At the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2011 Honda presented the new Jazz Hybrid for the European market; a practical and compact five – door B segment car with low emissions and fuel consumption. To help drivers to optimise their fuel efficiency in daily driving and to get the best out of the hybrid powertrain the car has been equipped with the Eco Assist SystemTM which Honda pioneered in the Insight hybrid car in 2009. This IT – based system makes use of intuitive HMI displays in the car dashboard and may be considered as a state-of-the-art ‘Green ITS’ application for energy efficiency. Equally the Honda CR-Z sports hybrid car received a version of the Eco Assist system when it was released to market in 2010.

The Honda Eco-Assist function allows drivers to see their real-time fuel efficiency based on their accelerating and braking behaviour and the system further coaches the driver to become a greener car driver.

 

Honda Jazz Hybrid – Low emissions and practicality without compromise

The launch of the latest addition to the practical Jazz line-up marks the first time that a parallel hybrid vehicle has been available to B-segment consumers extending Honda’s hybrid offer to an ever increasing customer base. Importantly the Jazz Hybrid will not lose any of its practicality with the compact nature of the Honda IMA system allowing the B-segment car to retain its ultra-flexible “Magic Seats” and 300 litres of boot space. The IMA battery pack and power control unit have been integrated in the area under the boot floor retaining the normal boot space and allowing the “Magic Seats” to fold in the same manner as non-hybrid versions. This means that the seats still fold entirely flat to provide a surprising 1320 litres of space.

The dashboard integrates a version of the Eco Assist function which uses the ambient lighting of the speedometer – switching between blue and green colour – to advise the driver on how their driving style is impacting on their fuel economy. The Eco Assist function aides drivers in getting the maximum economy from their car in everyday situations and gives users real-time feedback on how their use of the brakes and throttle affects their fuel bills and environmental impact.

 

Honda CR-Z – Sports Hybrid coupe striking a balance between sporty driving and fuel efficiency

CR-Z customers will be able to enjoy the first car to combine a hybrid system with a 6-speed manual gearbox. By combining an efficient 1.5 – litre petrol engine with Honda’s unique IMA parallel hybrid system the CR-Z can offer lower emissions of all exhaust gasses while offering an entertaining and engaging driving experience.

To maximise driver choice and enhance the day-to-day drivability of the car the CR-Z has been fitted with a 3-Mode Drive System. This unique feature allows the driver to choose between three driving modes which alter the responses of the throttle steering idle stop timing climate control and the level of assistance provided by the IMA system. In developing this new facility Honda allows the driver to adapt the car’s settings to enjoy their favourite road maximise economy or strike a balance between the two.

Sport buttons have become commonplace usually offering a sharper throttle response but Honda’s 3-Mode Drive System is different. The new system alters the behaviour of the hybrid drive train and the power steering assistance as well as the throttle mapping between the three modes.

The SPORT mode sharpens the throttle response changes the behaviour of the IMA hybrid system to provide more electric motor assistance and increases the weight of the electric power steering.

For urban driving where maximising fuel economy is more desirable than the perfect line through a corner the ECON mode can be selected which prioritises fuel economy in the operation of the drive by wire throttle ECU air conditioning and the hybrid system. For those times when spirited driving is not possible or desirable the Eco Assist function in conjunction with the ECON mode allows the driver to enjoy beating their best economy score on the way to work or in heavy traffic.

At all other times the car can be run in NORM mode which provides a balance between performance economy and emissions and suits most driving situations.

The ambient lighting of the speedometer is used in the same way as in the Insight hybrid to guide the driver in driving more economically and ecologically. In addition to the Eco Assist function the CR-Z’s meter lighting is linked to the 3-mode drive system. In NORM mode the speedometer is illuminated blue with green illumination when the car is being driven in an economical manner. In ECON mode it is also blue (glowing green when driven economically) and it has a green eco flower lit alongside. When the speedometer is illuminated in a red ambient light this indicates the CR-Z is in SPORT mode.

 

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Link to original Article

http://www.ertico.com/honda-broadens-use-of-eco-assist-function-in-expanded-hybrid-car-line-up-with-cr-z-and-jazz-hybrid/

Original Publication Date: Thu 24 Mar 2011