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Honda Insight Hybrid
The Honda Insight. This is the car that brought the notion of a hybrid car to the attention of mainstream America. When it debuted in 2000, it redefined what it meant to purchase a fuel-efficient commuter car. Although it has since been surpassed by many other hybrids in terms of technology, the Honda Insight still holds the highest EPA rated fuel mileage among hybrid cars. This truly stands as a testament to the ingenuity and foresight of the Honda Insight engineers.
In order to wring every ounce of performance from a small, fuel-sipping powertrain, Honda Insight engineers attacked anything that could rob their design of power or efficiency. One glance at the Honda Insight tells bystanders it is not an average, run-of-the-mill compact car. From the swooping rear hatch glass to the wheel skirts, all aspects of the insights exterior design reduce aerodynamic drag. In fact, the Honda Insight has about half the aerodynamic resistance of a Honda Civic. Specially developed “Low Rolling Resistance” tires use a harder rubber compound on narrow wheels to cut friction losses between the tires and pavement. And then there’s the body and chassis. At the time of development, aluminum body panels and chassis were the stuff of high performance sports cars and ultra luxurious land yachts. In short, they were nowhere to be found on a compact car, especially one that was not built to race around. Honda, however, felt an aluminum chassis was just the thing for a hybrid compact car. When wrapped in both aluminum and plastic body panels, this lightweight skeleton allows the Honda Insight to weigh in at less than 2000 pounds, roughly half the weight of a midsize steel sedan.
Of course it’s what is under the hood of the Honda Insight that is truly revolutionary. A 1 liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine is mated to an electric motor to produce just over 70 horsepower. This is then fed through a five-speed manual transmission and out to the Low Rolling Resistance tires. As an option, a CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission may be fitted. This transmission automatically determines the best gear ratio possible and alters that ratio seamlessly across the entire range of speeds. This means the driver will never again feel another upshift or downshift. This combination results in a stunning fuel mileage upwards of sixty miles per gallon.
An interesting, and beneficial offshoot of the Honda Insight’s revolutionary design is its acceptance into rental fleets nationwide. Whether making a solo cross country trek or tooling around from job site to job site on business, renting a Honda Insight means more of your money stays in your pocket instead of being poured into the gas tank. The Honda Insight’s dominance atop the fuel mileage heap is truly a testament to this car’s impeccable design.
Topics: Honda Insight Hybrid | 1 Comment »
October 27th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Hi Green People,
I am looking to rent a hybrid for a cross country trip (1 week or so). Everything offers same location pick up & drop off only.
Any suggestions for pick up in SF & drop off in either Boston or Nashua NH?
Thank you for your time & suggestions,
Christine