Larger, Faster and More Efficient
Between Toyota and Honda, the world was officially introduced to the mass-produced hybrid automobile in 1997. Cars like the quirky
Besides bearing technology that speaks of preserving the world for future generations, the latest generation Civic Hybrid actually looks as if it's from the future. (Photo: Honda Canada)
Honda Insight and the roomy but oddly-shaped Toyota Prius were the first to venture into that brave new world, but by no means have they been the last step forward. The technology that's featured on these cars is improving rapidly; thinner motors, more efficient power generators, lighter, smaller batteries - and the list goes on and on. Remarkably, these two arch nemeses managed to propagate the hybrid scene, now teeming with entries from Toyota's subsidiary brand Lexus, and American automakers Ford and GM, with Nissan and Subaru in hot pursuit.
Where the outgoing Civic Hybrid is merely charged and recharged by its gasoline motors, the new model incorporates five different modes of operation including the ability to be powered solely on electrical power. When the vehicle is stationary, the engine is turned off via the idle-stop system: nothing new. The new technology shows up during acceleration and cruising; under mild acceleration the engine operates in low-speed variable valve timing, while at high speeds, the motor swaps over to the high-speed variable valve timing mode for greater power and a sportier characteristic. Bigger news still is the low-speed cruising mode, where the engine is completely deactivated and the car is powered by the electric motor alone.
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