Honda Unveils Insight's Eco Assist
Last week, Ford revealed a new energy-conscious instrument cluster — filled with interactive leaves — for the Fusion and Milan hybrids. Ford’s reasoning was that hybrid owners demand better communication in order to maximize fuel efficiency. Well, it appears Honda and Ford hired the same analysts, because Honda has just revealed a very similar system.
Honda’s system, dubbed Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) will debut in the spring of 2009 on the all-new Honda Insight. The system uses a two-tier instrument cluster (similar to the Civic’s) to communicate effective driving habits. The speedometer’s background color changes depending on how you're driving — green for light acceleration and cruising, blue for hard acceleration and braking.
The system also features an "ECON" button that, when switched on, optimizes the transmission, powertrain and regenerative braking to optimize fuel consumption. It’s strange to us that Honda would offer such a feature. Why not just program the vehicle to always run in this mode?
Compared with Ford’s SmartGauge with EcoGuide dual LCD screens and reconfigurable software, Honda’s system is distinctly downscale, but then again the Honda Insight will be the cheapest hybrid on the road, according to the company.
We’ll have to wait and see if Toyota follows suit with its own eco display. No doubt it and others will.
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Honestly this is information overload. People need to focus on the road and not play some video game on their dash trying to get all the colors to go green.
This isn't as bad as the torque-distribution graph on the Acura RDX, but still a lot of information.
"Econ" mode probably makes the car drive less responsively or smoothly. The default mode probably drives similar to the current Civic or Fit.
Oh, heck no - I gotta focus on the ECON button, driving efficiently, merging into traffic, not getting run off the road, my charge and assist meter, my RPMs, my speed, whether my speedometer is blue, green, or aqua, my eco guide, my results, and more?
People can barely focus on the road now!
I'm the oddball I suppose. I like the idea. It gives us tech types more options to tinker with. If you're not concerned, then.... just drive the car like normal.
yup agree with the tech type
This looks like an okay idea, but I would rather see Honda put the money into a better hybrid system that delivers more mpg. Integrated Motor Assist can't compete with Toyota's system, which allows electric only operation from 0 to 30 mph. Honda Hybrids can only go electric-only when the car is already moving at about 15 mph, and even then the non functioning gasoline motor is still being turned by the overtaxed electric motor. At least they're talking about pricing the Insight below the Prius, a refreshing change from the Civic Hybrid, which has a higher base price than the larger Prius.
I rented a second gen Prius a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed all of the active MPG readouts and graph of motors/wheels/battery. Once I got used to it, it wasn't much more complicated vs. working an aftermarket CD deck.
It made MPG a sort of game and, while it's easy to detract from that concept, it did result in me increasing MPG over time.
I rented a second gen Prius a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed all of the active MPG readouts and graph of motors/wheels/battery. Once I got used to it, it wasn't much more complicated vs. working an aftermarket CD deck.
It made MPG a sort of game and, while it's easy to detract from that concept, it did result in me increasing MPG over time.
I rented a second gen Prius a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed all of the active MPG readouts and graph of motors/wheels/battery. Once I got used to it, it wasn't much more complicated vs. working an aftermarket CD deck.
It made MPG a sort of game and, while it's easy to detract from that concept, it did result in me increasing MPG over time.
Honda's always had this on the insight, Ford just spruced it up & copied it! I have the original insight, it gives you All the feedback you need.
And to the Guy that said Honda should put more $ into developing better fuel economy for their hybrids, HELLO, they made the highest mileage hybrid in the US, EIGHT YEARS AGO, and NO ONE has built one yet that gets better mileage. NO ONE. 70 MPG For Real.
B. LeVeine,
The original Insight occasionally got good mpg only because it had such a tiny three cylinder gasoline engine. It is really just an upholstered skateboard with a lousy three cylinder engine. A friend of mine has one and gets a whopping 38 mpg in winter weather. Integrated Motor assist is inferior to Toyota's system and Honda pulled the Insight off the market because they only managed to fool a total of 8,000 buyers around the world in seven years on the market.