FUEL CELL AND HYBRIDS
Honda eyes its future
If there is a cuter car that can provide more fun without disrobing, I have yet to find it.
The evolution of Honda’s fuel cell- powered vehicles has been an interesting progression. The outgoing FCX Clarity set a new benchmark for green cars when launched because its only emission was water. Now comes the second generation and, as with the FCX Clarity, it’s the fuelcell stack that is the biggest step forward.
The Clarity Fuel Cell, as the new car will be called when it goes on sale next year, has a fuel- cell stack that is 33 per cent smaller, so it now fits under the hood with the electric motor and power electronics that control everything. This takes it out of the cabin, which frees up a lot of space. There is now room for five adults and a trunk that will accommodate three golf bags, in spite of the fact the vehicle has two large hydrogen tanks aboard. The other bit of good news is the electric motor’s output jumps from 134 to 174 horsepower.
What has not changed is the seamlessness of the Clarity Fuel Cell’s drive. A small 1.5 kW/ h battery acts as a buffer between the electric motor’s demand for power when the driver accelerates and the time the fuel cell needs to satisfy the increased demand. In practice, the two power sources deliver a completely seamless flow of electrons. In the end, it gives surprising zip off the line, it pulls strongly through the midrange and it makes absolutely no noise in the process.
The Clarity Fuel Cell’s brake pedal is worthy of note. Although it relies on regenerative braking as the first level of resistance, it still has a crisp pedal feel, which is a refreshing change.
A battery electric vehicle ( BEV) and a fuel cell- powered car both promise emission- free driving; where the two differ is functionality. Most BEVs are limited to 150 kilometres or less in real- world driving, and it takes about eight hours to recharge the battery pack using 220 volts. The Clarity Fuel Cell, on the other hand, has a driving range of more than 700 km and it can be refuelled in three minutes. If the refuelling infrastructure were in place, hydrogen’s superiority would be conclusive.
The second electrified car tested was an Accord equipped with Honda’s next- generation Sport Hybrid Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive, or i- MMD. The current plug- in system features a 196- h. p. 2.0- litre Atkinson- cycle engine, an electric continuously variable transmission, a clutching system and two electric motors: one to drive the vehicle and deliver regenerative braking and the other to charge the 6.7- kW/ h lithium- ion battery and start the engine when it is needed to power the vehicle.
Plugging it in sees the battery recharge in three hours using a 110- volt outlet, or one hour using 220 volts. The inclusion of the plug- in side not only increases the electric- only driving speed to 100 km/ h, it brings an electric- only driving range of 30 km. When this is added to the gasoline/ electric hybrid system’s range, it boasts a driving distance of 1,000 km on a tank of gas.
The next- generation system will feature the same engine, but a battery twice the size and an increased electric- only driving range of 80 km. The other change will come in the form of the engine; I am willing to bet the 1.5- L turbocharged four- cylinder just launched in the 2016 Honda Civic will find its way under the hood of the production i- MMD.
The drive was short, but the i- MMD accelerated quickly to 80 km/ h on electric power, and the gas engine only kicked in when I hammered the accelerator. It reminded me of the Chevrolet Volt: when the engine comes to life, it revs at about 2,000 r. p. m. and really did not seem to be tied to what I was doing with the gas pedal.
HONDA’S BOTTOMLESS BAG OF TRICKS
The fun ride during our visit to Tochigi came in a de- tuned version of the Electric SH- AWD ( Super Handling All- Wheel-Drive) CR- Z entered in the Pikes Peak hill climb.
The racer, which finished first in the exhibitors class and 11th overall, featured four electric motors, 450 h. p., an 18- kW/ h battery and Honda Precision all- wheel steering.
The car I drove was de- tuned to the point it was only kicking out 225 or so h. p. That, however, is not to say it was any less impressive. Putting that much power in an overgrown roller skate will always put a smile on one’s face, especially as the peak torque arrives the instant the wheels begin to turn.
To prove the point, the first part of the drive was a flat- out acceleration run. Then it was off around a twisty track, where the CR- Z’s handling was simply incredible. The four electric motors bring the ultimate in torque vectoring ( front to back and left to right at both ends), and with the rear wheels helping the steering process, it was as though the thing was literally running the track on rails. If CR- Z production cars drove like this, Honda wouldn’t be able to keep them on the lot.
Another first is Honda’s 10- speed automatic transmission. As demonstrated in the RLX test car, the transmission proved to be very nicely sorted. In normal mode, it was in 10th gear by the time I zipped through 100 km/ h. On the back straight, a healthy stab at the gas saw it drop four gears as quickly as any twinclutch gearbox.
It can, if needed, drop up to six gears in two very quick steps. In Sport mode, it locks out ninth and 10th gears and stretches out the shift points, which sharpens the drive enormously. Frankly, I was ready to scoff at the thought of having 10 gears, given the problems Jeep and Land Rover are having with ZF’s nine- speed transmission. But this drive proved me dead wrong.
Talking of wrong, Honda should be admonished for not bringing the S660 to Canada. I know about the crash standards and red tape, but if there is a cuter car that can provide more fun without disrobing, I have yet to find it. It is an absolute hoot, in spite of the fact the diminutive, mid- mounted, 660- cc turbocharged three- cylinder only churns out 63 h. p. The power is fed to the rear wheels through a six- speed manual gearbox.
Out on the track, I coaxed the S660 up to sixth gear, kept the gas matted and waited for maximum warp to arrive. It turned out to be a rather pedestrian 138 km/ h. I say pedestrian because moments earlier I was pushing 190 km/ h in the new NSX. Regardless, fun is fun. My letter to Takahiro Hachigo, Honda’s president and chief executive, would be short and sweet: Dear Sir, please think globally when designing the next S660.