23 Aug 2013

Driving.ca: First drive: 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid

by David Booth

If there's one thing that separates the Honda and Toyota brands — and, much to their annoyance, many autojournalists lament the interchangeability of their products and, indeed, their brands — it has been Toyota's success with hybrids.

Toyota, of course, has owned the hybrid segment for well more than a decade — the Prius nameplate alone accounts for more than half the hybrids sold — while Honda's gas/electric combinations have not resonated with the public. Neither its Insight nor its Civic hybrids had any impact on the market and, while the CR-Z has gained some critical reviews, it remains an extremely niched sell.

This lack of public acceptance has made Honda extremely cautious about dipping its toes in the hybrid waters again. Indeed, that reluctance means that the subject of this test, a plug-in version of Honda's Accord Hybrid, is only being sold in New York and California and has yet to be confirmed for Canadian sales. This is a pity because this is the first electrified Honda that can go head-to-head with the industry's heavyweights.

Previous Honda attempts at electrification have emphasized simplicity. Rather than having two completely separate motors — gasoline and electric — working in tandem, Honda simply attached an electric motor to the existing powertrain in between the engine and the transmission.

It may have been simple, but it was not as effective. It could offer performance and fuel economy, just not at the same time. So, for the Accord Plug-In, the company has adopted an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude, the new Hybrid employing the same basic architecture as other conventional gasoline/electric hybrids.

So, under its recently revised hood, you'll find a 141-horsepower, 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle "Earth Dreams" four-cylinder gas engine and a 124-kilowatt/166-hp electric motor. Of course, since gas and electric motors "peak" at different rpm, their total horsepower is never cumulative. Nevertheless, the Accord Hybrid's claimed maximum power of 196 hp is nothing to be sneezed at and the Plug-In feels as peppy as any hybrid or other Accords, for that matter.

In its "electric" mode, the Accord Hybrid feels peppier than any other hybrid I've tested. Many competitive plug-in hybrids boast the capability to drive electrically to 100 kilometres an hour and beyond, but only the Accord Hybrid (I have not driven Porsche's new electrified Panamera) actually delivers on that promise.
Though the gasoline engine will kick in, even in electric mode, if the load gets too heavy (hills, hard acceleration, etc.), in normal driving, it is quite easy to motor the big Accord up to 110 km/h without gasoline intervention. The Accord Plug-in is the only hybrid that I have achieved fully electric travel for the projected distance (in this case, 20 km) without resorting to hypermiling silliness (remembering, of course, that the Chevrolet Volt, which can travel much further electrically, is not technically a hybrid). One of my favourite things about the Accord Hybrid is that it always (assuming you plugged it in overnight, of course) starts in electric mode; many plug-ins default the other way, starting up in Hybrid mode and requiring you to flick a switch for electric-only driving. It speaks to Honda's confidence in its 6.7 kWh lithium-ion battery.

As for the cumulative effect of all this technology on fuel consumption, I only have preliminary figures, as we were unable to subject the Accord to the rigours of Post Driving's typical long-distance fuel economy run. But, early figures are impressive (Honda's own testing shows 4.0/4.2/4.1 L/100 km, almost identical to the numbers Ford's C-Max Hybrid had to admit were exaggerated).

Typical mixed urban and highway driving usually resulted in less than 6.0 L/100 km consumption (typical numbers were about 5.7 L/100 km). Around town, it was easy to get the Accord's digital readout to display readings in the mid-fours, again without any pump-and-coast hypermiling lunacy. Reasonable speeds on the highway usually had the vehicle information display just edging over six, though indications are that extended cruising speeds of more than 120 km/h will send the consumption tumbling (that's fairly typical of hybrids; those looking specifically for highway fuel economy are much better served by diesel). On the other hand, one does get about 20 km out of every charge (about three hours on 110 volts) and on short commute days, I occasionally averaged as low as 3.0 L/100 km. According to the Accord's trip meter, my entire test drive averaged 5.5 L/100 km, not bad at all considering I was none too diligent about plugging it in overnight.

The Plug-In Hybrid only has one annoyance not common to other Accords. In the interest of fuel economy, the engine is hooked up to an efficiency-maximizing continuously variable transmission. CVTs and small four-bangers don't mix well; the My-God-is-the-clutch-slipping thrashing of the motor can be a little grating. Honda should either add more sound deadening material or, even better, finally get with the program and design an eight-speed automatic transmission (which would all but match the CVT's efficiency with much better driveability).

Nonetheless, I think the Accord Plug-In, by far, the best Honda hybrid I have tested. The question remains, however, is whether it is enough to go head-to-head with its completion. In the United States, its MSRP is US$39,870, which, unfortunately, is more expensive than the aforementioned Chevy Volt (which offers better in-town electric range, albeit with poorer highway fuel consumption) and about the same as a Ford Fusion Energi Titanium. Honda Canada has not even hinted at a price should they decide to import it. As effective as its hybrid powertrain is, I doubt very much the fuel savings would pay for themselves.

Still, the new Accord Plug-In is the best hybrid Honda has yet designed. They should find a way to bring it to the Great White Frozen North.

Sweet Dreams
"Earth Dreams" is Honda's latest moniker for its high-tech powertrain. Incorporating direct fuel injection and the company's V-TEC variable valve timing mechanism in engines as small as 660-cc, Honda has stated it want to be able to boast industry-leading fuel economy by 2015. The program also includes diesel engines (so far, not for North American consumption), two-motor hybrids like the Accord's and electric vehicles. CVTs, unfortunately, also seem like a core feature of the new program though the use of an electrically driven, computer-controlled oil pump sounds like a novel feature. Of course, Acura's Super-Handling All Wheel Drive system features heavily, its twin electric motors on the rear wheels and a 3.5-litre V6 powering the front making for V8 power, hybrid parsimony and AWD handling.

Source;
http://www.driving.ca/research-car/roadtest/First+drive+2014+Honda+Accord+Plug+Hybrid/8825217/story.html

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