Honda Hybrid Technology Explained

 

Hybrid electric vehicles offer the best of both worlds. They’re powered by both an internal combustion motor and one or more electric motors. At Honda we are proud to be in our fourth decade of hybrid technology, having been one of the first car manufacturers to offer these vehicles in Europe in 1999. 

Fast forward to the present day and our latest e:HEV full hybrids continue to deliver impressive hybrid performance, without ever compromising their smooth power.

Honda e:HEV powertrain explained

 

At the heart of Honda’s e:HEV powertrain are two advanced electric motors, powered by the EV battery or the engine depending on driving conditions. The system is designed to switch between three distinct driving modes – Electric, Hybrid, and Engine Drive – enabling it to adapt seamlessly to different driving conditions.

Being a full hybrid means your Honda hybrid can operate like a BEV at times by drawing power solely from the battery – something that a mild hybrid cannot do.

When the battery power is low, the car will shift to hybrid mode where it's powered by the electric motor directly instead. This is where the petrol engine powers the generator motor, which in turn creates electricity to power the drive motor and turn the road wheels. Any excess energy charges the battery.

At constant higher speeds, the powertrain will deem it more efficient for the engine to power the car directly. The electric motor disconnects, and the petrol engine powers the car directly just like a conventional car. 

FAQs

Yes, you can get a manual hybrid car, but it will be a mild hybrid. Mild hybrids have manual transmission and can't travel on electric power alone, but the electric motor is simply there to reduce the workload of the petrol engine during acceleration etc for efficiency. 

Full hybrids and plug-in hybrids don't have manual transmissions because the electric motor directly powers the wheels like an EV, bypassing the need for a manual transmission system.

Yes, hybrid cars, as the name implies, use two sources of power – electric and fossil fuel. So, they still have a conventional combustion engine, that runs on traditional fuel, to power the car on longer journeys or higher speeds. This means they either need petrol or diesel.