How to interpret “PHEV that is infinitely close to EV”?

At present, the development path of new energy vehicles can be summarized into three types: hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), pure electric vehicle (BEV) and fuel cell vehicle (FCV). Our domestic new car companies, represented by Weilai and Xiaopeng, mainly take the pure electric route, while the PHEV model has developed rapidly among traditional brands in recent years.

Looking at the current market, there are actually quite a few excellent products, such as the Geely Borui GE PHEV with Volvo technology, the Corolla Hybrid E+ which is a step further than THS, and especially the SAIC-GM Buick Velite 6 PHEV, which is equipped with GM's latest eMotion hybrid system, lamellar liquid cooling technology, a range of more than 700km, and eConnect interconnection services. It has left a deep impression on Cheyunjun before. Of course, the later pure electric version of Velite 6 has now been officially renamed Buick Velite.

However, after experiencing Honda's latest SPORT HYBRID e+ plug-in hybrid system, Che Yunjun believes that Honda has brought PHEV models to a new level.

Where does the plus sign in SPORT HYBRID e+ come from?

We know that Honda has been launching the "SPORT HYBRID" series of models equipped with the i-MMD dual-motor hybrid system in recent years. Currently, the models on sale include Accord, Inspire and CR-V, and the series will be expanded to MPV models such as Odyssey and Elysion this year.

The pure electric range of the SPORT HYBRID e+ under JC08 working conditions is 110 kilometers. Honda officially calls it "PHEV that is infinitely close to EV". What is more worth mentioning is that Honda's plug-in hybrid system not only performs well in fuel saving and environmental protection, but also provides users with an excellent driving experience. So, how does Honda SPORT HYBRID e+ do it?

In fact, Honda's latest SPORT HYBRID e+ plug-in hybrid system is based on i-MMD, and it achieves "PHEV that is infinitely close to EV" by adding a 17kWh lithium-ion battery. This means that SPORT HYBRID and SPORT HYBRID e+ have a very high degree of commonality:

The two have the same engine compartment layout, except that the transmission of the traditional fuel vehicle is replaced by E-CVT. The electric CVT is equipped with two motors and a PCU (power control unit) that controls the two motors. On this basis, the SPORT HYBRID e+ is equipped with a VCU (voltage control unit) that optimizes the system voltage for the PCU (power control unit), and is equipped with a high-power, large-capacity battery and charger.

Of course, Honda has also inherited the high-power, miniaturized, and efficient technology research and development concept of the electric vehicle drive unit that it has been committed to in the SPORT HYBRID e+. Therefore, Honda has once again made considerable progress in the three aspects of motors, electronic controls, and batteries.

The improvement of the three-electric system is the core embodiment

In terms of motors, the previous circular winding method has been changed to a square coil, which increases the proportion of the coil in the total motor volume from the original 48% to 60%, while the overall motor has been miniaturized by 23%, the power density has been increased to 1.4 times, and the torque density has been increased to 1.3 times.

In terms of electronic control, Honda has made the operation between various electrified components more efficient by increasing the power of the voltage control unit VCU (voltage control unit). Honda said that the overseas model Clarity can reach a maximum speed of 160km/h in EV mode. After field testing on the track, Cheyunjun also found that it can easily reach a speed of 148km/h in the straight-line acceleration stage. It should be noted that the Honda Clarity tested this time is a right-hand drive model, and there is no plan to import it into China in the future. So in this article, we will not elaborate on this car.

In terms of battery, the IPU (Intelligent Power Unit) of SPORT HYBRID e+ uses a 17kWh lithium-ion battery. It is understood that the Clarity PHEV model equipped with this system has a pure electric range of more than 110 kilometers under Japan's JC08 operating conditions, and a combined electric + engine range of more than 800 kilometers.

At the same time, because the thinner and flatter IPU (Intelligent Power Unit) is placed in the chassis, Clarity not only has a lower center of gravity, further improving the driving experience, but also enables the vehicle to have a more spacious cabin and luggage compartment space.

During the actual test experience, Cheyunjun found that the new car can give the driver a good control experience whether it is the acceleration control when exiting a corner or the rear wheel tracking when accelerating into a corner. More importantly, in EV and HV modes, when the new car reaches the acceleration critical point displayed on the meter, if you continue to step on the accelerator pedal deeply, you can still clearly feel the pleasure of secondary acceleration.

Honda Clarity

It is worth mentioning that Clarity still uses the electric motor to drive when driving at medium and low speeds, and the engine will not intervene unless the accelerator is pressed very hard. In addition, when Clarity switches between the electric motor and the internal combustion engine, Cheyunjun did not feel any obvious setbacks, which is worthy of praise. However, it should be noted that the steering wheel of Clarity is still heavy even when the sport mode is not turned on, so it may not be conducive to the driving experience of female drivers.

Car Cloud Summary

In general, Honda's latest SPORT HYBRID e+ plug-in hybrid system can basically meet users' daily commuting needs with a pure electric range of more than 110 kilometers, helping users reduce car costs while achieving fuel-saving and environmental protection effects. What's more rare is that Honda has also brought users excellent driving pleasure through lowering the center of gravity and increasing the power of the motor.

According to Cheyunjun, the new model equipped with this system will be available to domestic consumers in 2020. Based on further analysis of the overseas sales price of Honda Clarity, Cheyunjun speculates that the so-called new model may be the Accord of the same level. However, it remains to be seen which model this plug-in hybrid system, which is more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly than other PHEV models and more fun to drive than EV models, will eventually be used on next year. By then, Cheyunjun will also bring the latest report.