Yep, I use trip B as tank mileage, and trip A for individual trips or tests, anywhere from 10-50 miles, depending on what I'm measuring/testing.

 

I've found that it won't hold speed for an extended period of time at any speed over 15-20 MPH. The speed bleed off is pretty slow though, about 1 MPH every 4-5 seconds @ 30MPH. As speed goes up, the bleed rate goes up. Also, note that you can't get the full 20HP from the DC motor in EV mode. I've only been able to get 4 bars of assist; if I increase throttle pressure to get more, the ECU turns the ICE back on.

About 5MPH or less, I think (depends on how fast you are stopping).

No.

Correct, and I was only able to get into EV mode at speeds above 10MPH or so.

 

I think that's just an oversimplification on the part of Honda's marketing dept, no Honda engineer would explain it that way It's really independent of speed. If you take your foot off the gas, the valves close, at any speed. If you then apply gentle throttle pressure, the ECU will first try to meet your demand with DC only. If it can't, it turns the ICE back on.

Yes, even as low as 25MPH. Cruise control is no different as far as the ECU is concerned. If you are on a slight decline and the DC motor can provide the power needed to maintain the CC set speed, it will happily tool along in EV mode. Whenever I hit a flat or incline, the ICE will re-engage as needed to maintain the CC set speed.

In my area, I don't have any true flat areas, so it's hard for me to say what a true steady state looks like. The ECU is constantly adjusting for the conditions though; I've seen it switch back and forth between zero fuel flow and ICE on as often as once per second, depending on how often I (or the CC) change the throttle position.

 

Nope, no interlock. It seems to simply be based on throttle pressure, regardless of whether that input is coming from my foot or the CC. In fact, I've been in EV mode at 60MPH in CC, going up a hill because I had picked up some extra speed coming off the previous downhill. As soon as that speed bleeds off though (assuming it does before I hit the top of the hill), the ICE kicks back on to maintain 60MPH.

The benefit doesn't come from extended periods in EV mode, it's many little segments of EV mode that add up to give better average FE.

 

The engine turns off when you release the gas pedal but it doesn't technically stop until you've braked down to about 4 mph at most.

By the way, letting the engine spin with the wheels is a good thing. What's bad is that the car activates regenerative braking whenever you release the gas pedal, causing the car to slow down slightly. Superior FE could be attained if one could activate a true coast (but still allowing the engine to spin).

One way is for the car to only use regenerative brakes when coasting if it detects it's on a downhill. The other is to make touching the gas pedal (while barely pressing it) disengage regenerative braking without starting up the engine.

Either one of those methods would be great. And the reason the car should arguably be allowed to use regenerative brakes without explicitly using the brake is that people will have to brake down large hills to maintain speed, but they're taught that that'll destroy them since it's bad with other cars. It'll be fine in the HCH but they won't know that. Also they wouldn't be expecting the car to speed up so much on downhills.

 

Thanks to both of you guys!

 

And that's essentially what the 06HCH does, although you have to maintain the throttle pressure precisely to keep the regen off.

 

Highway 101 between SJC and SFO is as flat as a pancake. 880 between SJC and OAK is almost as flat.

 

True, but both are also slow as molasses. Maybe I just need to get up early on Sunday to go do some tests

 

True, but they flow freely after 10 or 11PM on week nights. 85 is also almost flat and it's less congested.