Honda Insight 2010

For three decades, Honda has played a leading role in meeting environmental challenges. The Civic Hybrid is living proof that environmentalism and style can go hand in hand.

Power at the Pump

The benefits of the refined gasoline-electric powertrain on the Civic Hybrid are never more evident than when you watch those little numbers adding up at the pump. And with an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 40 city/45 hwy mpg [1], you'll spend a lot less time at the gas station.

Help Clear the Air

The air also benefits with the Advanced Technology Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV)[2] rating, which is the most stringent emission standard achieved by a gasoline-powered vehicle in the U.S.

The goal of the 2010 Honda Insight is to make the best use of the most cost-effective hybrid technology. For the new Insight’s design, Honda uses a shape that’s coming to define hybrid and electric vehicles: a five-door hatchback with a smooth front and a high, abrupt tail.



The differences between the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Toyota Prius, can be easily summarized: The Insight is thousands of dollars cheaper, gets comparable fuel economy, has a crisper look and provides a more agile and enjoyable ride. But the Insight is noticeably smaller, especially for passengers in the backseat. The Insight is smaller than the Prius by 2.5 inches in both length and height, and also has a 6-inch shorter wheelbase. While the Prius is classed as a mid-sized car based on its interior volume, the Insight is a compact. The dashboard of the Insight looks like a blending of the Honda Civic and Honda Fit.

Insight EX models add alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-speaker audio system with USB audio interface, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, Honda Vehicle Stability Assist and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition.

Driver Controls and Feedback, For Max MPG

The dashboard EcoGuide accumulates data on driving patterns, so hypermiling drivers can analyze their history to improve driving strategies. Overall, Honda claims the Insight’s IMA system is 19 percent smaller and 28 percent lighter than the previous generation used in the current Honda Civic Hybrid.

The Honda Insight is rated at 40 miles per gallon on the city cycle, and 43 mpg on the highway, for a combined mileage of 41 miles per gallon.

2010 Honda Insight - Key Features

• The 60/40 split rear fold-down seat back lets you create the right balance of people and cargo.
• In addition to displaying exterior temperature, average fuel consumption, and current MPG, the Multi-Information Display also provides feedback on your braking and acceleration to help you drive more efficiently.
• With eight gigabytes of memory and voice recognition, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition provides directions using a series of 24 global positioning satellites. Bluetooth-enabled cell phones can do hands-free dialing with up to 50 contacts per phone stored within the system.
• The EX model’s USB Audio Interface can read flash drives loaded with MP3 or WMA files. You can also plug in your compatible iPod to this port, which not only charges the device but also allows it to be controlled using the interface dial on the head unit or steering wheel.
• Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver- and front-passenger active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries.
• Accessories for the 2010 Insight include: Fog Lights; Body Side Molding; Door Visors; Splash Guards; Front and Rear Underbody Spoiler; Wheel Locks; Auto Day/Night Mirror; Cargo Cover; Cargo Tray; Floor Mats; Leather Steering-Wheel Cover.

2010 Honda Insight – Technology

Under the Insight’s hood is a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 98 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque—obviously tiny for what Honda claims is a five-passenger subcompact. It’s mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which provides infinite ratios to keep the engine operating within its most efficient range. On the upscale EX model, Honda offers paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel that give the driver the experience of a seven-speed gearbox. A CVT doesn’t actually have gears, so the system uses electronics to direct the transmission to up- or downshift in specific ways when a driver hits the paddle.

The hybrid heart of the system is the fifth generation of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. The lightweight, ultra-thin electric motor between the engine and transmission puts out 10 kilowatts (13 horsepower). It is powered by a flat nickel metal hydride battery pack that sits under the rear deck, just behind the gas tank under the rear seat. The battery holds 0.58 kilowatt hours of energy—just slightly less than half the 1.3 kilowatt-hours of the current Toyota Prius pack. The Insight battery is recharged with both spare engine power and regenerative braking, and its accelerator connects to an electronic sensor rather than a cable, also known as “drive-by-wire."

Energy for the motor is stored in the usual nickel metal hydride battery pack. Just as Ford has done with the new Fusion hybrid, Honda has updated the Insight's battery, making it smaller and lighter. It contains 7 modules with a dozen D-size cells each. The power output of the modules is 30 percent greater than the Civic and the pack has a total capacity of 580 Wh. That's somewhat less than the 869 Wh of the Civic but it's in keeping with the cost-reduced nature of the Insight. The power electronics, motor ECU and an air cooling system are all integrated with the battery pack. The entire assembly sits below the cargo floor between the rear wheels.

Building On the Insight Tradition

The 2010 Honda Insight is a major improvement from the legacy model. In Sept. 2006, Honda stopped making the old Honda Insight, a teardrop-shaped two-seater that was loved by many happy owners, but also perceived as impractical by mainstream consumers. Despite the old model’s real-world fuel economy of nearly 70 miles per gallon, the company sold fewer than 2,000 Insights in 2005, and fewer than 1,000 units through Sept. 2006 before the company pulled the plug.

The five-door 2010 Insight breathes new life into Honda’s hybrid efforts. It’s the first of several vehicles that Honda will build on a dedicated hybrid platform—the next will be the sporty two-seater CR-Z. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan.

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Hybrid: Toyota vs Honda

It took 10 years for Toyota to sell its first 1 million hybrids globally. The Nikkei reported last month that Toyota plans to double its global production of hybrids vehicles from the 2009 level by 2011. Toyota expects US car sales to rise 10 percent this year to about 11.4 million vehicles.

(Picture left: Toyota FT-CH) Toyota currently makes the Camry Hybrid in the United States, at its Georgetown, Ky. plant. Honda, the second largest global hybrid producer, made less than 150,000 hybrids in 2009.

Toyota currently sells more than 10 hybrids, including dedicated models such as the Prius and Lexus HS 250h—as well as the Toyota Sai, a sister model to the HS 250h only sold in Japan. Toyota plans to boost production of these existing vehicles in addition to launching new hybrid minivans, subcompacts and luxury cars, according to the report.

No details are available yet on the Toyota hybrid minivan.

Toyota introduced its first-generation Prius hybrid in 1998 to the Japanese market. Honda's HEV features the company's innovative Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system that was detailed in Green Car Journal's Fall 2004 issue.

Toyota uses its sophisticated Hybrid Synergy Drive system to power todays Prius, a follow-on to the first-generation Toyota Hybrid System. Both automakers are now offering their second generation hybrid vehicles. Both the Toyota and Honda hybrids are parallel configurations, with wheels driven by both their internal combustion engine and electric motor. The Honda IMA systems electric motor/generator supplies additional power to the gasoline engine when needed for acceleration or when driving demands are greater, such as when climbing grades, thus the designation motor assist. The Honda gasoline engine always provides propulsion.

Things are reversed with Toyotas Hybrid Synergy Drive, which finds the Prius starting out on battery electric power. The gasoline engine seamlessly starts up to provide additional power during acceleration, at higher speeds, or when driving up grades. Hondas hybrids cannot do this.

The Prius uses a four-cylinder, 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine. The four-stroke Atkinson cycle, invented by James Atkinson in 1882, is different than the Otto cycle engine were used to driving in very distinct ways. Restricting throttle opening results in large pumping losses and greatly reduced efficiency. Effectively, the use of the Atkinson cycle allows the Prius engine to operate quite efficiently at relatively low power levels while still having sufficient power for climbing hills at freeway speeds.

The Prius uses the same basic 1.5 liter engine as the Toyota Echo, where the engine is rated at 108 horsepower at 6000 rpm. Variable intake valve timing (VVT-I) reduces cylinder pressure to eliminate knocking, important because the engine has a 13:1 compression ratio. The aluminum, dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) 16-valve engine produces 76 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 82 lbs-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. The engine earns an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating, is a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV), and has an EPA rating of 60 mpg city/51 mpg highway, for a combined estimated 55 mpg fuel economy rating.

The permanent magnet, AC (alternating current) synchronous motor produces 67 horsepower (50 kW) at 1200-1540 rpm. A built-in transformer converts some of the hybrid batterys power into 12 volts DC to operate vehicle accessories. In the latest generation Prius, the high voltage converter system increases battery voltage from 202 volts to 500 volts for driving the electric motor. This Power Split Device allows the engine to operate in its most efficient load and speed range most of the time. The planetary gear system connects the engine, generator, and motor together, allowing operation in a parallel hybrid mode with the electric motor and gasoline alone or together powering the car. It can also operate like a series hybrid when the gasoline engine operates independently of the vehicle speed to charge the battery or provide power to the wheels.

This advanced hybrid vehicle shares virtually nothing with other Toyota models. Hybrid Synergy Drive is quite scalable, so expect to see it used in other Toyota and Lexus models. Other Toyota hybrid models will be sure to follow.

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Accident Involving Prius

The California Highway Patrol officer who responded to an emergency call about a runaway Toyota Prius described the driver as visibly shaking and said he "appeared to be in shock" once the car came to a stop, according to the police report released Wednesday.

The Prius' driver, Jim Sikes, called 911 on March 8 after he said his accelerator became stuck as he tried to pass a slower vehicle. In the police report, responding Officer Todd Neibert said he "could smell the heated brakes which indicated they had been used extensively" and said he saw the brake lights periodically illuminate as he came upon the car.

Prius Accessories:

Prius Chassis Stiffener Kit (Fits 2004 to 2009)

Prius Rear Bumper Protector (2004-2009) Toyota OEM

Prius Electric Only Mode Option for (Prius 2004-2009)

Eventually, Neibert used the patrol car's public address system to instruct Sikes to apply the brakes and the emergency brake at the same time. "The driver ... was visibly shaking and breathing deeply," the report said. Upon searching the car, Neibert found "a large amount of brake dust and brake pad material in and around the wheels," the report said.

David Justo of Toyota Motor Sales headquarters, described in the memo as Toyota's residential hybrid expert, said that if the gas pedal of the car was stuck to the floor, and the driver applied the brake, the engine would shut down.

The memo said before Sikes' vehicle could be tested, technicians had to replace rotors, brakes and pads, as the pads and rotors were worn down.
Early evidence points to driver error as the reason a 2005 Prius sped into a stone wall on March 9, according to federal investigators.
The statement suggests the driver may have been stepping on the accelerator, instead of the brake, as she told police.

Investigators from Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration inspected the wrecked 2005 Prius on Wednesday and extracted data from the car's event data recorder.

No other cars were involved in the accident. Police said the driver, whose name has not been released pending the investigation, has a clean driving record.

A team of six inspectors from Toyota and two from NHTSA spent several hours taking photos, measurements and downloading the black box data from the car, which has been at the Harrison Police Department since the accident.

The 2005 Prius was part of Toyota's November recall to address the risk of pedal entrapment in the floor mat.

Summarized from CNN

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Toyota Complain: Doubting the Prius?

NHTSA said that it has received nine new complaints alleging fatal crashes caused by sudden acceleration in Toyota cars since Jan. 27. As of Feb. 3, when NHTSA launched its investigation into problems with the hybrid vehicle, the agency had 124 complaints on file. "The agency is quickly gathering more data on all of these additional complaints to help guide our examination of sudden acceleration, the Prius braking system, as well as other safety issues."

Cindy Knight, a Toyota spokeswoman said the company is responding "more aggressively and more quickly" to customer complaints.

"We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality controls, investigate customer complaints more aggressively, keep open lines of communication with safety agencies and respond more quickly to safety issues we identify."

Since November, Toyota has recalled more than 8 million vehicles, including 8,000 Tacoma trucks and over 400,000 of the popular Prius hybrids, for problems ranging from brakes and acceleration issues to faulty manufacturing in other areas.

The Toyota Prius is a car that, right from its 1997 launch, came veiled in a frosty penumbra of disbelief, of incredulity. Yeah. Toyota said one thing. Now there is a Prius recall, something to do with brakes that don't brake. Not simply because Prius sounds like pious. First, make people hate it.

(Taken from the CNN)

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Prius and It’s Cruise Control

The Toyota Prius sometimes accelerates while in cruise control, rocketing past the set speed and sending drivers on wild rides, according to some owners and auto safety experts.

The computer guru blamed the problem not on floor mats or a sticky accelerator pedal, as Toyota has maintained, but on bad software. An exasperated Wozniak expressed frustration with his efforts to contact Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Clarence Ditlow, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington-based group focused on car safety, said his group has received about 10 cruise-control complaints from Prius owners -- roughly 5 percent of the overall complaints his organization has received about the hybrid.

The Prius is among the 8.5 million Toyota vehicles recalled in recent months for problems related to gas pedals and brakes. Just this week, Toyota recalled hundreds of thousands of 2010 Priuses for problems associated with its brake system.

CNN spoke with several owners of previous Prius models who say they were experiencing the same problem: When they resumed cruise control, the car took off as if it had a mind of its own and resisted when they slammed on the brakes. A spokeswoman for NHTSA refused comment for this story, saying the government agency is looking at the Prius braking system but not potential cruise-control problems.


Feds and Toyota too close?

Towns asked in a February 3 letter to Toyota CEO Yoshimi Inaba.

Grover Walton repeatedly slammed on the brakes of his 2008 Toyota Prius on a road trip to visit his granddaughters in South Carolina last October. The car lurched back and forth, and gained speed.

The incident began, he said, when he hit the "resume" button on his cruise control, thinking he'd speed back up to around 63 mph. The car got up to 75 mph.

The car wouldn't shift into neutral. The car came to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Many automakers have had cruise-control problems over the years, including Ford, which last October added 4.5 million older model vehicles to a recall over a faulty cruise control switch that could overheat.

It's not surprising to him to hear of Prius owners complaining about possible cruise-control problems. Hybrid vehicles are among the most complex. The cars have separate electric and gasoline engines and a regenerative braking system that uses energy from the car's wheels to help charge its battery.

Finding the root cause of the problem, Friedman said, gets tricky. "If you test them independently, they all work perfectly well."


Owners: It's not the floor mat

Barbara Walton never uses the cruise control any more, and she stays in the right lane just in case she needs to pull over quickly.

The dealership that fixed the car blamed the problem on floor mats. "Initially, we thought Toyota would be pretty receptive," her husband said. The problem has not resurfaced.

(Taken from CNN: By Christina Zdanowicz and Wayne Drash)

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