Honda Civic Hybrid |
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[1] The hybrid's main power source is a 1.3 liter-cylinder, 8-valve gas engine. Thanks to such features as VTEC, Dual-Point Sequential Ignition (I-DSI) and friction-reducing innova-tions, this engine yields exceptional fuel mileage, low emissions and excellent performance. In other words, like most Honda engines, it is a model of efficiency and power.
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[3] The combination of the gasoline and electric power sources produces 93 horsepower. Combined with either a manual or auto-matic transmission, the Civic Hybrid power train can deliver a range of up to 650 miles between fill-ups. Since it was first introduced in the Insight, the Honda IMA System has proven itself to be durable, reliable and efficient.
[4] Power for the hybrid's electric motor comes from the nickel-metal hydride (ni-MH) battery pack located behind the rear seat. It is only about eight inches thick, so there is a great deal of cargo room in the trunk. An 8 year/ 80,000-mile limited warranty comes on the battery.
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[2] What makes this a hybrid vehicle is the addition of a smart, ultra-thin brushless DC motor to the conventional gasoline engine and drivetrain. This permanent magnet motor assists the engine as needed, like when you're accelerating from a stoplight. By adding its power to the gas engine, torque output is increased by a whopping 66% at 1000 rmp.
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Differing from the Prius, the Civic hybrid's IC engine warms up, then shuts down at idle as it has more modes because of two types of transmissions. How hard you step on the gas will establish how much power the computer will pull from the gas engine and how much extra it will pull from the electric motor. The computer makes this decision continuously as you drive. Since the gas engine operates essentially the same as in a non-hybrid, in spite of being smaller, it still delivers the same speed and performance, while saving on gas from the electric boost on acceleration and takeover during idling.
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Ford Escape SUV hybrid
Courtesy of Ford Motor Company
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Five years after HEVs first appeared from Japan on American shores, Ford Motor Company will be the first U.S. manufacturer to sell a hybrid - the Ford Escape SUV hybrid. Due to hit the showrooms in late 2004, the Escape has a compact electric motor that draws power from its battery pack and a generator motor.
As in the Civic hybrid, the gas engine shuts down when stopped, at low speeds and when coasting, and the generator motor restarts the gas engine and helps recharge the battery pack - all leading to lower fuel usage. No need to worry that this larger vehicle will lack stamina, since the generator motor offers extra boosts for heavy loads affording quick acceleration.
The Escape hybrid uses regenerative braking so as you brake, previously lost energy is recaptured and stored in the battery pack for future use. The IC engine is designed for improved efficiency so you get more mileage per gallon of gas. The nickel-metal hydride battery is rated at 330 volts and has an eight-year/100,000 mile warranty. At high speeds the electric motor, generator motor and battery pack all supply extra force to assist the gas engine.
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