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Hybrid is the latest everyday application in Honda’s quest to produce lighter, more powerful petrol engines which produce fewer emissions and deliver improved fuel economy.

Honda’s Hybrid system is called IMA, which stands for Integrated Motor Assist. This system was first developed in 1999 and was launched in the Honda Insight. On a combined cycle, the Insight is capable of 83 miles per gallon – the highest fuel economy for a mass produced vehicle in the world. It also emits just 80 g/km of CO2. To put that into context, the average car today emits more than double that amount.

How does Honda Hybrid (IMA) technology work?

Hybrid is the combination of a petrol engine with an electric motor. The integrated electric motor assists the engine by giving it a boost during acceleration to improve fuel economy. It also runs the car at idle to reduce emissions, so when a driver stops in traffic the engine falls silent. Not only that, the battery that powers the electric motor charges itself up with regenerative energy from deceleration and braking. Therefore the Hybrid never needs to be recharged from an external power supply.

The result is a car that behaves like a petrol-engined car in terms of performance, emits less CO2 than an equivalent diesel and delivers mind-boggling fuel economy.

Hybrids also use the existing fuel supply infrastructure – you just fill it up at the petrol pump as normal – so there are no barriers to its use.

The future?

Honda has already sold over 130,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, In Europe it has sold over 2,000 Hybrid vehicles – the majority of those in the UK.

Meanwhile, Honda engineers and scientists are at the forefront of developing cleaner, alternative energy vehicles, like the FCX, Honda’s fuel cell car. The FCX runs on hydrogen and produces zero NOX or CO2 – which makes it the cleanest possible engine.

We are only a few years away from a production Honda fuel cell car, but there are already FCX vehicles running in America and Japan, testing the technology in everyday situations.

The stepping stone to fuel cell is hybrid technology, like Honda’s IMA system installed in the new Civic Hybrid. This car has better performance than the previous Civic IMA – 20 per cent more power (more even than your average 1.6-litre engine); lower CO2 emissions (109 g/km); better fuel economy (61.4 mpg) and a totally new exterior and interior. Some of the much talked about design features – such as the ‘dual zone cockpit’, seen already on the new Civic 5 door, make the transition to the Civic Hybrid.

The new Civic Hybrid showcases Honda’s renewed commitment to Hybrid technology and offers a real opportunity for drivers who want a greener vehicle but without compromising style, performance, or comfort levels.


The new Civic Hybrid

Let’s face it; most so-called ‘green’ cars are ugly. Not only that, they’re ugly and they’re slow. It’s all very well being environmentally-friendly, but who wants to drive around in something that looks like a deflated rugby ball and struggles to overtake a milk-float?

Not the team of designers at Honda. They’ve created the bold, striking and stylish Civic Hybrid – proving that green can be beautiful.

But it’s not all about image. Honda’s clever new IMA system produces more power than a typical 1.6-litre engine (115PS), but only uses the same amount of fuel as a 1.1-litre car (61.4mpg combined). It also drives, sounds and behaves just like a conventional petrol-engined car. There’s no strange starting procedure or complicated operating system – it looks like a modern, stylish saloon, and it drives like a modern, stylish saloon. It’s no slouch either; the Hybrid has a top speed of 115mph.

So, it looks good and it’s got the goods under the bonnet. You’re probably wondering what the catch is. Well… we’re struggling to find one. The Civic Hybrid may well be the first ever ‘no-compromise’ alternative-energy car.

Source: Internal