bagwell

Honda was slow to embrace electric vehicles, but now that it’s got the plug bug, Honda is showing off a Fit with an extension cord and a plug-in hybrid platform. We could see both cars in showrooms within two years.

The Japanese automaker is famous for its infatuation with hydrogen, and it long resisted jumping on the electric bandwagon. But the company relented earlier this year when it promised an EV within two years, and CEO Takanobu Ito recently conceded, “We can’t keep shooting down their potential, and we can’t say there’s no business case for it.”

Now that it’s joined the EV party, Honda arrived at the Los Angeles Auto Show with an electric Fit concept. The car, shown for the first time in L.A., “hints strongly at the direction and styling” of the Fit EV we’ll see in 2012. It draws on technology from the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and the Honda CR-Z hybrid.

“Great utility and fun to drive,” Ito said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “These are hallmarks for the five-passenger Honda Fit. That’s what makes this a perfect fit.”

Honda was long on promises and short on details about the car, which sports a coaxial electric motor based on the one in the Clarity. No specs on the lithium-ion battery, but Honda said it’s good for 100 miles on the LA4 cycle. It recharges in six hours when plugged into a 240-volt socket.

To maximize range, the Fit EV uses a three-mode drive system adapted from the CR-Z. Each mode — econ, normal and sport — adjusts acceleration (and probably the level of regenerative braking) to optimize mode. Honda says econ mode extends range 17 percent over normal mode and 25 percent over sport mode. Sport mode offers performance on-par with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Top speed is limited to 90 mph to maximize range.

Honda also will include several “interactive coaching systems” to help drivers maximize range. Look for a riff on the Eco Assist gauge in the Honda Insight.

The Fit EV shared space with a three-mode plug-in hybrid platform that could appear in a mid-sized sedan in 2012. It features a 6-kilowatt-hour lithium ion pack and a 120-kilowatt (160 horsepower) electric motor. In electric mode, the system can go 10 to 15 miles at up to 62 mph. Charging the battery takes 60 to 90 minutes when plugged into a 240-volt socket.

The vehicle also can run in gas-electric mode, with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission joining the motor in propelling the car. For more efficient high-speed cruising, the engine drives the wheels directly.

Honda is still betting hydrogen is The Answer, but Ito told the Detroit News, “for urban commuting, our approach is for a battery-powered vehicle.” We’ll see Fit EV prototypes testing in California, under partnerships with Google and Stanford University, later this year

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/11...a-perfect-fit/


seems like a little bad info here...one place its says nearly a 100 range on the LA4 cycle whatever the hell that is, then says 10-15 mile range at 62mph.... ????? so does that mean 100 miles TOTAL range with electric + gas ???

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe with 82-mile range by EPA *UPDATE

Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-4616970/

It might only be available to lease in limited numbers in only a few areas, but the Honda Fit EV certainly has one thing that's tremendously good about it: an official EPA rating of 118 MPGe and a range of 82 miles. Specifically, the all-electric Fit gets 132/105/118 city/highway/combined MPGe. Honda says the little EV is the most efficient vehicle the EPA has ever tested, but we're not sure about that.

As you can see in the comparison chart Honda released for the Fit EV below, the automaker conveniently forgot to include the Tesla Roadster 2.5, which the EPA said got 119 MPGe.

Honda does say, "the 2013 Honda Fit EV tops all other EV offerings in efficiency ratings, providing the most mileage for your electric dollar," and that Roadster only got 124 MPGe on the city cycle, so maybe there's an asterisk needed somewhere. Or perhaps Honda is comparing the kWh required to go 100 miles (the Fit needs just 29, while the Roadster 2.5 uses 30). Whatever the specifics of the situation are, the Fit EV is one efficient little car, and this makes us doubly sad that Honda is treating it like a compliance car.

Leases will be begin "in select California and Oregon markets during the summer of 2012, followed by an East Coast rollout in 2013." The Fit EV will likely cost $399 a month and have an MSRP of $36,625. Last we heard, Honda only plans on making 1,100 Fit EVs for the U.S. market.

*UPDATE: As we suggested, Honda is using the kWh per 100 miles number for the calculation for "highest efficiency rating." Thus, Honda told AutoblogGreen, the Fit EV compares to the Tesla Roadster 2.5 (kWh per 100 miles, lower is better) this way:
Fit EV: City, 26 / Highway, 32 / Combined, 29
Roadster 2.5: City, 32 / Highway, 33 / Combined, 30
Thus, Honda says the Fit EV's 20-kWh battery is "much more efficient" than the Roadster's 42-kWh battery pack.


http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/06/h...-range-by-epa/

GS69

2013 Honda Fit EV w/ Video

The 2013 Honda Fit EV, the Japanese automaker's highly anticipated answer to the Nissan Leaf, is quick, agile and actually quite fun to drive. Its cabin is roomy, outward visibility good and its styling is anything but odd. The platform is impressively safe, it has decent range and Honda says it is the most efficient vehicle the EPA has ever tested.

So, what's the problem? Let's call it a lack of volume.

Honda is only releasing 1,100 of these little blue hatchbacks over the next 2 model years in the States, and all of them will be delivered on contracted 3-year leases. Making matters more frustrating for those who want to forget about internal combustion, only California and Oregon are in the launch plans with 5 other preselected East Coast markets opening shortly thereafter.

Statistically speaking, the Honda Fit EV will initially be scarcer than a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 (the Italians are estimating a production run of approximately 4,000 worldwide). But thankfully, Honda brought a handful of pre-production Fit EVs to Southern California and offered us a drive. We ran acceleration tests, dodged cones on a slalom course and then did some real-world driving. Dwelling on its pending shortage, it was almost frustrating that we enjoyed ourselves so much.

From a distance, it isn't easy to distinguish a traditional combustion-engine Fit (1.5-liter inline-4 developing 117 horsepower) from its all-electric counterpart. Yet, as it draws near, the lack of a front grille, scripting on the rear doors and its extended rear spoiler will be the subtle indicators. Most obvious, for many, will be the unique Reflection Blue Pearl paint – only offered on the Fit EV.

Even if you are color blind and happen to miss the exterior tweaks, the passenger compartment is a dead giveaway. The steering wheel is nearly identical, but the primary analog instrumentation (tachometer, speedometer and fuel gauge) has given way to an analog power usage meter, digital speedometer and battery state-of-charge meter. The navigation system has been carried forward, but the HVAC system is now fully automatic (single zone) with a large digital display replacing the air distribution dial. In addition to the standard 12-volt power outlet, there are heated seat controls and an auxiliary audio input at the bottom of the center stack. The center console houses twin cupholders, a traditional gear lever (with an unconventional PRNDB arrangement) and a lever-operated parking brake. The cockpit is clean, not cluttered.

Less observed are the physical modifications made to accommodate the batteries stowed beneath the passenger floor. As such, the three rear seat occupants are moved ever so slightly rearward. The floor is raised a bit, too, so the seat cushion logically sits a bit higher as well. We shouldn't fail to mention the bio-fabric material which covers the seats; it is Honda's 1st use of the environmentally friendly upholstery. And much to our chagrin, the imminently useful Magic Seat feature that flips the whole 2nd row up and out of the way to accommodate taller objects has been sacrificed to fit the box of lightning beneath the seats.

While the chassis and suspension is mostly shared with its combustion siblings (MacPherson struts up front), engineers have removed the H-shaped torsion beam in the back of the gasoline-powered Fit and replaced it with an independant multi-link system in the EV – Honda's 1st for a Fit. There are single-piston sliding-caliper disc brakes up front and drum brakes in the rear. The standard wheels are 15-inch alloys, wrapped in low-rolling-resistance all-season Michelin Energy tires (185/60R15 at all four corners). Honda's Electric Power Steering (EPS) is standard.

In terms of powertrain, the Fit EV features a maintenance-free 92-kW AC synchronous electric motor (developing 123 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque) driving the front wheels through a high-efficiency single-speed coaxial gearbox. Power is supplied by a Toshiba-produced air-cooled 20-kWh Li-Ion battery, located beneath the passenger compartment completely within the wheelbase.

With its own built-in charger, a 6.6 kW unit, the vehicle may be plugged into any household-type 120- or 240-volt AC power supply (charging times are less than 15 hours on a 120-volt supply, but under 3 hours on a 240-volt AC Level 2 source). As of today, Honda has picked Leviton to supply its preferred Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) charging station. With full batteries, Honda says the Fit EV will go 132 city miles per charge, and it has an EPA-estimated combined driving range of 82 miles.

To assist the owner with the whole charging process, Honda provides an interactive remote control with each vehicle. About the size of an iPod Nano, the digital remote is able to exchange information about charging status and climate control settings when the car is connected to a charging supply – check on your Fit EV from the comfort of your family room sofa, or from inside a restaurant, so long as you have a WiFi connection. An available smartphone application does the same, plus it allows scheduling of specific charging times (only draw power when electric rates are the lowest) and other features from just about anywhere.

Honda has chosen a 3-mode operator-selected drive system for the Fit EV. When the transmission shifter is in Drive, the system defaults to "Normal" mode to deliver a proper balance between system power and regenerative braking (75 kW of electrical power is available during acceleration). Press the dash-mounted "Econ" button and power delivery is cut back (47 kW of electrical power available during acceleration), as is the use of the air conditioning compressor in this most efficient setting. Lastly, those who are seeking a more spirited driving experience will need to choose "Sport" mode (delivering upwards of 92 kW of electrical power during acceleration), which sacrifices range for quick acceleration and motor responsiveness. The driver won't ever question which setting the drive system is in, as the ambient meter and mode indicator within the instrument cluster illuminates in green for Econ mode, white for Normal mode and red when in Sport mode.

But there is more to the story; the transmission also has a "B" range ("Braking"), which optimizes regenerative braking to provide maximum charge back to the battery. It may be used with any of the 3 drive modes to effectively offer six unique driving modes for the Fit EV. Consider it a custom setup.

We spent the morning with a Fit EV prototype in Southern California's Rose Bowl parking lot and surrounding community. A slalom was 1st on the list, followed by some acceleration runs and then a few loops around a city/highway driving cycle.

With rare exceptions, the words "sporty" and "electric vehicles" are rarely combined in the same sentence (especially when the vehicle costs less than $40,000). Yet the Honda Fit EV, tipping the scales at 3,252 pounds (weight distribution 55% front/45% rear), happily dragged itself around the basic cone-laden course with confidence. There was plenty of tire squeal and noticeable understeer, but it wasn't sloppy or misbehaved like the Nissan Leaf – yes, Honda thoughtfully brought its closest competitor along for our subjective comparison. Back to back, we found that the Leaf (more than one hundred pounds heavier at 3,385 pounds) demonstrated more body roll and softer suspension tuning. The electric steering feel was rather numb in both, but the Fit felt more comfortable and controllable running the loop.

Honda also set up a short straight with a radar gun at the end. We took turns drag racing to the flags to see which of the 2 was faster. The Leaf hit 36 mph in ECO mode and 42 mph in Drive. The Fit EV hit 43 mph in Econ mode, 44 in Normal mode and 47 mph in Sport. Both cars were traction limited at the start, but the Honda pulled much more strongly during the acceleration run once the tires hooked up. (Note: The Leaf and Fit were both running on near full charges for the acceleration test.)

Lastly, we left the parking lot for a brief city/highway loop, as that is how most Fits will wear down their tires (our suspicion is that few owners will slalom or drag race with their EV, considering how detrimental it is to range). Acceleration off the line wasn't bad in any of the drive modes (as our previous acceleration numbers show), but the Econ mode was much more lethargic when reacting to accelerator input at speeds above 30 mph. Normal mode is more than adequate, acting like any other low-displacement 4-cylinder engine around town (yet without the annoying need to downshift, thanks to the single-speed gearbox). The Sport mode is almost zippy, especially at slower urban speeds.

Around town, we found Normal mode with the transmission in "B" to be our favorite setting. The aggressive regenerative braking in this configuration helps to preserve battery life while dramatically slowing the vehicle when the accelerator is lifted. It took only minutes to become comfortable with its almost single-pedal operation, and we soon began to enjoy its natural sensation of engine braking.

Merging into 70-mph traffic on a moving highway, the Fit EV held its own. While the output of an electric motor remains constant at speed, torque falls as RPM increases. This means that all EVs accelerate quickly off the line, but slow at higher speeds as torque diminishes and aerodynamic loads increase (even the Tesla Roadster runs out of steam above 100 mph). As we figured, the Fit EV lost most of its zippiness on the highway, but it was never worrisome, and we didn't have any problem jockeying from lane to lane. However, it was perhaps our clearest reminder that the Fit EV is anything but traditional.

Ignoring the urge to drive more slowly than normal to conserve battery power (it seems to subconsciously occur each time we jump behind the wheel of an EV), we headed back to the Rose Bowl parking lot with the transmission lever in "D" while utilizing Normal mode. In this configuration, with only minimal regenerative braking, the Fit EV responds much like a conventional car – eerily reminding us that electric propulsion is becoming less and less of a compromise to its fossil fuel counterparts.

We found much to like with the new Fit EV. We were impressed by its cabin space, driving dynamics and advanced electronics designed to ease the ownership experience. Its physical appearance is unique, but it doesn't scream out like many other "green" oddities on the road. Its human interface is friendly, and overall, it is exceptionally easy to drive.

Yet regardless of its expected rave reviews, Honda has no plans to sell its Fit EV to the public. Instead, the company has concocted an aggressive 3-year Fit EV lease program of $389/month with 0 out of pocket (the program is based on an MSRP of about $36,000 and buyers are still responsible for local applicable taxes). The deal not only includes roadside assistance, routine maintenance and navigation updates, but insurance too (customers will need to secure liability insurance on their own). There is no purchase option at the end of the lease.

But the attractive lease program isn't really a hurdle – low production volume is. To ensure a very positive experience for all Fit EV customers, Honda will only allocate about 1,100 units to the States over the next 2 model years (that works out to about 45 per month, a pitiful amount considering that Honda sold 4,227 Fits in February of this year alone). Therein lies our frustration.

Our initial impressions suggest that Honda has engineered the best EV in its segment. But with a volume limited to just 11 hundred copies, it's disheartening to realize that you may need your congressman to write a letter on your behalf to secure 1.

bagwell

only 1100 copies available over 2 years?!?!?!?!???

Nissan has sold 11000 LEAFs in the US so far.

LexFather

I assume this is some sort of living test like their hydrogen car? Fit looks like a mini-mini-mini van.

Blackraven

Hmm.......interesting point.

Either way, I've always been a fan of the Honda Fit/Jazz (GE series) and thus I like this all-electric(?) version as well =)

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I like the color