Posts Tagged ‘Honda’

Filed under: Etc., Hybrid, Honda, Racing

Got a hankering to waste some of your precious Thursday evening on a video game? Like hybrid cars? Well then, we’ve got great news for you! Honda has gone ahead and created the online game of your wildest dreams: 3 Mode Mania. Naturally, the subject of the game is the new 2011 CR-Z, and, as is the case with just about every racing game ever created, the goal is to drive along a course as quickly as possible.

There are three tracks to choose from, a bunch of CR-Zs in multiple colors and, as its name suggests, three different modes (Econ, Normal and Sport), each a bit faster and harder than the previous. Give it a whirl. It’s certainly not the best automotive video game we’ve ever played – in fact, it’s probably one of the worst – but perhaps it’ll give you something to do while passing the time until the So You Think You Can Dance results show comes on… Check it out here.

[Source: Honda via Carscoop]

Take the Honda CR-Z on a virtual race with 3 Mode Mania originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Green

In need of an update

A better ride coming soon

In some respects the Honda Insight has been a failure. Sales of the hybrid have fallen fall short of Honda’s expectations and many consumers – even Consumer Reports – have slammed the shoddy ride quality of the Insight.

Fortunately, a number of new upgrades to the vehicle are in the works.

According to reports coming out of the UK, but applicable globally, a new suspension with “an adjusted spring recoil-rate, new rear axle mounts and an adjustment to rear camber angles” should provide Insight drivers with a much smoother ride.

Likewise, the new Insight will offer new colors and better interior materials, including leather.

Hybridcarblog

Can this really change the auto industry?

Game changer? Not any time soon

The latest energy bill provides nice tax credits for natural gas vehicles. Honda executive claims, “This could be a game-changer.”

“The Volt is a game-changing product,” recently claimed a Volt executive.

Maybe. Nonetheless, shouldn’t we wait until the game actually changes before claiming a product a “game changer”?

As the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize comes to an end, for instance, one thing appears obvious, just “how difficult it will be to make truly revolutionary improvements to the automobile.” Despite numerous hybrid and plug-in attempts, only one technology has emerged as the most “revolutionary” potential game changer: weight reduction.

Ultimately, the game isn’t really changing, and the only reason there is any change at all has nothing to do with “game-changing” products. Instead, new CAFE regulations are forcing automakers to make a few changes. Of course, not enough changes to have any real impact on oil dependence, or even foreign oil dependence.

Even if every other American commuter drove a Chevy Volt 40 miles or less per day, so that only electricity was used, America would still be heavily dependent upon foreign oil. That’s how little and how slowly the game is actually changing.

One day plug-in vehicles, natural gas and/or many other technologies could become real game changers. Unfortunately, none of today’s “game changers” are set to cause a revolution in the US auto industry any time soon. Likewise, any number of technological breakthroughs across many different technologies could easily make today’s “game changers” irrelevant.

“Game changer?” Sadly, the auto industry still has a long way to go before they can rightly claim such a description.

Hybridcarblog

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Canada, Racing

The IndyCar Series stayed north of the border after the last race in Toronto, moving from the street circuit around the CN Tower to the City Centre Airport course in Edmonton. One of the best tracks for fans, the flat circuit offers views of most of the action from virtually any vantage point. The view the drivers were seeing going into Sunday’s race was all too familiar – Will Power was back to his dominating ways, with quickest times in practice and through much of qualifying. Would last year’s winner hold on for the pole? Would he capture another win, distancing himself even further from the rest of the pack in the championship standings?

Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton played out.

[Images: Robert Laberge, Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images, Jeff McIntosh, John Ulan/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton offers a view to a thrill [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton offers a view to a thrill [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog

Will lithium help sell mild hybrids?

Just a glorified start/stop system?

While Honda was the early bird in the hybrid game, Honda’s hybrids have never been able to compete with Toyota Prius sales, and Honda’s less electric hybrid powertrain is one big reason for this difference.

Likewise, GM’s mild hybrid powertrain was even significantly less successful than Honda’s.

Of course, today, Honda is still selling mild hybrids, while GM is not. Eventually, however, GM will upgrade its mild hybrid powertrain with a new lithium battery pack and a few other tweaks.

Still, will mild hybrids ever be as successful as the Prius? Is there even a business case for mild hybrids?

According to a new report, just after 2012 selling mild hybrids might become more difficult than ever as direct injection and turbocharging become more common and cheaper in conventional vehicles, and as the costs of full hybrid cars, such as the Prius, decline.

Nonetheless, by 2015 there could be a market for up to 1 million mild hybrids worldwide per year – or 2 percent of global sales, the report notes. On the other hand the same research finds that full hybrids will achieve 3 times that sale’s figure.

Thus, it seems mild hybrid vehicles might develop into an interesting niche, but they will never compete with full hybrid cars. Moreover, the sale’s potential of mild hybrids could soon peak, just as full hybrids are projected to make serious gains in new vehicle market share.

Via Hybridcarblog