Alex, your explanation and comparisons of the power split / full battery implications and the effects on brake feel were excellent. I've yet to see anyone else on UA-cam (or perhaps elsewhere) go this in-depth with this level of clarity. These bits of extra knowledge and facts in your reviews almost beg for separate guide videos just covering those topics. Great work!
All your reviews are really great.....I bought a Honda Accord and Toyota Highlander after watching your reviews....confirmed my thoughts about how good those cars are. Thanks for all your great work . Nobody beats your reviews.
The Volt works in my situation. My daily commute is around 50 miles a day. My MPG's is always in the hundreds. My goal has always been to burn as little gas as possible!
Best car reviewer even including tv car shows, best way to make an informed decision about buying a vehicle. Great content. Keep up the outstanding work and thanks
Great review, I really appreciate the serial hybrid diagram. I know there are separate videos for infotainment but I'd appreciate a brief summary opinion in the main review videos.
Thank you for your excellent reviews. I enjoy the quantity of information and tech specs you provide. Your error ratio is much lower than most reviewers and I regulalry link people to your videos when they are interested in a vehicle. I do want to correct one bit of information regarding the Prius and how it handles excess battery charge during regen. When the battery becomes full from regen braking the system will engage the engine and spin it to shunt the excess energy. I've observed this quite a bit in my 2005 then my 2012. RPM generally ramps up to around 3,000-3,500 (observed with a Scangauge 2) until the energy has been expended. The sound the engine makes during this time has frightened more than a few owners who thought their car was about to accelerate out of control. Fortunately this never happens as you well know. I now have a Volt and cannot comment on how it handles the issue but I believe you are correct.
The Prius does use the gasoline engine for engine braking, but the manner in which it uses it is very different from the Accord. In the Prius the energy is almost all mechanically directed from the wheels to the engine. The Prius is primarily a parallel hybrid although it can operate in limited manners as a serial hybrid. This means that engine braking and the regen braking feel still changes slightly. When the battery is full MG2 and MG1 work together to spin the engine, but in this configuration at least 80% of the power is mechanically transmitted. With the Accord, 100% of the power is sent electronically, so regen braking still feels the same but the power goes to the generator unit to spin the engine. It's quite a novel twist.
Great detailed review as always. Couple of errors/comments: 1) Fusion Energi battery is rather 7.6 kwH (not 10) compared to 6.6 kWh Accord PHEV. The mpgE is higher on Accord so difference isn't big. Honda uses 55% of capacity (very high I guess to preserve battery lifetime). Typically charges in about 3 hours at home for 3.7 kwH (or 40 min at 240w). 2) You can drive up to 65 mph in pure EV mode but yes in moderate or higher acceleration it will use ICE to assist 3) For most people PHEV is same price as EV currently since federal rebate is $ 3,626 (only need gross income tax liability of at least that amount) and for CA additional $ 1,500. Note though that both of those could run out eventually and you do lose some cargo space
Honda rates the battery pack at 4.6kWh usable capacity in the Plug-In. This is done to extend the life of the battery as complete charge/discharge cycles are bad for most battery chemistries. The usable capacity is essentially in the middle of the battery's capacity window so it will never be either "full" or "empty". This is a usable capacity of about 68% or so and is largely similar to what the Volt does with its battery (16.5kWh 10.8 usable). The Fusion Energi on the other hand has a usable capacity of 7.2kWh (of a total 7.6 as you mentioned), or about 60% higher and it has the a higher discharge rate which is why it drives differently. The Ford battery is almost completely used in a complete charge/discharge cycle and has the possibility of "wearing" faster. On the same road in the same climate the Fusion has a real world driving range that is 60-70% longer than the Accord even though the Accord is slightly more efficient. This is down to the size of the battery as well as some efficiency differences at varying speeds.
Alex on Autos Yes but in real world it's not quite those numbers: if I fully drain the Accord PHEV battery I get consistently max 3.8 kwH charge. Diff must be remaining battery charge for HEV mode but it won't go below that even if you try to drain more by driving super slow. Second in my testing I didn't see 60-70% more EV range with the Fusion. For me it was more similar what C&D got (just 1-2 mile difference). But reason for that is most likely that I'm able to get consistently 18-20 miles by only switching manually to EV mode when I don't need more than 2 bars of energy. Takes bit more work but I couldn't get that with Fusion but I had only limited time to test EV range there.
Another excellent and informative review. Can you do a review of the C-Max Energi next? Also, I think the usable capacity on the Fusion Energi is 5.4kWh, not 7.2kWh.
Makes one wonder if the Japanese manufacturers get together on styling and parts, or just follow one another. The sweeping chrome on the grill into the headlights is reminiscent of the Highlander and Avalon.
The face is really not well designed. Proportion is weird. Can be the artifact of the camera though, haven't seen one in person. BTW, I'm very happy with my purchase of Ford Fusion Hybrid Ti. Thanks for your advice Alex! I'm getting somewhere around 41-43 mpg.
Great video. I love watching your videos as you really go in depth and boy do I appreciate that. I own a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and I own a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. My major complaint with the trailblazer was if you have a large drink from say McDonalds or Jack in the box in the 2 cup holders in front of the gear shift. You couldn't put the trailblazer in park. Now with the ford fusion, if you have a large drink in the cup holder. You have to reach up and around the large drink to the gear shifter. It seems like with the honda you will have to do the same thing like reaching up and over for the gear shifter. I'm really happy with my ford fusion hybrid. I looked at the Honda Accord Hybrid and I really like them as well.
I'm about to get rid of my 2nd Volt after several mechanical issues. Used PHEV Accords go for $20k now. Do you think it makes a good candidate to replace my Volt?
Thanks for a great review Alex. My wife is interested in buying Accord plugin for commuting to work in the bay area. Her commute is all highway miles of 20 one way and she has charging station at work. The car is supposed to go 13 miles on battery charge, but you imply in your post that at highway speeds it uses gas engine. How does her driving situation benefit from having a plugin hybrid other than the obvious benefit of a carpool access sticker?
I'm considering the accord hybrid, thanks to you. Just wondering if non-hybrid mpg ratings are inflated. I doubt the test courses include being stuck idling in traffic jams and gridlock several hours a week as in big city real life, in which case it should take fewer years to earn back the hybrid premium. Thoughts? Thank you.
That is the trouble with "city" MPG numbers. The MPG test cycle doesn't really include that much idling and slow traffic. In general hybrids would give you the best fuel economy in this type of situation but the 4cylinder Accord does quite well also.
Alex, They say the battery helps the Accord PHEV achieve an all-electric driving range of 13 miles, along with a combined 115 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating when using just the electric motor. Also, in hybrid mode, the car is good for 47 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway. Ok...Now, I'm a bit confused...Let's say, I'm having a daily work-home commute of 50miles/1way. What are those 13miles for? Why would I choose the Accord Plug-in over the Accord Hybrid, if I'm getting less mileage and what's the 115mpg to do with the overall mileage Honda claims? Can you enlighten my life please! I'm a bit confused...Thank you.
I am a bit split about which one should I choose..the hybrid or the plug-in version. As I said earlier, I am doing around 120miles/day commute from zip 10467 to 12553 via Thruway or Bear Mountain's Route 9W. The main goal is to save gas and in the meantime have the reliability and...torque, of course. You advice, please. Thanks again.
It is 59 miles each way starting at 1,100 feet, going up to 2,200 ft then down to sea level. There's a mix of mountain highway, freeway, 12 or so miles of city driving and some moderate traffic. Right before the office there's another 800 ft mill to climb before going back to sea level again.
Alex, your explanation and comparisons of the power split / full battery implications and the effects on brake feel were excellent. I've yet to see anyone else on UA-cam (or perhaps elsewhere) go this in-depth with this level of clarity. These bits of extra knowledge and facts in your reviews almost beg for separate guide videos just covering those topics. Great work!
All your reviews are really great.....I bought a Honda Accord and Toyota Highlander after watching your reviews....confirmed my thoughts about how good those cars are. Thanks for all your great work . Nobody beats your reviews.
The Volt works in my situation. My daily commute is around 50 miles a day. My MPG's is always in the hundreds. My goal has always been to burn as little gas as possible!
One pice of suggestion, some night scene featuring the lights would be nice.
Best car reviewer even including tv car shows, best way to make an informed decision about buying a vehicle. Great content. Keep up the outstanding work and thanks
Wow, this guy knows his facts, very accurate and easy to learn about. Thanks
Great review, I really appreciate the serial hybrid diagram. I know there are separate videos for infotainment but I'd appreciate a brief summary opinion in the main review videos.
Thank you for your excellent reviews. I enjoy the quantity of information and tech specs you provide. Your error ratio is much lower than most reviewers and I regulalry link people to your videos when they are interested in a vehicle. I do want to correct one bit of information regarding the Prius and how it handles excess battery charge during regen. When the battery becomes full from regen braking the system will engage the engine and spin it to shunt the excess energy. I've observed this quite a bit in my 2005 then my 2012. RPM generally ramps up to around 3,000-3,500 (observed with a Scangauge 2) until the energy has been expended. The sound the engine makes during this time has frightened more than a few owners who thought their car was about to accelerate out of control. Fortunately this never happens as you well know. I now have a Volt and cannot comment on how it handles the issue but I believe you are correct.
The Prius does use the gasoline engine for engine braking, but the manner in which it uses it is very different from the Accord. In the Prius the energy is almost all mechanically directed from the wheels to the engine. The Prius is primarily a parallel hybrid although it can operate in limited manners as a serial hybrid. This means that engine braking and the regen braking feel still changes slightly. When the battery is full MG2 and MG1 work together to spin the engine, but in this configuration at least 80% of the power is mechanically transmitted. With the Accord, 100% of the power is sent electronically, so regen braking still feels the same but the power goes to the generator unit to spin the engine. It's quite a novel twist.
Great detailed review as always. Couple of errors/comments:
1) Fusion Energi battery is rather 7.6 kwH (not 10) compared to 6.6 kWh Accord PHEV. The mpgE is higher on Accord so difference isn't big. Honda uses 55% of capacity (very high I guess to preserve battery lifetime). Typically charges in about 3 hours at home for 3.7 kwH (or 40 min at 240w).
2) You can drive up to 65 mph in pure EV mode but yes in moderate or higher acceleration it will use ICE to assist
3) For most people PHEV is same price as EV currently since federal rebate is $ 3,626 (only need gross income tax liability of at least that amount) and for CA additional $ 1,500. Note though that both of those could run out eventually and you do lose some cargo space
Honda rates the battery pack at 4.6kWh usable capacity in the Plug-In. This is done to extend the life of the battery as complete charge/discharge cycles are bad for most battery chemistries. The usable capacity is essentially in the middle of the battery's capacity window so it will never be either "full" or "empty". This is a usable capacity of about 68% or so and is largely similar to what the Volt does with its battery (16.5kWh 10.8 usable). The Fusion Energi on the other hand has a usable capacity of 7.2kWh (of a total 7.6 as you mentioned), or about 60% higher and it has the a higher discharge rate which is why it drives differently. The Ford battery is almost completely used in a complete charge/discharge cycle and has the possibility of "wearing" faster. On the same road in the same climate the Fusion has a real world driving range that is 60-70% longer than the Accord even though the Accord is slightly more efficient. This is down to the size of the battery as well as some efficiency differences at varying speeds.
Alex on Autos Yes but in real world it's not quite those numbers: if I fully drain the Accord PHEV battery I get consistently max 3.8 kwH charge. Diff must be remaining battery charge for HEV mode but it won't go below that even if you try to drain more by driving super slow.
Second in my testing I didn't see 60-70% more EV range with the Fusion. For me it was more similar what C&D got (just 1-2 mile difference). But reason for that is most likely that I'm able to get consistently 18-20 miles by only switching manually to EV mode when I don't need more than 2 bars of energy. Takes bit more work but I couldn't get that with Fusion but I had only limited time to test EV range there.
If I’m ever kidnapped and stuffed in my own trunk it’s nice to know someone has reviewed the best cars for that .
Another excellent and informative review. Can you do a review of the C-Max Energi next? Also, I think the usable capacity on the Fusion Energi is 5.4kWh, not 7.2kWh.
i like your reviews alex , why there is no TV channel noticed you and gave you a job ???
Makes one wonder if the Japanese manufacturers get together on styling and parts, or just follow one another. The sweeping chrome on the grill into the headlights is reminiscent of the Highlander and Avalon.
The face is really not well designed. Proportion is weird. Can be the artifact of the camera though, haven't seen one in person.
BTW, I'm very happy with my purchase of Ford Fusion Hybrid Ti. Thanks for your advice Alex! I'm getting somewhere around 41-43 mpg.
Great video. I love watching your videos as you really go in depth and boy do I appreciate that. I own a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and I own a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. My major complaint with the trailblazer was if you have a large drink from say McDonalds or Jack in the box in the 2 cup holders in front of the gear shift. You couldn't put the trailblazer in park. Now with the ford fusion, if you have a large drink in the cup holder. You have to reach up and around the large drink to the gear shifter. It seems like with the honda you will have to do the same thing like reaching up and over for the gear shifter. I'm really happy with my ford fusion hybrid. I looked at the Honda Accord Hybrid and I really like them as well.
Can't wait to stop driving my jeep with a stellar 4mpg 😣. I wonder how much money I'll save with this car?
Solid Review!
I'm about to get rid of my 2nd Volt after several mechanical issues. Used PHEV Accords go for $20k now. Do you think it makes a good candidate to replace my Volt?
Thanks for a great review Alex. My wife is interested in buying Accord plugin for commuting to work in the bay area. Her commute is all highway miles of 20 one way and she has charging station at work. The car is supposed to go 13 miles on battery charge, but you imply in your post that at highway speeds it uses gas engine. How does her driving situation benefit from having a plugin hybrid other than the obvious benefit of a carpool access sticker?
Hi, is it good honda accord plug in hybrid? I want to buy it, do you recommend me buy it?
I'm considering the accord hybrid, thanks to you. Just wondering if non-hybrid mpg ratings are inflated. I doubt the test courses include being stuck idling in traffic jams and gridlock several hours a week as in big city real life, in which case it should take fewer years to earn back the hybrid premium. Thoughts? Thank you.
That is the trouble with "city" MPG numbers. The MPG test cycle doesn't really include that much idling and slow traffic. In general hybrids would give you the best fuel economy in this type of situation but the 4cylinder Accord does quite well also.
Alex, They say the battery helps the Accord PHEV achieve an all-electric driving range of 13 miles, along with a combined 115 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating when using just the electric motor. Also, in hybrid mode, the car is good for 47 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway. Ok...Now, I'm a bit confused...Let's say, I'm having a daily work-home commute of 50miles/1way. What are those 13miles for? Why would I choose the Accord Plug-in over the Accord Hybrid, if I'm getting less mileage and what's the 115mpg to do with the overall mileage Honda claims? Can you enlighten my life please! I'm a bit confused...Thank you.
The 13 EV miles would help boost your overall MPGs up to maybe 60-65 MPG overall from 45MPG(ish). This is the same idea going on in the Prius plug in.
I am a bit split about which one should I choose..the hybrid or the plug-in version. As I said earlier, I am doing around 120miles/day commute from zip 10467 to 12553 via Thruway or Bear Mountain's Route 9W. The main goal is to save gas and in the meantime have the reliability and...torque, of course. You advice, please. Thanks again.
***** In my opinion, the plug-in only makes sense if there is an HOV or carpool benefit. While you may save money some day, it won't be any time soon.
So, what you suggestion is?
*****
go for the hybrid. Getting a plugin might take awhile to see a return in savings. Just my guess though.
hello I have a question, is it possible to put the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid engine with its hybrid system in the 2013 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid?
Can you review at 2013-14 hyundai genesis sedan before the new one comes out
Hey Alex, not sure if this has been asked before, but what's your commute?
It is 59 miles each way starting at 1,100 feet, going up to 2,200 ft then down to sea level. There's a mix of mountain highway, freeway, 12 or so miles of city driving and some moderate traffic. Right before the office there's another 800 ft mill to climb before going back to sea level again.
So is the car an EV or does it take gas?
so how many miles do I get on a full charge?
The wheel is a hubcap by the way
Is that a typo at 4:09? "115 MPG3 Electric" did you mean "MPGe" ?
TCI. LOL....nice one...
About 50 k fully equipped in Canada...lol
simrdown mon Yeah US has great prices. A car like this i would want not used...but the price is too crazy.
1:19
He’s starts calculating
The Volt is a clown car. Once you are in it's fine but getting in and out is laughable.
Lol