The 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid has improved upon its gas economy from 41 mpg to 44 mpg and is now using a lithium-ion battery for power. For cars that use gasoline, the Civic Hybrid happens to be in second place for fuel economy. Aided by the boost in mileage, the Civic is closer to the Prius, and now ahead of the Lexus CT 200h. It’s regarded as the most fuel-efficient 4 door on the market today.
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A new 2012 Civic Hybrid uses the Integrated Motor Assist, which is the fifth generation hybrid powertrain system that is made up of a thin, pancake like electronic motor/generator. The unit resembles Ford and Toyota where it supports the gasoline engine by being sandwiched between the transmission and engine. The car can be powered by electric power alone, but normally the electric motor assists the gas engine. All engine parts still move even when the car runs briefly on electric power. Similar to other hybrids, the Civic’s engine will turn off when it arrives at a complete stop.
Because of the switch to lithium-ion batteries, the 2012 Civic Hybrid also comes with a bigger gasoline engine than before. Regardless of the rise from 1.3-liter engine to 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the horsepower from both electric and gas are the same. Due to the bigger displacement, the engine runs at a lower RPM which translates into a quieter ride as the electric motor is used more. To get ideal effectiveness, every aspect of the hybrid system was tweaked, like the increase of the motor output from 15kw to 20kw. To better take care of temperature, it currently uses plastic spacers, along with using more coils and magnets that are widely spaced. The motor has been increased three horsepower above the previous motor, running up to 23 horsepower.
The 20-kw Li-ion battery is a significant improvement over the nickel-metal hydride battery that was used in the previous model, providing an extra 5kw of power with 30% less weight. Considering the battery’s 35% boost in efficiency and the IMA system’s greater power, the Civic Hybrid presently has the capability of using only electric motor power more often, in certain times of cruising at low speeds. Aided by the switch to lithium battery, the problems that affected the previous battery should now be resolved. Rounding out the IMA system will be the continuously variable transmission. It operates kind of like a 10-speed bicycle having a drive pulley and a driven pulley that are linked with a steel belt. It is sort of like a cross between a manual and geared automatic transmission.
With the enhancements made on the 2012 Civic Hybrid in fuel efficiency and upgraded battery, today it is a car to be reckoned with. It truly is catching the Prius when it comes to efficiency and Honda has for ages been a favorite for many people.