Honda Updates Two Motor Hybrid System For Odyssey

The Honda two motor hybrid system used in the Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-in Hybrid has been significantly updated for use in the new Honda Odyssey Hybrid that went on sale in Japan earlier this month. Compared to the old system, the new power control unit, which includes the electric motors, is 23% smaller and 27% lighter than the one in the Accord Hybrid, Honda tells Automotive News. The intelligent power unit, which includes the lithium ion battery, is 11 percent smaller and 6 percent lighter.

Honda calls its new system the Sport Hybrid i-MMD powertrain. It claims the improvements result in better power and fuel economy. Honda could utilize the updated system in a future version of the Accord, but nothing has been decided yet hybrid engineer Jiro Kuroki told Automotive News during a test drive. The company expects fully one half of its domestic Odyssey sales will be hybrids.

The Japanese Odyssey is a very different vehicle than what Honda sells in the US. It’s a smaller car built on a completely different platform. It is marketed in 22 countries around the world, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. Honda has no plans to add a hybrid to the U.S. version because it doesn’t see any demand for it, Kuroki said. That could change in a hurry, though, if customers start flocking to the newChrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid van that is due in showrooms later this year.

Oddly enough, Honda led the hybrid vehicle parade earlier this century when it introduced the original Insight. That car has a single electric motor. Since then, two motor systems are all the rage, with theChevy Volt leading the way. However, Hyundai is bucking the trend by going back to a single motor in its new Ioniq hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Hyundai says using one motor enables a significant saving in manufacturing costs.

Honda also announced that the batteries for its new hybrid cars will be sourced from Panasonic, rather than Yuasa, which provided batteries for the prior hybrid system used in the Accord. Panasonic also provided the battery for the Honda Fit Hybrid.

Honda Odyssey Hybrid Could Double Minivan’s MPG

A Honda Odyssey Hybrid is being considered by top brass at the Japanese automaker, offering twice as many MPGs as the current crop of family haulers. While there are challenges to building a hybrid minivan, such a vehicle could boast Prius-rivaling fuel economy.

The Toyota Prius V is currently a fan favorite for those seeking a high-MPG minivan-type vehicle, though the Honda Odyssey is among the best-selling minivans in America. While powertrain engineer Takashi Shinichi said such a vehicle isn’t yet under development, it seems like a no brainer to me. But then again, I’m not a vehicle engineer.

Engineers have to worry about problems like the Odyssey’s low-hanging, flat floor, which makes ingress and egress easy but makes hiding a battery bank difficult. For this reason, a plug-in hybrid Honda Odyssey is a non-starter, as you can’t exactly take up space in the minivan’s trunk area either. Families find a way to use every inch of storage space in these vehicles, and Honda knows it. I’m certain this is one of the main reasons no major automaker has given America a hybrid minivan yet.

However, a hybrid Honda minivan could effectively double the Odyssey’s MPG from 22 combined to around 44 combined, and that’s on the U.S. standard. Seem far fetched? Keep in mind that the Toyota Prius V, which was unveiled over three years ago has a combined MPG rating of 42 MPG. Honda has been slowly-but-surely catching up with Toyota in the MPG game, but they haven’t been able to go toe-to-toe with the Prius yet, which is due to get a major redesign soon.

A hybrid minivan could be the winning hand Honda needs to tip the scales in their favor.

Source: CarAdvice.com.au