#51 Honda Hybrids under Fire

  
Go Hypermiling Podcast

Type: Audio 
Hosts: Wayne Gerdes, Kacey Green, and Manuel Santos 
Recorded: August 29, 2010 
Music: You in your Socks by Elkin and The 27-second Tune by The EP Egg 
Runtime: 47 min : 10 sec 
Moderating: Kacey Green 
Main Topics: Honda Civic Hybrid software update controversy | Concern about Honda Hybrid availability in Canada | Hybrid Honda Jazz (European Honda Fit)  
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | Enginer PHEV kits, Midlands Honda, & CleanMPG Scangauges

Our Technique: You and your dealer

We discuss your relationship with your Car Dealer …

Honda to fix Civic Hybrid battery issues with software update

Manuel tells us the true nature of the recent HCHII software update and slices through the hype and speculation …

Honda Canada to continue selling Insight and Civic Hybrids

Manuel does more mythbusting regarding the rumors that Canada was slated to stop receiving new hybrid shipments …

Hybrid power for the Honda Jazz

Wayne lets us know about the upcoming Honda Jazz Hybrid …

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site (rings your phone).

Kacey Green 
Go Hypermiling!  
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#51 Honda Hybrids under Fire

#42 Silent electric cars? EU says NO.

 
Go Hypermiling Podcast

Type: Audio
Hosts: Wayne Gerdes, Kacey Green and Manuel Santos
Recorded: May 10, 2010
Music: Gasoline by Justin Gordon & Ozean by STEREOMOVERS 
Runtime: 59 min : 45 sec
Moderating: Kacey Green
Main Topics: Modes of the Volt revealed, Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid surprising buyers after recall and EU rules may mean silent electric cars must make Star Wars noises.
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | Enginer PHEV kits, Midlands Honda, & CleanMPG Scangauges

Our Technique: Hypermiling your Honda Hybrid

Setup first… Pressures and an SG-II.
Steady state and low speed (20 - 45 MPH)
Steady state and higher speeds (43 - 65 MPH)
Glide, baby glide
High FE accelerations and Avoiding electric assist (keep RPMS below 1300)
Smarter A/C use for higher FE
Get the software updates ASAP
Tires, CVT maintenance and engine oil 

 Modes of the Volt Revealed

Larry Nitz, General Motors electric and hybrid powertrain engineering executive director, provided an update on the Chevrolet Volt, during a development drive on the West Coast. 

During the update, Nitz discussed the Volt’s three driving modes - Normal, Sport and Mountain - as well as its two climatic modes - Eco and Comfort. He also addressed the teams’ assessment of the three T’s that most impact range and fuel efficiency - technique, terrain and temperature.

Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid surprising buyers after recall

Toyota’s dominance with the Prius transcends more than just it’s competition. Toyota’s Lexus division expected to sell 20,000 - 22,000 Lexus HS 250h’s, but has only been able to sell 11,228 of the luxury hybrid sedan, putting the vehicle well below expectations.  Toyota had high hopes for the upscale car, but with just about 1,000-1,500 units sold per month, Toyota will end up about a few thousand under the mark.

 

The Prius on the other hand continues to dominate and grow, despite the highly publicized recalls. In April of 2010, Toyota sold 12,555 Prius hybrids which is a growth of 49.7% from last year’s April figures and the year-to-date total sales figures are collectively up 26.1%.

EU rules may mean silent electric cars must make Star Wars noises

Testing of various sounds begins this month at Warwick University, which is working with several electric-vehicle manufacturers in the West Midlands.  

A test vehicle will project a different sound each week and assess the response of pedestrians.  

Paul Jennings said: “We will have a week with music and weeks with natural sounds, engine noise and also with science-fiction sounds.

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site.

Wayne Gerdes
Go Hypermiling! 
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#42 Silent electric cars? EU says NO. - Go Hypermiling!

#39 Earth Day Test Drive

 
Go Hypermiling Podcast

Type: Audio
Hosts: Wayne Gerdes, Kacey Green and Manuel Santos
Recorded: April 22, 2010
Music: Long Drive Home by .Jakob Martin and Long Drive Home - (Inst) by Bjork Ostrom
Runtime: 34 min : 52 sec
Moderating: Kacey Green
Technique: Choosing the right vehicle for the job
Main Topics: 2010 HI-II goes for a drive, One Reason for the 2011 Cruze’s  fuel economy, and Ford’s 2010 Super Duty goes head to head with competition.
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | Enginer PHEV kits, Midlands Honda, & CleanMPG Scangauges

 Our Technique, Choosing the right vehicle for the job

We explain that there is no one-size-fits-all vehicle and how to match the vehicle to your  your needs, whether Hybrid, Diesel, Conventional and even Trucks.

2010 Insight-II drive for Earth Day

Kacey takes a 2010 Honda Insight EX for an extended test drive and the Earth Day celebration at Brennon Elementary.

One reason for the 2011 Cruze’s high fuel economy, is its wheels?

“2011 Chevrolet Cruze – Its 40 MPG  highway has everything to do with three, yes, three OD gears, a reasonably efficient 1.4L Turbo and some reasonably light Alcoa alloy wheels.

Alcoa Automotive Wheels has been awarded the wheel program for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco. The lightweight wheels help the vehicle to achieve outstanding fuel efficiency. Chevrolet recently announced a segment-leading estimated 40 MPG  on the highway for the Cruze Eco when equipped with a manual six-speed transmission”….

2011 Ford Super Duty goes head to head with a 10 Ram and 10 Silverado

“With the ability to haul 20,000 + pounds, best in class or nearly best in class payload depending on configuration, the highest safety attributes of any truck in the field including the new 2011 Silverado/Sierra HD, easiest tower by far and an engine/transmissions combination to die for, what more is needed?

How about a fuel economy run off as any CleanMPG’er would love to have seen in person?” …

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site.

Wayne Gerdes
Go Hypermiling! 
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#39 Earth Day Test Drive - Go Hypermiling!

#35 Honda Strikes Back

Go Hypermiling Podcast

Type: Audio
Hosts: Kacey Green, Manuel Santos and Wayen Gerdes
Recorded: March 21, 2010
Music: Time of Day by the Clintons
Runtime: 33 min : 14 sec
Moderating: Kacey Green
Technique: Steady State Driving Styles
Main Topics: Honda narrows Prius lead with Li-Ion’s | 18-wheeler caught on video with car attached to front bumer at 60 mph | CR-Z is hot in Japan
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | Enginer PHEV kits, Midlands Honda, & CleanMPG Scangauges

 Our Technique segment is how to maintain high fuel economy during a somewhat steady state driving scenerio.

General discussion on how to handle the long road ahead.  

Honda narrows Prius lead with Li-Ion’s

Can snazzier batteries jump-start Honda’s hybrid sales? The Honda Civic Hybrid is planning to switch to lithium-ion batteries in a bid to make it more competitive with the embattled Toyota Prius (which has the lion’s share of the hybrid market).

Li-ion is, of course, the default battery for nearly all the world’s coming plug-in EVs, and it has by far the greatest energy density of any available chemistry. Hybridcars.com reports that li-ion packs could even be cheaper than the nickel-metal packs standard in hybrids today.

While not the biggest deal in the world, it’s still very significant—the only hybrid to use li-ion right now is the Mercedes S400, and that’s in a whole other price category. Bloomberg got its scoop, as it often does, from its Japanese reporters (Makkio Kitamura and Yuki Hagiwara). Honda Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo told them in a Tokyo interview that the Civic Hybrid would have li-ion within the next two to three years. “Lithium will become a lot more prevalent,” he said.

Honda’s li-ion plans hadn’t made it to this side of the world. A U.S.-based Honda spokesman told me, “I suspect you read the same story I did. That’s the first I’d heard of it and now you and I know the same very limited amount. It is way too soon to disclose details of any kind regarding the next-generation Civic, and I assure you that would be the answer provided by anyone (PR or executive) in North America.” 

Honda18-wheeler on video with car stuck to the front bumer at 60 + mph

A Truck driver was videoed in this once in a lifetime sequence.

An unaware truck driver was captured on video going driving along without a care in the world at 60 + mph while a car was stuck sideways to the front bumper. He even passed a car whose occupants had the forethought to begin filming using their mobile phone.

The Renault Clio got trapped (no cause of the accident has been released yet) and even more outrageous, how did the truck driver not realize he was pushing this poor guy and his Renault along at 60 + mph?

Miraculously, the car’s driver was not hurt.

In the video, taken on the A1(M) near Wetherby, West Yorks, a passenger shouts: “He hasn’t seen it!”

Eventually, the truck driver did stop and the Renault driver got out unharmed.

The source of the film said they had been “inundated” with calls since the story broke…. Imagine that???  

 Honda CR-Z hot in Japan 

Honda can’t afford another hybrid failure. After lackluster sales of the newly redesigned Insight, Honda needs a hit in the hybrid segment. They are hopeful that the upcoming CR-Z can garner sales success and be a hit here in the States, but the outlook is uncertain. Whether or not the CR-Z will be a sale success or flop here remains to be seen, but the new hybrid is hot in Japan.

The CR-Z has been on sale in Japan for 3 weeks now and Honda has taken more than 8,000 orders. Honda had expected to sell only 12,000 units in the first year in Japan, so they are more than halfway there. Remember, the Insight was initially a hot vehicle in Japan as well, but its success did not carry over to the US. 

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site.

Wayne Gerdes
Go Hypermiling! 
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#35: Honda Strikes Back - Go Hypermiling!

#15 Dump the Clunker - Go Hypermiling!

Go Hypermiling Podcast

Type: Audio
Hosts: Kacey Green, Manuel Santos and Wayne Gerdes
Recorded: September 27, 2009
Music: The Rapture - Sister Saviour (Blackstrobe Remix)
Runtime: 26 min : 29 sec
Moderating: Kacey Green
Technique: FAS (Forced Auto Stop)
Main Topics: Battle of the Titan’s and sometimes the favorite does not win…, Is the family sedan history? and 1959 Chevy Bel Air hit by 2009 Malibu.
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | Enginer PHEV Systems, Sunshine Toyota in Winnipeg, Palmetto Horse and Hound

First up, Wayne describes the technique of FAS’ing on the go or at a standstill.

Next up, Kacey tells us that in the “Battle of the Titan’s, sometimes the favorite does not win…”

Manuel then discusses “Is the family sedan history?”

Finally Wayne describes how a “1959 Chevy Bel Air is crashed into a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu - He’s Dead Jim!”

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site.

Kacey Green & Wayne Gerdes
Go Hypermiling!
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#15 Dump the Clunker - Go Hypermiling!

Update on Oct 16, 2009 at 21:08 by Kacey Green

We promised we’d post the race videos from YouTube:

Pre-Qualification round:
 

 Race!:

 Hope you like it!

Kacey Green & Wayne Gerdes
Go Hypermiling! 
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

Update on Oct 18, 2009 at 16:49 by Kacey Green

We also forgot the video of the crash of the two Chevrolets.

#10: The Modded Hybrids are coming! – Go Hypermiling!

Go Hypermiling PodcastType: Audio
Hosts: Kacey Green, Manuel Santos, Wayne Gerdes
Recorded: August 23, 2009 Music: DJ Dolores - Oslodum 2004
Runtime: 31 min : 16 sec
Moderating: Kacey Green
Technique: DWL or Driving With Load 
Main Topics: “Enginer” plug in hybrid kits coming to the market, Hacked Hybrid Gets Nearly 100 Miles Per Gallon, Tiny Five-Stroke Engine Promises Big Fuel Economy.
Sponsors: CleanMPG, Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid | BMW F 800 GS Motorcycle, Midlands Honda

Kacey, Manuel, and Wayne discuss these fuel sipping/saving products/inventions.

First up, discuss the technique of DWL (Driving With Load), pretend your car is a roller coaster when on hills, then, Manuel tells us about the Enginer plug-in hybrid conversion kits, an economical PHEV conversion kit that appears to be compatible with all existing hybrids.

As a surprise topic we discuss Honda’s announcement of a compact BEV (battery electric vehicle) by 2015 and possible reasons they say this car will take so long to arrive.

I introduce a new 5-stroke engine, that says with just 3 cylinders and a five-stroke operating cycle it can provide both big fuel economy numbers and high power output.

We finish up discussing the efforts of a university to increase the already stellar MPGs of the first generation insight with a 3-cylinder diesel engine replacing the original 3 cylinder gasser.

Please feel free to post a comment or to leave an audio comment using the button on the sidebar of this site.

Kacey Green
Go Hypermiling!
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

#10: The Modded Hybrids re coming! – Go Hypermiling!

Go Hypermiling Podcast #1

Go Hypermiling Podcast

Go Hypermiling #1 – Pilot

Type: Audio
Hosts: Kacey Green, Manuel Santos, Wayne Gerdes
Moderating: Kacey Green
Technique: Three Lights Out / Anticipatory Focus
Main Topics: Prius vs. Insight Smack-down (only one main topic for this show)
Sponsors: CleanMPG, CleanMPG (Scangauge Division), Hybrid Canada, & Midlands Hybrid

This is our first podcast, we hope you enjoy it, please leave us feedback so we may improve this podcast as we move forward. We planned a lighter podcast than we would normally for the first episode.

We discussed the Three Lights Out technique and planned rabbit timing for the next technique. Prius versus Insight Smack-down got most of our attention. We also discussed our rides and more…

We enjoyed making this netcast / podcast for you and we hope you enjoy it too, we learned a fair amount to apply to our next show. This show will be recorded semi-regularly, about once a week.

Subscribe in your favorite Netcasting / Podcasting software such as iTunes and Zune, our feed address is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoHypermiling-Podcasts, you don’t need a portable MP3 Player to use our netcasts, though we try to make it a good listen for your commute.

If you want to listen right now and don’t have netcasting software available, listen now in your web browser: Go Hypermiling #1 - Pilot.

Kacey Green
Go Hypermiling!
“Hypermiling in today’s world”

Go Hypermiling - #1 - Pilot