FAQS
WHAT IS i-MMD HYBRID?
It stands for intelligent Multi-Mode Drive – Honda Hybrid Performance. It is our new hybrid powertrain with three drive modes: Engine Drive, Hybrid Drive and Electric Drive. It’s responsive, smooth and efficient – the hybrid you can feel.
HOW DOES HYBRID TECHNOLOGY WORK?
The answers below will help you understand Honda Hybrid Performance. The essentials and benefits of intelligent Multi-Mode Drive: the different modes, how it produces energy, recharges its battery and gives you a refined and quiet yet engaging drive.
Hybrid Performance
How does i-MMD work?
Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive is a hybrid system that combines a petrol engine, two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. Depending on the prevailing conditions, it automatically selects and shifts between three driving modes to ensure optimum performance and efficiency are maintained at all times.
What are the three driving modes?
Engine Drive, Hybrid Drive and Electric Drive:
- Engine Drive is when the petrol engine is powering the car – such as during sustained high-speed motoring.
- Hybrid Drive means the petrol engine and electric motor are sharing the work – for example, when accelerating at speed.
- Electric Drive is when the car is running 100% on silent electric power. This will usually be when accelerating from standstill or low speed cruising.
What happens when I need to overtake?
For quick acceleration, the petrol engine and electric motors are both used to propel the vehicle (Hybrid Drive), minimising the slight delay you experience in a conventional car. If the mood takes you, the ‘Sport’ mode, activated via the drive selector, enables a more responsive throttle input.
When does the car use Electric Drive?
For initial acceleration from stand-still, and at low speeds, the silent electric motor uses power from the battery. A pure electric range of 2km is possible depending on conditions, such as payload, traffic and the type of road. When a top-up of power is required, the generator will begin to recharge the battery. This is all done seamlessly without the need for driver intervention.
What is regenerative braking?
Regenerative braking converts otherwise wasted energy from braking into electricity and stores it in the battery. The electric motor is reversed so that instead of using electricity to turn the wheels, the rotating wheels turn the motor to create electricity.
Hybrid Benefits
What is it like to drive a hybrid?
Much like a regular car – so there's nothing daunting about it –but with enhanced responsiveness, smoothness and efficiency. It glides between modes with Honda Hybrid Performance giving the i-MMD system real feeling for the driver to enjoy.
What are the benefits of owning a hybrid?
Efficiency and economy. Driving a hybrid means consuming less fuel than a conventional car. Consuming less fuel means fewer visits to the service station, which means lower petrol running costs for you and using less fuel means lower emissions – which is good for everyone.
Powering an i-MMD Hybrid
How do I charge the battery?
Relax, you don’t have to do anything. The daily act of driving charges the battery with the flow of energy regulated automatically. No plugging-in, no searching for a charging point. It is simplicity itself.
How does the petrol engine charge the battery?
The engine provides power through the generator motor to charge the battery. The battery charge level is constantly monitored and recharging begins automatically. A gauge on the dashboard indicates the condition of the battery and next to it a 7" LCD Driver Information Interface tells you, at a glance, what the i-MMD system is doing.
How long will a hybrid last?
We have two decades' experience of hybrid powertrains and guarantee the i-MMD components for 5 years or over a distance of 100,000km – whichever comes first.