By Evander Klum
In response to the current call for ecological awareness, Honda the producer of quality Honda seat belt has introduced in Canada its 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. Despite of the slight change in performance and looks the Civic Hybrid has gained a solid market in Canada and this is due to the new body design as well as the much improve safety features added to the hybrid badge.
The Honda City in Victoria is the country’s largest seller of Honda Civic Hybrids and Tim Dakin, General Manager has cited a couple of factors. He said, “Honda has built the Civic Hybrid for our North American roads so certainly it can operate anywhere and in difficult conditions. Yet our type of climate encourages more people to try it. Also, living on the West Coast, we are apt to understand a hybrid better based on our ecological awareness.”
The Honda Civic Hybrid runs on a well balanced equation of power delivered by a CVT 1.3 liter, four-cylinder engine and battery pack with a self-sufficient Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system.
The Civic Hybrid makes use of a system of collecting and then redirecting power to charge its battery like for instance when braking, friction is created and then the energy derived from such operation is transferred and as the vehicle slows down, it then utilizes the valves to reduce speed of the vehicle. The tech filters in turn close off to trap all energy.
At the heart of the Civic Hybrid are bright orange cables, which serve as the veins keeps the engine running. The sealed off trunk space at the back of the car that contains the battery pack confirms that the Civic is a hybrid. Same with the one-of-a-kind, light-weight, 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels that are designed to improve aerodynamics. To differentiate the Hybrid Civic from the regular Civic, the aerial is centered on the roof above the rear window.
And since the Civic Hybrid makes use of a battery there is no need to rev the engine since the battery already acts as the starter. There are two readouts on the instrumentation panel, one side indicates the battery charge level while the other side is a split gauge that highlights Assist and Charge.
During acceleration the battery assists the gas motor for extra power and then after sustained momentum is established or when the vehicle slows down the battery pack is then regenerated.
In addition, for temporary stops at traffic lights the Honda Civic Hybrid automatically shuts off to enhance fuel and emission conservation. The sensors found on the brake, triggers the shut down that why it is advised that once you lift your foot off the brake, immediately restart the car.
For more information on the Honda Civic Hybrid here is a list of its specifications sourced from www.honda.com:
Engineering Engine Type: In-Line 4-Cylinder Engine Block/Cylinder Head: Aluminum-Alloy Displacement (cc): 1339 Horsepower @ rpm: 110 @ 6000 Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm): 123 @ 1000-2500 Redline (rpm): 6300 Bore and Stroke (mm): 73 x 80 Compression Ratio: 10.8:1 Valve Train: 8-Valve SOHC i-VTEC® Multi-Point Fuel Injection: Standard Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System: Standard Front-Wheel Drive: Standard CARB Emissions Rating: AT-PZEV Direct Ignition System with Immobilizer: Standard 100,000-Miles-or-More Tune-Up Interval*: Standard
Electric Motor / Generator Permanent Magnet Motor: Standard Power Output: 20 hp / 76 lb.-ft. Motor Width (mm): 70
Electric Power Storage Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) Battery: Standard Output (Volts): 158 Rated Capacity: 5.5 Ah
Transmissions Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT): Standard
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