Honda Insight

2001 February: Hans Tholstrup set a new Australian fuel consumption record of 43.5km/litre by driving a Honda Insight more than 1700kms from Brisbane to Melbourne on 37.75 litres of fuel [-Honda]. (It should be remembered that (all) such record runs are done using special driving techniques, but the run is nevertheless very impressive.) The Insight went on sale in Australia at 48,900 in March 2001.

1999: The Honda Insight went on sale in America in December. -Honda --> A two seater, it has a 1 litre, 3-cylinder VTEC petrol engine with an integrated electric motor - where the flywheel goes. The brushless DC electric motor helps the petrol engine during acceleration and hill climbing. It also acts as a generator to charge nickel hydride batteries at times of low power demand and to effect `regenerative braking'. The petrol engine stops automatically when the car is stationary for more than a short while.

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The Insight as not the most attractive car on the roads but the shape does achieve a very low coefficient of drag, Cd=0.25. The use of aluminium and plastic for some panels keeps weight down to 820kg. All this contributes to a claimed fuel consumption figure of 3.36 litres per 100km in tests by the United States Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Australians got to see the Insight at the Melbourne Motor Show.

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