda plans to attack that segment with two new cars in 2009.

Source; (Honda)
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/08/22/honda-fit-hybrid-not-coming-to-the-us/

Jalopnik Renders Honda's Next Prius Fighting Hybrid

Gotta hand it to whoever the artist is at Jalopnik that rendered the next Global Hybrid from Honda, it looks very close to what the 'disguised' would look like without camo.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5036923/hondas-new-hybrid-cheaper-longer-and-higher-fuel-economy

Honda's New Global Hybrid gets a Release Date of April 2009

It's said that the 'Prius Fighter' above will be unveilled at this October's Paris Auto Show. It is rumored to show up in dealer lots by April of 2009 and leave it to Toyota to make it interesting by having their next gen Prius displayed at the next Detroit Auto Show in January. Honda plans to undercut its rival in the pricing wars with its hybrid coming in at a base price of less than $19,000, a few thousand less than the larger Prius. Both models will use nickel metal hydride batteries (for now) as opposed to the latest lithium ion units in an effort to keep their costs down. Both should also score fuel mileage numbers somewhere in the 50-60 mpg range. For its part, Honda is planning to build 200,000 units of its new hybrid annually, with 100,000 earmarked for the U.S. Let the (fuel-saving) games begin!

Source; http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/13/hondas-prius-killing-hybrid-gets-a-date-april-2009/

Next Gen Hybrid NOT called Insight, Expect 60mpg US (around 70mpg Canada)

Honda's apparently aiming for a fuel economy of 60 MPG or higher with the new Honda hybrid expected to show its face at the Paris Motor Show. We're also hearing "Insight" has been tossed out the window as an option for the name.

Although we already knew Honda would be shooting for a starting price around $18,500, drastically undercutting the new Toyota Prius, but with fuel economy targets out there in the open, we're interested in how they'll hit it.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/400052/honda-hybrid-to-purportedly-deliver-60-mpg-not-be-named-insight

Honda's Next Gen Hybrid Site

Here is a link to a site provided by Honda to keep you informed on what's going on in their world of Hybrids.

http://automobiles.honda.com/hybrid/

More Info. on Honda's Next 'Insight' Hybrid

The next Hybrid will carry over the Insight name plate (for those who don't know, that is the name of Honda's first Hybrid that was discontinued in 2006). This vehicle is said to be priced below the Civic. Style cues will come strongly from the Honda FCX (and the Prius).

Honda will equip the new hybrid with the same 1.3L Integrated Motor Assist system found in the current-generation Honda Civic Hybrid. However, further development of the system will cut the IMA’s cost by about 50 percent in the new hybrid, according to Next Energy News.

Although the new Insight will be loosely based on the Fit, it will measure in at 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the Fit.

One Honda insider told Edmunds the Insight’s fuel economy would be “insane,” with some Japanese sources predicting mileage as high as 71 mpg. Actual mileage will likely be lower when it hits our shores, but should still be impressive.

And if those lofty fuel-economy numbers weren’t enough to cause an instant waiting list for the new hybrid, the next-generation Insight will list from under $18,500 – undercutting the Toyota Prius by thousands of dollars.

The new Insight is expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show, but Honda could also wait until November’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Whatever the case, the new five-door hybrid should hit U.S. Honda dealers early next year.

Honda hopes to build 200,000 units annually, with half of that production to be sold in the United States. Look for the new Honda hybrid to arrive at dealerships here in the States in mid- to late-2009.

Source;
http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-insight.html

More Pic's of Honda's OSM from the British Motor Show

Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/225318/wraps_off_next_s2000.html

LOW EMISSION HONDA ROADSTER BREAKS COVER

Two-seat design study unveiled at British International Motor Show

Honda’s low-emission sportscar study model has been revealed at the British International Motor Show, at ExCel, London.

The lightweight roadster design study displays one of Honda’s core engineering principles – to design stylish and exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible.

Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), the two-seater joins the confirmed-for-production CR-Z sports hybrid and FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car on the Honda stand at the show.

“We’re trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive,” says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. “There is no reason why a car that’s more environmentally friendly can’t look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive.”

The concept for the project was ‘Clean and Dynamic’ – and this direction was followed for both the exterior and interior design, ensuring a joined-up, consistent ‘language’ between the two. One example of this can be seen at the rear of the car, where the body actually extends into the cabin between the seats.

The exterior design is a balance of smooth, rounded curves and sharp lines to provide definition in key areas. The headlights are cleverly integrated into the front end, stretching from the nose to the top of the wheel arches to look more like a part of the original body.

Inside, this uninterrupted, fluid approach is continued, with long sweeping curves extending from both door panels to form a frame for the instrument display. The concept for the dashboard was to avoid creating the traditional block of ‘heavy’ colour and material in front of the driver; in keeping with the clean and lightweight theme. For that reason, the dash is broken into sections, with the most important instruments in direct line-of-sight of the driver.

Key information is displayed in a rounded, enclosed central binnacle, with levels and figures in bright blue on a black background. This matches the trim inside the car, with the seats and door furniture trimmed in a new, gloss-effect blue leather, accompanied by white leather sections, in line with the exterior body colour, a one-off paint called Mystic Pearl.

The driver’s main controls and functions are distributed in an intuitive layout, close at hand on a panel that curves downwards to the right of the driver. A centrally-mounted semi-sequential gear-shift points towards a fun-to-drive transmission, along with paddle shifts either side of the steering wheel. Integrated into the gearshifter itself is a red ignition ‘start’ button, which reinforces the sporty direction of the car.

The Honda OSM was designed by Honda’s R&D facility in Offenbach, Germany. It’s the latest example of the young talent being developed within Honda’s design studios in Europe – following the Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept (Geneva 2007) and the Accord Tourer Concept (Frankfurt 2007).

At present, the Honda OSM is a design study model, and there are no plans for it to enter production.

Source: http://www.hondauk-media.co.uk/

Even More Pics of Honda's Global Hybrid from KGP Photography

Link;
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/16/spy-shots-hondas-hybrid-prius-fighter-caught/

Priddy & Co. Catch the New Global Hybrid in the Wild

Looks alot like a morph from the FCX and the Prius.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=776084