Hybrid Honda Type R by 2007

[gavriil]

By Peter Lyon. Never mind the fast and the furious - two Japanese firms are set to enter the race to save fuel! According to our sources, Honda is secretly planning a new hybrid edition of the Civic Type R, using the firm's proven IMA system. The frugal newcomer should be available by 2007 and will have an all-new platform, but remain front-wheel drive. However, Honda won't have things all its own way, because Toyota is developing a radical new hybrid concept, tipped to debut at October's Tokyo Motor Show. The two-seater coupé, which draws inspiration from the Fine-S concept unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January, is the first high-performance hybrid the company has built. And it could lead to a new flagship for the forthcoming Celica range due in 2005. Uniquely, the all-wheel-drive car has a 1.4-litre 100bhp engine to drive the front axle, and a 150bhp electric motor to power the wheels at the rear. The AWD system is inspired by the Hybrid Mild set-up, which first appeared on the Estima Hybrid. However, the unit has been miniaturised for the concept, and insiders believe it should be as quick as a Subaru Impreza. The key challenge for engineers working on both projects will be reducing the scale and weight of the electric motors and batteries. Currently, the size of battery required to produce 150bhp from an electric motor is prohibitive. Meanwhile, as well as hybrid power, Honda is also lining the Civic up for its first major facelift. On sale from November, the restyle affects three and five-door editions. An even hotter Type R edition is in the pipeline, too. It will be built in Swindon, and is expected to cost the same as the current machine.

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[AcuraFan]

Originally posted by gavriil
Never mind the fast and the furious - two Japanese firms are set to enter the race to save fuel! According to our sources, Honda is secretly planning a new hybrid edition of the Civic Type R, using the firm's proven IMA system. The frugal newcomer should be available by 2007 and will have an all-new platform, but remain front-wheel drive.

Hmm...I thought IMA was an AWD technology...

[Davediego]

gas engine powers the front, electric powers the rear. least thats how ive seen hondas system described every other time

[AcuraFan]

Right, so why did they specifically say it was still going to be FWD?

[heyitsme]

wish they would bring the ctr here, good news is the 3/5 doors are getting a facelift which means our civic si is finally getting a new look, woohoo. hope they don't make it worse.

[Zoot]

Let's worry about the IMA RL first.......then feed the ricers

[heyitsme]

The civic hybrid is fwd with IMA so I don't think they're related at all.

[Zapata]

IMA=Integrated Motor Assist

INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA)
System Overview
The new, more advanced version of Honda's patented Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system represents the second generation of IMA technology from Honda. The new IMA system uses technology that delivers increased performance and provides enhanced packaging flexibility within the vehicle.

Primary motive power for the Civic Hybrid is provided by the system's 1.3-liter i-DSI gasoline engine. Although the engine alone provides sufficient driving performance, even in sustained uphill driving, the electric motor mounted between the engine and transmission provides power assistance under a broad range of conditions, such as initial acceleration from a stop. And since the electric motor is used only for power assistance and not for primary motive power, it too can be made smaller and lighter (along with the batteries) compared to the full-size traction motors in other hybrid systems.

As the IMA gasoline engine enters its cruising operating range, the electric motor assist has a minimal role and the engine supplies the power required. Power for the electric motor is mainly generated by capturing energy from the forward momentum of the vehicle rather than from the gasoline engine. When the Civic Hybrid is coasting or its brakes are applied when the engine is in gear, its electric-assist motor becomes a generator, converting forward momentum (kinetic energy) into electrical energy, instead of wasting it as heat during conventional braking. Energy is stored in the system's NiMH battery pack located behind the rear seat in the trunk. If the charge state of the IMA battery is low, the motor generator will also recharge while the Civic Hybrid is cruising.

Electric Motor
The 13-horsepower, 144-volt ultra thin DC brushless electric motor's function is to boost the output of the ultra efficient gasoline engine in order to provide powerful acceleration. The electric motor does not provide primary motivation, and in fact, the Civic Hybrid will continue to operate with reasonably good performance on the gasoline engine alone.

The performance characteristics of the electric motor, which has a width of 2.55 inches (65 mm), results in high amounts of torque across a wide rpm range with peak torque available at 1000 rpm (46-lb.-ft @ 1000 rpm). It produces a peak of 13 horsepower at mid range engine rpms. The gasoline engine excels at providing horsepower at higher rpms, and in the case of the i-DSI engine, it supplies reasonably good torque, too. The most significant contribution the electric motor makes to the overall performance of the vehicle is it adds significant amounts of torque at lower rpms.

The electric motor is positioned between the gasoline engine and the transmission. The output shaft of the engine connects directly to the electric motor and the output shaft of the electric motor attaches directly to the transmission. The electric motor and the gasoline engine always turn in tandem since they are connected together.