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2013 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid coming in winter 2013

10K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  pdt 
#1 ·
2013 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid coming in winter 2013

Lik

Was anybody else aware that Honda was introducing a plug-in hybrid sedan in 2013? I wasn't. 15 mile range, and does all electric, blended or all ICE direct drive when each is optimal. Not clear up to what speed it's all electric. Guess it sounds somewhat similar to Prius, but the article insists it's all new.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I wasn't but a quick googling found me this...

http://automobiles.honda.com/plug-in-hybrid/

The plug-in concept has an all-electric range of 10–15 miles, with a top speed of 62 mph. Fully recharging the battery will take only 2–2.5 hours using a standard 120-volt outlet or 1–1.5 hours using a 240-volt outlet. The vehicle can also run in a gasoline-electric hybrid mode, powered by a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter, i-VTEC® inline 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine and paired with an electric continuously variable transmission (E-CVT). For more efficient high-speed cruising, the vehicle can engage in a direct-drive mode, in which only the engine drives the front wheels.
Sounds exactly like the PiP.

The video on the website says the battery is 6kWh, so its a big larger than the PiP, but probably scaling with the size of the vehicle.
 
#4 ·
Another vehicle that can only go 10 miles in EV? It's like Honda is saying "why bother innovating"? Sad, from the company that brought us the original Insight.
 
#5 ·
I am sure it's 'all new' as in it doesn't infringe on existing patents. But it sounds like the same basic concept of the PiP. Low EV range with a myriad of scenarios that will cause the gas engine to kick on.

Sounds like a loser unless they manage to keep the cost pretty low. Won't have the performance/EV range of the Volt or the brand of the PiP. Or, I assume, even the ICE efficiency of the PiP. It'll need something to set it apart. And, right now, that has to be price. I don't think there are a bunch of loyal Accord fans out there just waiting to snap up a new plugin version.
 
#6 · (Edited)
GM decided to go with the more technically advanced design and had suffered at the hands of some ignorant pseudo experts, while everyone else is just trying to get something in the show room that their traditional buyers will consider before looking at a GM product. To me it's more of a marketing gimmick than an answer to the question.

The Volt is looking better and better with each passing "hey look at me I can plug in to" hybrid being rushed to market.
 
#8 ·
I noticed Honda has more info and a video on the Fit EV on the same website. $389/mo 3 year lease limited to CA & OR in 2012 and limited markets on east coast in 2013.
 
#9 ·
While I realize such short range isn't as effective at displacing gasoline as the Volt's range, I saw an article that estimated that the PiP (and vehicles like it) would displace 30% of gasoline usage under typical circumstances. We've seen how the Volt's short 40 miles range averages about 60% displacement of gasoline usage, so you can see the diminishing returns of adding more range.

In spite of the slight improvement, the PiP is meeting or beating the Volt in monthly sales (albeit, HOV Volt supplies were constrained in April), so you can see the market's desire to do the right thing, but their inability to afford doing more is steering them towards feebler solutions. I am happy demand "to do better" is being met by somebody / something, but we really need to work on driving the costs out of these vehicles, so people have more / better choices.

I am glad Toyota / Honda / Ford are offering a limited plug-in to meet the lower end of the plug-in market.
 
#12 ·
In spite of the slight improvement, the PiP is meeting or beating the Volt in monthly sales (albeit, HOV Volt supplies were constrained in April), so you can see the market's desire to do the right thing, but their inability to afford doing more is steering them towards feebler solutions.
The point I keep bringing up is that the regular Prius lost it's HOV access July 1, 2011 so a lot of PiPs are likely being sold to folks that want that HOV access again. Yes, I understand that is driving some Volt CA sales too but I do NOT think we can look at great PiP sales until the folks that are buying them for HOV access stops (2-6 months?).

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...rs-may-be-first-to-embrace-new-plug-in-model/

“When those [none PiP Prius] cars were eligible for California’s H.O.V. lanes, we sold out our allotment in no time,” Mr. Butto said. “We expect that the ability to use the H.O.V. lanes will be one of the most popular reasons people will buy the Prius Plug-In Hybrid. We may sell one in three or one in four of our plug-in hybrids in California.”

According to Scott Doggett, an editor at Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com, “When the H.O.V. access for California hybrids went away, it left thousands of drivers very frustrated, because their commute times had doubled or tripled. The ability to use H.O.V. lanes is a very good marketing tool for Toyota.”
 
#10 ·
The PiP sales are all branding. It has nothing to do with cost, in my opinion. Except from people who don't do their research. Since the PiP gets a smaller share of the tax rebate due to it's smaller battery size, it's really only a couple grand below the Volt. At that price range, not enough to sway a decision by itself I don't think.

It's mostly people who like the Prius brand. I don't know, but I suspect, that a good chunk of PiP sales went to previous Prius owners.


There isn't that sort of brand loyalty from previous Volt owners. Because there are no previous Volt owners. We're all new Volt owners. In 10 years when the Volt 3.0 comes out with whatever the 'it' tech is and there's a few hundred thousand Volt loyalists on the road, I am sure it'll do well simply because it's called a Volt.
 
#11 ·
The PiP isn't a "brand'', but it is a model of the Toyota brand. If you are thinking of "brand loyalty" then you are missing Chevrolet owners. I am a Chevy owner and had other Chevys before, so I am a "Chevy loyalist". If I buy a Volt I will still be a "loyalist". And I know that I am not, nor will be the only one.
 
#14 ·
Prius is most definitely a brand. And the plugin Prius is part of that brand. Just like the Prius V and the Prius C are. Many people will buy it just because it has 'Prius' in the name. There are certainly Chevy loyalists that will buy a Volt over any other plugin just because it has a bowtie. But it's just not the same. Maybe for you it is. But it's really not on the same level for the general population.
 
#15 ·
Yes, the Ford, Honda and Toyota plug-ins won't drive in pure EV at highway speeds or when pushing the pedal hard..along with 11 mile battery ranges. I think the only true EREV besides the Volt would be the Fisker Karma?

MrEnergyCzar
 
#19 ·
I wish they had more about the drivetrain. What makes this interesting to me is it requires a brand new powertrain - the design of the previous IMA based hybrids is impractical for a plug-in. I'm sure that's what they meant by all new - the comment about two motors is further evidence. Also intriguing is the "direct drive" third drive mode - almost sounds like the direct "6th gear" connection that the Golf twin drive has.

Most important to my mind in assessing PHEVs is the amount of power available in EV and the maximum speed for it - neither of which I saw anything about. If a car can manage 80kW or so and 20-30 miles and ~65 mph in EV, it might be almost as suitable as the Volt for me (handling heating and cooling electrically and shutting off at lights are also bonuses.)
 
#20 ·
I'm with Jason, the PiP and this Honda are going to be great at displacing fuel consumption. In fact, for my driving habits I would probably use less fuel than in the Volt (though I think it would be close). For others, the Volt will be better. It's all good, each vehicle will be better suited for different drivers. I hope they all sell well. What's exciting to me is that the plug-in vehicle market will exceed a billion dollars this year. Sure it's small compared to the whole vehicle market, but it's a billion dollars more than it was 3 years ago.
 
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