Honda is introducing a range of more affordable and efficient e:HEV hybrids, featuring newly developed 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines.
Honda has shared the first details of its next-generation hybrid system, which features all-new 1.5- and 2.0-liter direct-injection Atkinson cycle engines, a new front drive unit, and an integrated cooling system.
The company claims that when paired with their next-generation mid-size platform, currently under development, drivers can expect a fuel efficiency improvement of over 10%.
Honda also highlighted that the new 1.5-liter engine will see a “significant improvement in fuel economy” by expanding the range where engine RPM is highly efficient in balance with engine torque, achieving more than a 40% gain compared to the current 1.5-liter engine used in the e:HEV system.
Additionally, we can expect smaller, more efficient drive units with greater commonality between small- and mid-size systems, which will help significantly lower costs.
Honda has also refined the hybrid powertrain’s various drive modes to enhance both performance and efficiency, ensuring “excellent power output and fuel economy.”
As previously mentioned, all future hybrids will feature a new S+ Shift system that “precisely controls engine RPM during acceleration and deceleration, providing direct drive response and sharp gear shifts.” The system also aims to “stimulate all of the driver’s senses” by enhancing engine sound quality through the audio system. Although this is artificial, Honda claims it amplifies the “sense of oneness between the driver and the vehicle.”
The S+ Shift will debut on the Prelude next year, featuring improved linear shift control logic. It will offer better responsiveness and simulated gear shifts, with Honda emphasizing the experience over realism.
Electric All-Wheel Drive
Next-generation hybrids will also feature a new electric all-wheel drive unit, which can be shared with electric vehicles. This will help reduce costs and complexity while enhancing performance in challenging conditions.
Honda’s New Mid-Size Platform
The new mid-size platform will include “new body rigidity management” to reduce weight, along with a “steering stability index” to improve control during cornering by adjusting the vehicle body’s flex. These updates will lead to a simplified structure, reducing weight by up to 10% compared to current hybrids—around 198 lbs (90 kg). Honda aims to develop the lightest platform in its class, with a “commonality ratio of more than 60%” across all models.
Cost Reduction Goals
Perhaps most notably, Honda intends to reduce the cost of its next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles by up to 50%, comparing the model launching in 2027 to one released in 2018.
Honda aims to sell 1.3 million hybrids annually by 2030, while still planning to transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. This means hybrids will play a key role in the near future, while EVs will become more prevalent over the medium to long term.
