Honda Civic Hybrid to hit Indian roads soon

Honda is planning to launch The Civic Hybrid in India next year. Hybrid cars, which use both a petrol engine and an electric motor, are usually more fuel-efficient and produce lower levels of emissions, making them more environmentally-friendly than the regular petrol or diesel vehicles.
The Civic Hybrid will be priced around Rs 20 lakh, compared to the Rs 12-13 lakh on road price for the petrol version. This is because of high import duties (105%) on the completely-built-up units, will push the price up. Honda is expecting some relaxations for its green car without which it would be a hard sell in India and without a promise of selling in decent numbers manufacturing car local wont be feasible too. In the US and Japan, there is a $2,000 subsidy on every hybrid car, said Honda's India boss Masahiro Takedagawa.

Any car to run on Indian roads has to get a homologation certificate from ARAI's Pune facility. The absence of standards is one of the major hurdle that Hybrid car makers are facing apart from the high import duties.

Honda will also launch Honda Jazz / Fit powered by a 1.2 litre engine specifically for the Indian market with a price expected to be around Rs 6 lakh. All new version of Honda city is also expected to take the challenge offered by the Suzuki SX4, Hyundai Verna, Chevrolet Aveo.
Pictures of 2008 Civic Hybrid
A look at 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid:-
* 1.3-Liter, 8-Valve, i-VTEC 4-Cylinder Engine
* Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
* Electric Motor
* Idle-Stop Feature
* Integrated Motor Assist IMA®
* Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System
* Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle
* Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System
* Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System
* Active Front Head Restraints
* Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure
* Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
* Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
* Dual-Stage, Dual-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
* Front Side Airbags with Passenger-Side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
* Side Curtain Airbags
* Front and Rear Crush Zones
* Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
* Side-Impact Door Beams
* Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Technical Specifications of 2008 Civic Hybrid:-
Engine Type	In-Line 4-Cylinder
Engine Block/Cylinder Head	Aluminum-Alloy
Displacement (cc)	1339
Horsepower @ rpm	110 @ 6000
Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm)	123 @ 1000-2500
Redline (rpm)	6300
Bore and Stroke (mm)	73 x 80
Compression Ratio	10.8:1
Valve Train	8-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®
Multi-Point Fuel Injection	Standard
Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System	Standard
Front-Wheel Drive	Standard
CARB Emissions Rating	AT-PZEV
Direct Ignition System with Immobilizer	Standard
Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System	Standard
100K +/- Miles No Scheduled Tune-Ups*	Standard
Electric Motor / Generator
Permanent Magnet Motor	Standard
Power Output	20 hp / 76 lb.-ft.
Motor Width (mm)	70
Electric Power Storage
Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) Battery	Standard
Output (Volts)	158
Rated Capacity	5.5 Ah
Transmissions
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)	Standard
Body/Suspension/Chassis
Unit-Body Construction	Standard
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension	Standard
Multi-Link Rear Suspension	Standard
Stabilizer Bar (mm., front/rear)	24.2 / 12.0
Steering Wheel Turns, Lock-to-Lock	2.71
Steering Ratio	13.52
Turning Diameter, Curb-to-Curb (ft.)	34.8
Wheels	15" Lightweight Alloys
All-Season Tires	P195 / 65 R15 89S
Compact Spare Tire	Standard
Exterior Measurements
Wheelbase (in.)	106.3
Length (in.)	176.7
Height (in.)	56.3
Width (in.)	69
Track (in., front/rear)	59.1 / 60.2
Curb Weight (lbs., MT/AT)	NA / 2877
Weight Distribution (%, front/rear, MT)	NA
Weight Distribution (%, front/rear, AT)	59 / 41

Related :-

• Tata teams up with ISRO to produce Hydrogen power...
• Tata Indica Electric and Hybrid
• Hybrids and Hybrid cars in India

Hybrids and Hybrid cars in India

What does Hybrid really mean:-
Hybrid may mean the combination of two or more different entities or things, aimed at achieving a particular objective or goal.

What is a Hybrid Car:-
A Hybrid Cars use a rechargeable energy storage system to supplement fossil fuel energy for vehicle propulsion. Hybrid engines are smaller and more efficient than traditional fuel engines. Some hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking to generate electricity while traveling. The term "Hybrid Vehicle" can also refer to a vehicle engine that uses a combination of different fuels such as petroleum and ethanol. The articles on this page are on the topic of Hybrid vehicles and related technologies.

The hybrid vehicle typically realizes greater fuel economy than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), such that fewer air pollution emissions are generated per kilometer traveled. In addition noise emissions are reduced, particularly at idling and low operating speeds, in comparison to conventional gasoline or diesel powered engine vehicles.

Hybrids as opposed to popular perception are not a recent development, Hybrids have been present for almost over a century.

1898 The German Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, at age 23, built his first car, the Lohner Electric Chaise. It was the world's first front-wheel-drive. Porsche's second car was a hybrid, using an internal combustion engine to spin a generator that provided power to electric motors located in the wheel hubs. On battery alone, the car could travel nearly forty miles.
How Hybrid cars work:-
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class HyPer a hybrid concept vehicle

A gasoline-electric hybrid car is a cross between a gasoline-powered car and an electric car. A gas-powered car has a fuel tank, which supplies gasoline to the engine which then turns a transmission, which turns the wheels.
Where as an electric car has a set of batteries that provides electricity to an electric motor. The motor turns a transmission, and the transmission turns the wheels.The hybrid is a compromise. It attempts to significantly increase the mileage and reduce the emissions of a gas-powered car while overcoming the shortcomings of an electric car.

The hybrid car has a gasoline engine which is smaller and uses advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example, when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries.

There are two ways in which the two power sources can be configured. First known as a parallel hybrid, has a fuel tank that supplies gasoline to the engine and a set of batteries that supplies power to the electric motor. Both the engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, and the transmission then turns the wheels.

The second is a series hybrid, the gasoline engine turns a generator, and the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. Thus, the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle.

The engine in the hybrid car is powerful enough to move the car along on the freeway, but when it needs to get the car moving in a hurry, or go up a steep hill, the electric motor and battery steps in to provide the necessary extra power.

Hybrid cars in India.
The are many big players planning to bring in the hybrids in India. The front runners amongst the race are Toyota with their very successful Prius, Honda with the Civic hybrid and our very own Tata motors.
I will cover each one in a separate post, so hang on.

Source: Hybrid Cars

Related :-

• Tata teams up with ISRO to produce Hydrogen power...
• Tata Indica Electric and Hybrid
• Hybrids and Hybrid cars in India
• Honda Civic Hybrid to hit Indian roads soon