Honda Civic IMA

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
7th generation
Honda Civic IMA (2003-2004)

Honda Civic IMA (2003-2004)
Production period: 2003-2006
Body versions : limousine
Engines: Otto engine :
1.3 liters (61 kW)
+ electric motor :
7 kW
Length: 4480 mm
Width: 1715 mm
Height: 1435 mm
Wheelbase : 2625 mm
Empty weight : 1230 kg
Honda Civic IMA (2004-2005)

Civic I ntegrated M otor A ssist (IMA) was the model name for a vehicle with hybrid drive from the Japanese car manufacturer Honda from late 2003 to autumn 2005 . From spring 2006 the name was changed to Civic Hybrid because the term “IMA” was not perceived by the market as a name for a new type of drive. Until then, fewer than 500 copies had been sold in Germany. In 2010, sales in Germany were discontinued and the Honda Insight is the successor .

Hybrid system

The IMA system is installed in Europe in the slightly modified four-door US notchback model of the Honda Civic and consists of a 1.3-li-DSI-i-VTEC engine and a 144-volt electric motor (158 volts since 2006 ). This engine is very short and therefore fits between the gasoline engine and the transmission. It functions as a starter, alternator and “booster” that supports the gasoline engine when required.

Since 2006, the electric motor has also been working as the sole drive when the power requirement is low (typically in slow city traffic; stop-and-go). The light electric motor is 65 mm long and weighs 30 kg.

The rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery of the electric motor, manufactured by Panasonic , is housed in the rear seat back so that the rear seat cannot be folded down. Nevertheless, the Civic IMA has a trunk volume of 342 liters (350 liters since 2006).

IMA, i- VTEC and i-DSI work together to resolve the conflicting goals between performance, comfort, consumption and emissions .

  • i- VTEC (intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is a variable valve control that adapts the valve timing and lifts in three stages to the operating conditions and switches off the valves of three cylinders in the Civic IMA and the valves of all four cylinders in the Civic Hybrid if none Power is required (cylinder deactivation).
  • i-DSI - Dual & Sequential Ignition: Two oppositely arranged spark plugs per cylinder ignite at different times or at high speeds simultaneously in order to variably control the combustion process.

Functional scheme

  • The combined energy from the electric and gasoline engine takes effect when starting and accelerating . A purely electric start-up of the vehicle is not included in this concept. Petrol consumption is reduced by using a smaller Otto engine and using previously recuperated energy.
  • At constant cruising speed, the vehicle is powered exclusively by the gasoline engine. If necessary, this charges the battery using the electric machine that functions as a generator.
  • When braking or coasting, the IMA deactivates three (since 2006 four) of four cylinders and the electric motor is used as a generator. The cylinders are switched off by keeping the valves closed at all times. This is realized with VTEC and avoids the gas exchange losses, which otherwise make a significant contribution to the engine braking effect in overrun. The kinetic energy of the car is thus used to generate electricity that is fed to the battery. The generator resistance during power generation is used to decelerate the vehicle, the effect of which is similar to that of the engine brake in internal combustion engines.
  • The electric motor was originally only designed as an auxiliary drive and never drives the Civic IMA (before 2006) on its own, only three cylinders are switched off. The Civic Hybrid from 2006 onwards will be powered solely by the electric motor at low speeds and at low loads if the battery is sufficiently charged. This operating mode is activated automatically and cannot be selected manually. All valves are closed, thus avoiding gas exchange losses, so that the internal combustion engine can be moved very easily by the electric motor.
  • When the vehicle comes to a standstill, the gasoline engine is switched off completely; As soon as the driver engages first gear or (since 2007) releases the brake, the gasoline engine is automatically restarted by the electric motor.

Civic Hybrid (2006-2010)

8th generation
Honda Civic Hybrid (2007-2010)

Honda Civic Hybrid (2007-2010)
Production period: 2006-2010
Body versions : limousine
Engines: Petrol engine :
1.3 liters (70–81 kW)
+ electric motor :
15 kW
Length: 4545 mm
Width: 1750 mm
Height: 1430 mm
Wheelbase : 2700 mm
Empty weight : 1368 kg
Civic "Hybrid"

From April 2006, Honda combined the 1.3 liter four-cylinder (70 kW [95 PS] and 123 Nm torque), which had been increased by 20 percent, with a new electric motor, which now delivers 15 kW (20 PS) and 103 Nm torque ( 50 percent more than in the "IMA") can contribute to the overall performance. The battery pack has been reduced in size by around 13 percent; the trunk volume could be increased to 350 liters. In addition, the new model will only be delivered with a continuously variable CVT automatic transmission in order to further increase the efficiency of the overall concept. In addition, the Civic Hybrid can only run with electric drive for a few kilometers. The list price was given in March 2007 at 23,800 euros.

At the end of 2010 this model was discontinued and replaced by the Honda Insight .

Driving performance and the environment

The performance of the Civic IMA is roughly the same as that of a 1.6-liter sedan, with the combined consumption according to ECE of 4.9 liters per 100 km corresponding to that of a small car. In 2004, Honda received the "Engine of the Year" award in the 1.0 to 1.4 liter class for this hybrid drive . In the Civic “Hybrid”, it was possible to further reduce consumption to 4.6 liters. According to the manufacturer, you can cover 1068 km with one tank of fuel. With CO 2 emissions of 109 g / km, the vehicle takes a leading position among environmentally friendly vehicles. In the “ Auto-Umweltliste 2007” of the Verkehrsclub Deutschland , the Civic Hybrid was the most environmentally friendly of more than 350 cars as in the previous year, followed by the Toyota Prius . In 2008, the Prius pushed the Civic from first to second place.

Civic Hybrid 24h race

In 2007, Honda sent a Civic with hybrid drive to the start of the 35th 24-hour race at the Nürburgring . The car driven by Klaus Niedzwiedz ( n-tv ), journalists Martin Westerhoff and Christian Schön ( Auto Bild Motorsport ) and Auto-Bild test driver Henning Klipp took 108th place in the overall standings out of 220 teams that started. In the class of alternative drives, in which turbodiesel vehicles more than twice as powerful also competed, the team came in sixth.

The average consumption is said to have been 3.5 liters per race lap; for one lap (a little over 25 km) the team needed about 12 minutes. So, extrapolated, the car consumed around 14 liters per 100 kilometers.

  • Civic Hybrid 24h race

  • Honda Civic Hybrid (since 2012)

See also

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Spiegel online 2006 about the Civic Hybrid
  2. ↑ Ökotest magazine 3/2007, p. 101

Web links

Commons : Honda Civic Hybrid  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files