Honda Civic Hybrid - a feel-good car

Hybrids seem to be having the same impact the Volkswagen Beetle had on our society back in the ’60s and ’70s. Hybrids are seen as anti-establishment symbols, the anti-status status symbol. But there has been some discontent with these feel-good cars as owners have found they’re not getting the advertised mileage. So if you’re on the verge of being overcome by the environmentally correct need to get behind the wheel of a hybrid, be advised that they don’t all work in the same way. You’ll need to curb some of your speedy habits and learn some new driving skills to achieve their fuel-economy claims.

In a hybrid, the trick is to drive like a grandmother. You have to accelerate away from a stop slowly enough to minimize the role of the gasoline engine and maximize the role of the electric motor. Very simply, hybrids use an electric motor as a supporting source of power that doesn’t require gasoline, and that’s the whole point. Indeed, a Toyota Prius can pull away from a stop using only its electric motor, although the Civic hybrid shown here cannot.

There are two major reasons why the Civic can’t do that. First, it has a weakling 20-hp electric motor, whereas the Prius’s makes a robust 67 horses, so it’s better able to move almost 3000 pounds off a dime. Second, the Honda’s engine and electric motor are sandwiched together and then connected to the transmission, so if one is running, so is the other. The Prius’s electric motor and gas engine, on the other hand, are hooked up at separate points to the transmission, and therefore, one power source can be driven while the other is shut off. The Toyota system makes electric-only driving easy and is the primary advantage of that configuration. Honda’s hybrid system is more simple and compact and is more easily adaptable than the Toyota system to different vehicles.

Interestingly, although the Civic can’t move away from a stop using only the electric motor, Honda says there is one situation where its hybrid can run on just electricity—at about 15 to 20 mph when cruising on a flat surface at a steady speed with a fully charged, or nearly so, battery pack. Since the electric motor and the gas engine rotate inseparably, the Civic must cut off fuel to the engine and use its variable-valve-timing system to close the engine’s valves and make it easier for the electric motor to do its job. The Civic’s only giveaway that it’s running on electricity alone is the digital bar graph that lights up suddenly when juice is being sent to the motor. So it might not have the beans to get the Civic going from a stop, but the 20-hp electric motor does have enough gusto to keep the car moving at low speeds—all by itself, if only briefly. However, it’s such a short span of time under such specific and not-often-encountered conditions that the fuel savings are likely minuscule. Honda probably makes the claim to equal those of its major rival hybrid, the Prius.

The second big trick that hybrids can do is recharge their own batteries. The recharging occurs when you lift off the throttle, when you hit the brakes, or when cruising if the computer determines that the battery needs charging. When you get off the gas in a hybrid, the primary source of deceleration is the electric motor, not the gas engine as in a conventional car. Moreover, the hybrid uses a special electric motor that can also operate as a generator. Send this electric motor electricity, and it will produce power; rotate it using external forces, and it will produce electricity. Using the car’s momentum to spin this motor, therefore, creates electricity, which is sent back to the battery pack. That’s called regenerative braking. Hitting the brakes lightly will cause the electric motor to resist motion further, and in doing so, even more electricity is produced to send to the batteries.

Audi A6 TDI Range Makes A Gallon Go Further

As the price of a gallon of petrol exceeds the milestone £4 mark this week, Audi Centres across the country are registering unprecedented interest in the A6 TDI range, which features the UK’s most economical and cost-effective premium executive diesel models. The ten versions in the current range are available to order now for delivery in time for the September registration change.

The line-up features a four-cylinder 2.0-litre model and two V6 versions with 2.7-litre and 3.0-litre engines equipped with advanced Piezo fuel injection for optimum efficiency. With the aid of this technology, and an accessible OTR price of £26,845 the A6 2.7 TDI stands out as the six-cylinder executive diesel with the lowest running costs in the premium sector (52.99ppm)*. Of the six-cylinder prestige executive diesels, it also boasts the best value retention over 3 years or 60,000 miles, at 47.46%*.

The Audi A6 is impressive, combining a strongly sporty stance with executive comfort and convenience. The A6 TDi is fitted with a range of performance turbo diesel engines all of which comply to Euro IV emission regulations. Every Audi A6 model is equipped with a superior level of standard equipment including climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, with a multitude of other safety or drivers aids including air bags and stability control.

Drivers can feel reassured and secure within the spacious A6 TDi cabin, surrounded by advanced safety crumple zones and a strong lengthy chassis. Active safety devices including electronic drivers aids, such as stability control, help to prevent a collision or accident occurring. Passive safety systems, such as airbags, help to reduce injury in the worst case scenario of a road traffic accident.

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