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Techreview.com: This 2019 Honda Insight drove 550 miles without a fill 10/30/18

4K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  hobokencentral 
#1 ·
https://www.techradar.com/news/this-2019-honda-insight-drove-550-miles-without-a-fill-heres-how

This 2019 Honda Insight drove 550 miles without a fill. Here’s how
By John Brandon 4 hours ago Car tech

Modern hybrids aren't the pesky slowpokes they used to be



2019 Honda Insight
In a recent test of the 2019 Honda Insight, the third-gen hybrid that looks a bit like a Honda Civic, it was obvious that the electric motor had been fine-tuned to help you merge into traffic.

It worked in conjunction with the gas engine for a combined MPG of 55-miles-to-the-gallon, and in practice, meant we drove the Insight for a full 550 miles before needing to do a fill. We had to check the range and the miles a couple of times, because that type of range is usually reserved for small, slightly obnoxious hybrids like the Toyota Prius. What’s actually happening?

Expert power management
Honda has engineered a hybrid system that uses a 60-cell lithium ion battery pack. You can watch all of this on the eight-inch touchscreen, which shows how the Insight expertly manages the power. On a long drive in a remote area, the Insight would switch to all electric every time we started going down even a slight incline, the drivetrain animated as a green line.

At low speeds, you can switch to an EV mode, although if you floor it you won’t stay in that mode for long. As you drive, the gas engine can also help recharge the battery, say when you start braking or on the descent when you don’t need to use a sip of fuel.

What seemed amazing about the Insight, though, was that this didn't lead to overly sluggish behavior, even if you switch between the Econ and Sport modes. The engine does tend to race, as you might experience in most hybrids, but up to about 30 or 40 MPH you can tell the electric motor is doing most of the work to give the Insight a more sprightly feel. On other hybrids, there might be an electric motor, but the car still tends to drive like a golf cart with a better stereo.



“The 2019 Insight utilizes the third-generation Honda two-motor hybrid system, which allows the system to operate in an EV Drive mode, Hybrid Drive mode, or Engine Drive mode and will switch seamlessly based on the needs of the driver,” says Chris Hand, the Honda Insight product planner.

“Under most circumstances, power to the wheels comes from the electric propulsion motor, which draws energy from the gasoline engine (which is connected to a generator motor) and/or battery pack. These options result in both better performance and efficiency depending on what the driver is looking for in that moment.”
 
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#2 ·
https://www.techradar.com/news/this-2019-honda-insight-drove-550-miles-without-a-fill-heres-how

It worked in conjunction with the gas engine for a combined MPG of 55-miles-to-the-gallon, and in practice, meant we drove the Insight for a full 550 miles before needing to do a fill.
Even at a full tank, my Insight has never reported more than 480 miles of range available. Has anyone seen differently?

The most gas I've ever had to buy is 8.7 gallons when the car reported ~20 miles left, and the specs say it's a 10.6 gallon tank.

Maybe TechRadar really did push it past zero, like I was wondering about here: https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/7.../450-remaining-miles-gas-tank-indicators.html
 
#5 ·
From the tone of their article, they were looking at what the limits are.
My guess would be they had a planned route, that was fairly optimal, and set a high bar.
A second look at Fuelly by fill-ups show 68 fillups with mpg at 55-64, out of the 406 fillups registered, or 17%.

This would not be a typical drive, in the city, traffic, and lights I would guess.
 
#9 ·
I don't even get mad when I sit in traffic as much anymore. I know I'm not wasting money burning fuel and no damage to the engine for excessive idling due to EV mode. Oh yeah and brake hold.


I use sport mode when I feel like the car behind me is tailgating or using me as a Adaptive Cruise Control target car.
 
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