With the Prius and its brakes in the news all the time at the moment - for all the wrong reasons, I was wondering if the Honda hybrids have similar issues with their brakes? I am assuming they have a regen braking system like the Prius.
There was a post in another thread that mentioned the Ford Fusions were being recalled for a similar reason. Also mentioned in this yahoo news report... U.S. begins probe of Prius as Toyota woes mount - Yahoo! News
Honda hybrids do use regen braking, but with just a 15HP electric motor in the HCH and HI (vs. 60HP MG2 in the 2nd-gen Prius), it's the hydraulic brakes that provide the bulk of the braking capacity in the Hondas. So no, the Honda IMA cars don't have such a noticible regen-to-hydraulic transition "lurch" or the M/G protective cut-out when braking over rough roads, because the hydraulic brakes are providing the majority of the braking effort. I would expect a car like the Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf or Fisker Karma to experience the same kind of transition lurch and protective cut-out though, because they also rely on regenerative braking as much as the Prius.
Not that I know of. I haven't experienced anything when I test drove them. Again, they have less regenerative braking than full hybrids so like justlurking said, they could be using their friction brakes more so the transition isn't there.
the transition on the accord is very evident <17mph autostop, but the abs is not sensitive. so far no braking issues on the HAH.
Perhaps my experience can prove otherwise. Yes, depending on how it is driven the transition is VERY noticeable and not different at all from that of the Gen 2 or Gen 3 Prius. Frankly, the 2010 Prius issues that the media is reporting is an overblown non-issue to me, so again, the whole thing really depends on how it is driven and knowing how most Prius drivers drive, I would not be surprised if they find the experience unexpected. Lastly, the braking effectiveness of the MG (via regen) on the latest Honda hybrids has absolutely nothing to do with the rated horse power. This is where a lot of people (media included) make the mistake of thinking that the MG contribution on these hybrids is primarily HP instead of TORQUE for assist purposes. By the way, the HCH-II is 20 HP and the 2010 Insight is 13-15 HP. Cheers; MSantos
