2010 Honda Insight Hybrid Makes World Debut at the North American International Auto Show

12 January 2009

The 2010 Honda Insight. Click to enlarge.

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid car made its world debut at the North American International Auto Show. Utilizing the fifth generation of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods, the 2010 Insight offers an estimated EPA city/highway/combined fuel-economy rating of 40/43/41 miles per gallon US. Honda projects that the Insight will carry a CARB AT-PZEV emission rating.

Evoking the aerodynamic five-door sedan design first deployed on the FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the new Insight has a low center of gravity and seats five. The 2010 Insight will be launched at Honda dealers throughout the United States in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.

Transparent rendering of the 2010 Honda Insight. Click to enlarge.

The Insight combines a 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT, with a new generation of Honda’s IMA hybrid system. The Insight’s IMA system includes a 10 kW (13 hp) electric motor that delivers 68 lb-ft (92 Nm) of torque and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) consisting of a 5.75 Ah, 100.8V NiMH battery pack, Power Control Unit (PCU), motor Electric Control Unit (ECU), and cooling system.

Combined output and overall torque of the engine and motor is 98 hp (73 kW) @ 5,800 rpm, with max torque of 123 lb-ft (167 Nm) @ 1,000-1,500 rpm.

The 1.3L i-VTEC. Click to enlarge.

1.3L Engine. The i-VTEC engine at the core of the Insight carries a rated power output of 88 hp (66 kW) and develops up to 88 lb-ft (119 Nm) of torque. The i-VTEC valve control system employs a dual rocker configuration that supports both normal valve timing and cylinder idling to achieve a broad power band combined with good fuel economy.

A Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) system monitors throttle position, engine temperature, intake manifold pressure, intake air mass flow atmospheric pressure, exhaust gas oxygen and intake air temperature to control fuel delivery via multi-holed injectors mounted in the intake port of the cylinder head. The intake manifold is made of a lightweight, composite resin instead of aluminum for further weight reduction.

Dual and sequential ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder facilitates an intense, rapid combustion process for increased power and reduced fuel consumption.

During deceleration, cylinder deactivation via Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) virtually eliminates the pumping action of the cylinders, decreasing resistance to allow the motor/generator to more efficiently generate electricity with which to charge the battery.

The lightweight engine block incorporates a thin-sleeve construction. Friction reducing measures include plateau honing, low-friction pistons, low tensile-force piston rings and an offset cylinder bore. The surfaces of the high-strength forged steel connecting rods have been hardened with a special carbon process for a more lightweight design.

DC Brushless Motor. The 10 kW motor assists in acceleration and some steady state cruising conditions at low-to-mid vehicle speeds, depending upon conditions. The motor also acts a generator during braking, steady cruising, gentle deceleration and coasting to capture kinetic energy and recharge the battery, Under certain conditions (the example given was driving on a flat surface at steady speed in the low 30 mph range), the vehicle will be propelled exclusively by the electric motor.

Battery pack.. The battery system in the IPU consists of seven NiMH modules, each comprising 84 ”D-sized” 1.2V cells. Compared to the fourth-generation battery technology in the 2006 Civic Hybrid, power output per module is 30% higher, enabling a reduction in modules from 11 to 7.

The overall IPU size is reduced by 19% and overall weight by 28%.

Packaging of the ultra-compact IMA battery and IPU in the vehicle’s rear floor allows the enhanced utility of a 60/40 split and fold-down rear seat back.

Eco Assist. To help Insight owners realize the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, the Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist). Eco Assist combines multiple functions:

• A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;

• A driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency;

• A unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.