At the LA show, Honda has also lifted the wraps off a new plug-in hybrid platform incorporating the company’s next-generation, two-motor hybrid technology in a mid-size sedan platform, which is set for a 2012 market debut.

The two-motor system continuously moves through three different modes to maximise driving efficiency: all-electric, petrol-electric and a unique, engine direct-drive mode. The plug-in hybrid also uses regenerative braking to charge the battery.

In all-electric mode, the vehicle uses a 6 kWh lithium-ion battery and a powerful 120 kW electric motor. In all-electric mode, a range of approximately 16 to 24 km is achievable in city driving, with a top speed of 100 kph. The battery takes 2 to 2.5 hours via 120V, and from one to 1.5 hours using a 240V outlet.

The vehicle can also run in a gasoline-electric hybrid mode, the platform featuring a 2.0 litre i-VTEC inline 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine, paired with an electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT). An onboard generator adds to the battery powering the electric motor. For more efficient high-speed cruising, the vehicle can engage in a direct-drive mode, in which only the engine drives the front wheels.

Honda has debuted its Fit EV Concept at the LA Auto Show. This one hints strongly at the direction and styling that will be taken by the production Fit EV, which will be introduced in the the US and Japan in 2012.

The Fit EV Concept displayed in LA features an exclusive Deep Clear Blue Pearl exterior shade and five-spoke aluminium-alloy wheels with blue inserts. Other exterior cues include unique LED headlights, a chrome front fascia, aerodynamic bumper and clear LED tail lamps. Inside, the seats are finished in an eco-friendly grey bio-fabric.

The production model will be powered by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial high-density electric motor derived from the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle. The car will have a top speed of 145 kph and offer a 160 km range per charge. Battery recharging takes less than 12 hours when using a conventional 120V outlet and less than six hours with 240V.

On call is a three-mode electric drive system, adapted from the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid. The system allows the driver to select between Econ, Normal and Sport – Econ mode, as its tag suggests, offers the most driving range, 17% better than Normal mode and up to 25% more than in Sport mode. The last is claimed to offer performance similar to a vehicle equipped with a 2.0 litre petrol engine.

In addition to the three-mode E-Drive system, the Fit EV will include several interactive coaching systems to assist the driver in maximising battery range – among these, a special meter display that advises the driver when to shut off the air conditioning and other accessories to conserve battery power.

The car will also feature a standard connectivity system that allows the driver to stay connected to the vehicle, be it through a smartphone or personal computer, or the vehicle’s interactive remote, which provides connectivity to the vehicle without the need for an internet connection or mobile phone signal.

Through the connectivity system, drivers will be able to remotely view the vehicle’s state of charge, initiate charging and activate the air conditioning, even while connected to the grid, to reduce the drain on the battery at start-up.

The mobile application and website also offers the ability to set charging notifications and alerts to optimise utility rates and provides 24-hour roadside assistance, along with a public charging station locator. The company has also developed a prototype charging stand – all one has to do to begin charging one’s EV is swipe a card in front of the screen and the charger then connects to the vehicle.

Gallery after the jump.
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Fresh from being named the Japanese Car of the Year, Honda’s CR-Z has picked up another award, this one being a Best 15 title in Japan’s Good Design Award 2010.

Each year, only 15 projects from five different fields (tagged Society, Living, Work, Network and Human Body) are singled out for the select awards, and the CR-Z, along with Nissan’s Leaf EV, were the two automotive-based recipients this year in the Living category.

The judges described the uncompromising pursuit of aerodynamics of the roof and the flow from the front to the side and quarter panels of the CR-Z as a beautifully finished design, which could redefine the benchmark to determine, as the panel put it, “the attraction of cars.” It’s on this basis that the car has been honoured with a 2010 Best 15 Good Design Award.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that a Honda product has received the Good Design Award Best 15 – previous winning products include the Monpal ML200 four-wheel scooter, the HondaJet, the FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle and the Insight hybrid.
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