Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Honda rolls out more information on the Honda EV Concept
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Honda Motors used the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to offer up a variety of low- or zero-emission vehicles including the new Honda EV Concept which applies a unique look and electric drivetrain to the 5-door, 5-passenger layout similar to the Honda Fit (or Honda Jazz as it is known in other markets).
While the Honda EV (shown on the right) looks like a dressed up Honda Fit, there is no indication as to whether or not this zero emission electric vehicle will sport the Fit name when it reaches the US market or if it will have its own unique name. We do know that the Honda EV Concept (or whatever the production version is called) will be powered by a lithium ion battery system and a coaxial electric motor derived from the one used in the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.
The drivetrain of the Honda EV Concept will allow the driver to select three different driving modes – Economy, Normal and Sport – to provide the ideal balance of power and efficiency for every driving condition. A similar version of this system was introduced in the US on the CR-Z Hybrid to offer optimized performance for the driving conditions. When Economy mode is selected, the Honda EV Concept will have a range of roughly 100 miles while acceleration and top speed is hindered. When the driver selects Normal mode, the Honda EV will offer better performance while offering roughly 17% less range (that would mean that it could go about 83 miles on a charge) and when shifted into Sport mode, the EV Concept will reach a top speed of 90 miles per hour but the range is chopped down to roughly 75 miles.
The Honda EV also features an assist program that coaches the driver to maximize efficiency based on the selected driving mode, including letting the driver know when to turn off certain accessories to increase the battery range. Once the battery has been run down, the Honda EV Concept will fully recharge in “less than 12 hours” with a standard 120V line and hooking up to the 240V charging station will cut charge time to under 6 hours.
Unfortunately, in addition to not giving any idea as to what the Honda EV Concept will be called once it reaches production, Honda hasn’t offered any idea as to when those production models will reach showrooms around the world. Based on what other EV-makers have done, the Honda EV (or Honda Fit EV, as it could be called) will first hit certain American markets followed by a full scale roll out later in 2012.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Thanks to Deborah for sharing this kind review on DealerRater with us and great job to the team here at Schomp Honda, keep it up!
I stopped in for routine maintenance. The employee who greeted me did so quickly and was very professional and friendly. She told me what needed to be done and explained they were down a worker so it may take some time to complete my service. I settled in expecting to be there a couple of hours. In about one hour she came and told me it was done. She answered my questions and was very helpful and told me that they had washed my car on top of it. Obviously I would like the service to be cheaper but understand that they are competitive. I would recommend this dealership for both purchase of a vehicle and service.
Honda Teases 2012 Insight’s New Face Ahead of Frankfurt Motor Show
Judging by the sole official photo released thus far, the Insight wears a subtly restyled front fascia, which incorporates headlights styled after those on the 2012 Civic. While we’ve yet to see a shot of the car’s tail, Honda says it worked to reduce the size of the rear spoiler, wiper, and tailgate garnish — which in turn allows for better rearward visibility. These tweaks are more than just cosmetic — Honda claims they also help improve aerodynamics, although by what margin remains to be seen.
Mechanically, the new car is almost identical to last year’s model. The 1.3-liter I-4 is still paired with a electric motor and coupled with a CVT, but engineers strived to improve the system’s efficiency. Internal friction within the engine has reportedly been reduced, while minor revisions for CVT and air conditioning systems may also help improve the car’s fuel economy figures.
Honda says it’s added more features to the interior, but is otherwise mum on exactly what it’s changed. Our best guess is that the car might receive a multi-information display placed next to the speedometer, much like the 2012 Civic. If so, expect the screen to work with infotainment systems, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and if so equipped, the navigation system.
While these changes certainly apply to the European-spec Insight, there’s a very, very, very good chance these same revisions will be applied to the U.S.-spec car, which should launch by the end of the year. That’s not too surprising, considering the Insight itself was designed to be a veritable world car.