Photo: Honda
Honda has been lying relatively low lately, but the bubble seems to have burst today when the company’s chief officer for technology strategy, Keiji Ohtsu, revealed Honda’s plans for the upcoming years.
Speaking ahead of the Japanese brands’ home motor show to be held in Tokyo, Ohtsu spilled the beans on the future moves Honda is thinking to make, even though we’re pretty sure there were still a few surprises left out.
Apart from new turbocharged engines and performance-oriented double-clutch transmissions, Honda is now turning up the dial a bit by announcing all sorts of new tech and improvements to what it’s already using.
This new vehicle will benefit from a 33 percent smaller fuel cell stack, something that allowed Honda’s engineers to place it under the car’s hood where a conventional car would fit its engine. Actually, Honda says its overall size is comparable to that of a 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engine, so it makes sense. The Clarity model used the center console area for housing the fuel cells, making the car a four-seater - the new one will get a fifth seat.
Since everything is about cost-cutting and efficient development, Honda plans to use this new platform for its future plug-in hybrid vehicle as well, which is expected to hit the market around 2018. Despite its early adoption of the technology, Honda hasn’t been very competitive on the market lately, with the Insight and CR-Z models proving slow-sellers outside Japan.
The new PHEV should offer at least 40 miles (66 km) of all-electric range. The hybrid system is expected to be made up of a 130-kilowatt motor and a four-cylinder engine smaller than 1.8-liters, backed up by new, more efficient lithium-ion batteries.
It is expected to boost fuel efficiency by 6 percent in the least, but also offer a 14 percent boost in acceleration performances, while actual shifting will occur 30 percent faster.
What that basically means is that Honda is working on a way of turning more of the energy generated by the internal combustion into actual movement, and wasting less of it through useless heat. This will also result in lower emissions of nitrogen oxides by lowering the combustion temperature.
HLSI isn’t expected to appear on production models much sooner than 2020, though.
It wasn’t the first time we’ve heard big talks from various automakers, so all we’re left to do now is wait and see if Honda can match the words with facts.
Apart from new turbocharged engines and performance-oriented double-clutch transmissions, Honda is now turning up the dial a bit by announcing all sorts of new tech and improvements to what it’s already using.
Fuel Cell and PHEV
Honda has been one of the main promoters of the fuel cell technology, having debuted the FCX Clarity all the way back in 2008. Seven years later, a new model is expected to pop up in Tokyo and go on sale in the first part of next year.This new vehicle will benefit from a 33 percent smaller fuel cell stack, something that allowed Honda’s engineers to place it under the car’s hood where a conventional car would fit its engine. Actually, Honda says its overall size is comparable to that of a 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engine, so it makes sense. The Clarity model used the center console area for housing the fuel cells, making the car a four-seater - the new one will get a fifth seat.
Since everything is about cost-cutting and efficient development, Honda plans to use this new platform for its future plug-in hybrid vehicle as well, which is expected to hit the market around 2018. Despite its early adoption of the technology, Honda hasn’t been very competitive on the market lately, with the Insight and CR-Z models proving slow-sellers outside Japan.
The new PHEV should offer at least 40 miles (66 km) of all-electric range. The hybrid system is expected to be made up of a 130-kilowatt motor and a four-cylinder engine smaller than 1.8-liters, backed up by new, more efficient lithium-ion batteries.
Going for the perfect ten
Honda is also doing what Volkswagen gave up on: a ten-speed gearbox, to be introduced in the near future, as Keiji Ohstsu refused to disclose a specific date. The new transmission will be used on front-wheel-drive vehicles, and even though it’s just as big as the current six-speed automatic, it will only be fitted on large vehicles. It will primarily work together with Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 engine.It is expected to boost fuel efficiency by 6 percent in the least, but also offer a 14 percent boost in acceleration performances, while actual shifting will occur 30 percent faster.
Cooler engine
Another long-term goal for Honda has been the efficiency of their internal combustion engines. A new step in that direction is the HLSI (Homogenous Lean Charge Spark Ignition) technology, a feature Honda says will boost its engines’ thermal efficiency from the current 40 percent all the way up to 50 percent.What that basically means is that Honda is working on a way of turning more of the energy generated by the internal combustion into actual movement, and wasting less of it through useless heat. This will also result in lower emissions of nitrogen oxides by lowering the combustion temperature.
HLSI isn’t expected to appear on production models much sooner than 2020, though.
It wasn’t the first time we’ve heard big talks from various automakers, so all we’re left to do now is wait and see if Honda can match the words with facts.
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