The Environmentally-Friendly Honda Civic Hybrid
Rob Whittier, MBA 1
Issue date: 3/21/05 Section: Automotive
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Every once and awhile, we each get the opportunity to make a decision to do the right thing; be it for our classmates, our society, or for the one thing that influences every single one of us...our environment.
Enter the 2005 Honda Civic hybrid. With the optional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), it gets 48 mpg in the city and 47 mpg on the highway. About the same combined mileage as for the Toyota Prius, the only other compact gasoline-electric hybrid sedan on the market. The power-train assigned to this task is a 1.3-liter SOHC 8-valve inline-4, 85 hp, 87 lb-ft continuously variable auto combined with a modified version of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) energizer introduced on the Insight several years ago. A thin electric motor sandwiched between the gasoline engine and the five-speed transmission provides up to 13 horsepower to boost the Civic's performance. During coasting and light braking, this motor also serves as a generator to recharge the Civic hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery located between the rear seat and the trunk.
Additional efficiency improvement comes from a few vehicle tweaks. A new front air dam and rear spoiler, along with revised underbody panels, reduce the drag coefficient, electrically assisted power steering reduces the parasitic losses on the engine, and special tires reduce the Civic's rolling resistance.
Despite the chassis modifications, however, it is clear that the Civic hybrid feels far more normal than any of the other hybrids on the market today, thanks to its more refined suspension and close to standard wheel and tire setup. This chassis even delivers decent grip, with 0.81 g available in the corners before the front tires start grinding. The ABS-equipped disc and drum brake combination ensure that the Civic hybrid stops quickly albeit slightly slower to decelerate than the standard Civic due to the increased weight.
This chassis is more than capable enough to harness all the speed the hybrid power train can deliver. With the battery meter showing a full charge, I timed the Civic's 0 to 60 mph at just about 11 seconds (they claim 10.9), but expect slightly slower times if the battery is completely depleted. This lack of snap is no mystery when you pore over the Honda spec books and see that the hybrid weighs about 200 more pounds than a Civic LX.
Enter the 2005 Honda Civic hybrid. With the optional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), it gets 48 mpg in the city and 47 mpg on the highway. About the same combined mileage as for the Toyota Prius, the only other compact gasoline-electric hybrid sedan on the market. The power-train assigned to this task is a 1.3-liter SOHC 8-valve inline-4, 85 hp, 87 lb-ft continuously variable auto combined with a modified version of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) energizer introduced on the Insight several years ago. A thin electric motor sandwiched between the gasoline engine and the five-speed transmission provides up to 13 horsepower to boost the Civic's performance. During coasting and light braking, this motor also serves as a generator to recharge the Civic hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery located between the rear seat and the trunk.
Additional efficiency improvement comes from a few vehicle tweaks. A new front air dam and rear spoiler, along with revised underbody panels, reduce the drag coefficient, electrically assisted power steering reduces the parasitic losses on the engine, and special tires reduce the Civic's rolling resistance.
Despite the chassis modifications, however, it is clear that the Civic hybrid feels far more normal than any of the other hybrids on the market today, thanks to its more refined suspension and close to standard wheel and tire setup. This chassis even delivers decent grip, with 0.81 g available in the corners before the front tires start grinding. The ABS-equipped disc and drum brake combination ensure that the Civic hybrid stops quickly albeit slightly slower to decelerate than the standard Civic due to the increased weight.
This chassis is more than capable enough to harness all the speed the hybrid power train can deliver. With the battery meter showing a full charge, I timed the Civic's 0 to 60 mph at just about 11 seconds (they claim 10.9), but expect slightly slower times if the battery is completely depleted. This lack of snap is no mystery when you pore over the Honda spec books and see that the hybrid weighs about 200 more pounds than a Civic LX.
