New Honda Hybrid Challenges Prius, Promises To Revolutionize Market

The new Honda Insight hybrid promises to revolutionize the hybrid market by making gas-electric cars affordable. But the five-door hatchback with a rock-bottom price isn't the Prius killer Honda might have hoped for.

Honda isn't saying exactly what the car unveiled today at the Detroit auto show will cost when it rolls into showrooms on April 22 (Earth Day) but it will undercut the Toyota Prius by several thousand dollars. That won't be enough to knock a car that's synonymous with hybrid technology from its pedestal, but the 2010 Insight poses the first credible threat to Toyota's dominance of the hybrid market.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[yorfutrxhsbnd]

I have a Prius and it's been a great disappointment. I do all the things Toyota and other drivers have said to increase mileage, but I get less than 30mpg per tankful of almost all city driving.

Toyota has been incredibly unhelpful in trying to figure out the problem.

Before you buy or lease, take the car for a long test drive. There are a lot of lemons out there from what I am learning.

If anyone knows a good "lemon-law" attorney in Los Angeles, I'm ready to sue.

[SARGE1]

There Is No Proof A Serial Hybrid Is Really Any Better. The New Hybrid Ford Focus Is A 2 Mode And Has The Same Fuel Mileage With a 700 Mile Range. The Only Serial For Mass Production Is The Volt And It Is Not Here Yet With A Much Shorter 350 Mile Range. The Volt Can Only 40 Miles On Battery Only Just As The Focus Hybrid. So How Is A Serial Better ?

-Sarge

[KillTheMessenger]

Sarge... I can build a 4000 mile range car by bolting a 100 gallon tank to my Prius or by pulling a 500 gallon tank with a Hummer. Range has nothing to do with efficiency. I thought they teach the required math for that in fifth grade. Or is it fourth?

[JScott]

They already showed this at the LA Auto Show in Nov.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Wake me up when they decide to make a car that does not run on fossil fuels.

[BMissy]

Wake up. Its here. China is in contract negotiations to replace current cars with this one. India is in full production..
AIRcar

http://zeropollutionmotors.us/

[KillTheMessenger]

Wake up, Missy. China produces most of its energy with coal fired power plants of the worst kind. That's what charges your air cars.

[iPolitics]

that's good news. competition=innovation

[jsarets]

Honda IMA is a pretty weak hybrid implementation.

In Honda's approach, the gas engine, electric motor, and a mechanical CVT are on the same crankshaft. The wheels can't turn unless the engine is turning, so it can't go even 1 mph without burning gasoline, whereas the Prius can go 42 mph with just the motor.

In parallel-assist hybrids, the low-end torque of the motor allows the engine to be undersized, which saves fuel on the high-end, and the motor and battery can implement regenerative breaking. However, the Insight's motor is only 13 hp, compared to 67 hp for the Prius, limiting both low-end torque, engine size compensation, and regenerative power capacity.

The mechanical cone-style CVT carries more friction losses than any other kind of transmission, can't deal with high torque, and is generally less reliable. The Prius doesn't really have a mechanical transmission at all. It has a single planetary gear that uses one electric motor-generator to set the speed and another to set the torque.

Finally, if you're buying a hybrid today, you should consider the possibility of an aftermarket plug-in conversion at some point during the life of the car. The Honda IMA can't really take advantage of increased battery capacity, whereas Toyota's HDS is much more flexible. It's not that IMA is particularly ill-conceived, it's that HDS was a particularly brilliant innovation by the standards of a particularly conservative industry.

I'd take a Honda Fit over the new Insight.

[KillTheMessenger]

It looks like Honda is afraid to compete against its own Civic Hybrid. That's the only halfway rational explanation I have why they are not a lot more aggressive about the new Insight (otherwise one would have to assume that the head of the design department is an old bonehead and needs to be replaced). Sadly, even that does not make sense because the Civic Hybrid does not sell too well. So they are defeating themselves to keep a marginal seller in play.

Too bad because Honda could do better. An Acura with the technology of the Prius or even better a full parallel hybrid approach would be a runaway success.

[KillTheMessenger]

Sorry... that was meant to be "full serial hybrid", of course. Just realized my own mistake.

[Fernando]

A Japanese auto company making a more efficient car? An American auto industry which doesn't learn from its past and has to play catch-up with the market? Please! That's preposterous!

[thegreatgiginthesky]

While Ford is busy making a car that can park itself. GM is busy trying to sell Chevy Silvarados.

[KillTheMessenger]

I believe the European version of the Prius can park itself. It's probably the least useful feature on that car.

[JZ735]

Hondas never do anything for me...I will pass...

[SEDANMIK]

MY 1985 505 PEUGEOT ; EQUIPPED WITH THREE DOT LIKE LIGHT ( GREEN , YELLOW AND RED INSIDE DASH BOARD ) EVERY TIME YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL FOR ACCELERATION ; ONE OF THOSE LIGHTS LIT.
RED = WASTING TOO MUCH GAS IN THE AIR
YELLOW = WARNING
GREEN = EFFICIENT DRIVE

IN 2008 AND BEYOND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EFFICIENT ELECTRIC CARS NOT HYBRID ( 5OR 10 MPG DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR CARS )

[dandypuddin]

Sign me up for one-after I get a job!

42/65 mpg
now we're talking!

[Cybersquirt]

mpg also depends on how you drive.

I wasn't getting very good mileage on my hybrid until I started paying attention to my acceleration and cruising speed. Now I'm getting 46 and it's rated at 49/51.

[neoconumb]

I hate to say it but we could all make a much bigger environmental impact just by not eating beef products in comparison to suddenly inventing a new car that produces no CO2 or green house gases. It is estimated that cows introduce at least 30% of the worlds green house gases in the form of methane gas - more than cars.

I wonder how many proponents of these new greener automobile technologies are willing to make a commitment to swear off the consumption of beef in their diet. Perhaps we should take a poll. Just something to think about while we complain about (and rightfully so, including Honda and Toyota) how the automobile companies have not been environmentally responsible.

[KillTheMessenger]

It's not so much the cows as it is the corn diet. Corn fed to cows kills them slowly because it is unsuitable for the cows gastrointestinal tract. Thankfully the poor animals are being slaughtered before they die a slow, painful death due to the diet.

The claim is that grass fed cows do not produce nearly as much methane. But that would make beef a lot more expensive... and it is not going to happen, just like you said.

[senorlou]

Looks like a nice car, I just wish it came in a 5 speed manual like the previous 2 seater insight. I'm not so thrilled about paddle shifters.

[jsarets]

It has an automatic CVT. The paddle shifters are just a vanity exercise. Mario Andretti couldn't get better transmission performance out of it compared to letting the computer do its thing.

[MsLiz]

What is CVT, please?

[SeanOcali]

I'll wait for a Chevy Volt.

[rasit]

And pay $40.000?

[KillTheMessenger]

He will never pay $40k. He will just wait... and wait... and wait...

[neoconumb]

I hate to say it but we could all make a much bigger environmental impact just by not eating beef as we could if we suddenly invented a new car that produces no CO2 or green house gases. It is estimated that cows introduce at least 30% of the worlds green house gases in the form of methane gas - more than cars.

I wonder how many proponents of these new greener automobile technologies are willing to make a commitment to swear off the consumption of beef in their diet? Perhaps we should take a poll. Just something to think about while we bitch about (and rightly so, including Honda and Toyota) how the automobile companies have not be environmentally responsible.

Just something to think about.

[Viper]

Its great. But ironically the biggest envornmental impact comes from making the larger cars more efficient since downsizing of the cars is not something 80% of the car market has shown a want to do and in somjke cases their needs dont allow it.

I know some people hate to hear that... but taking Hummer mileage from 13 to 30 is 17 MPG increase while we are looking at only 5-10 mpg savings in the smaller cars.


Afterall even after ten years Mustangs out sell Prius 2 to 1 and the Prius sells are world wide... . And even Toyota makes its profits in its larger vehicles.... not with a Prius.

Regards

[MsLiz]

The purchasers of low mileage vehicles need to bear the true cost of their vehicles. Let them lose an arm, leg or child in Iraq,

[wesinohio]

I think you meant to say the purchasers of gas guzzlers.