Honda has unveiled the CR-V Hybrid prototype, which is going to debut next week at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Honda CR-V Hybrid will be Honda’s first ever hybrid SUV.
The CR-V Hybrid is powered by a two-motor i-MMD (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) system that mates an electric propulsion motor to a 2.0-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder Atkinson cycle gasoline engine and a separate electric generator motor. The hybrid system does not need a conventional transmission, fitted instead with a single fixed-gear ratio. Honda says that the fixed gear ratio enables a smooth transfer of torque within the system.
The i-MMD system automatically selects the ideal drive mode: EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive. In EV Drive, the electric propulsion motor draws its power solely from the batteries, delivering zero-emissions driving. In Hybrid Drive, the gasoline engine supplies power to the electric generator motor, which in turn delivers power to the electric propulsion motor. In this mode, excess power from the gasoline engine is diverted back via the generator motor to recharge the battery pack. In Engine Drive, the wheels are directly driven by the gasoline engine, with an ‘on-demand’ peak power ‘boost’ available from the electric propulsion motor.
In most urban driving situations, the vehicle will move between Hybrid Drive and EV Drive for optimum efficiency.
The Honda CR-V Hybrid will go on sale in Europe next year. Honda has yet to announce when the CR-V Hybrid will arrive in they U.S.
Source: Honda
