Hello everyone!
I was talking to a guy yesterday about my car. (He has a car that runs on CNG.) He asked me if there were any solar and/or plug-in options for the Civic Hybrid. I know that many companies are doing things like this for the Prius. Has anyone seen anything like this for the Civic? I have searched the forums and google with no results. I know some were saying that a solar panel or plug-in system would not be beneficial to a Civic, because of the way that it integrates the two motors. Is this true?

Thanks,
Colby

 

I believe that people are working on plug in civics but it is very difficult to do.

As for solar panels it is not cost effective to put them ON the car, so it would simply be a plug in hybrid that uses solar panels for electricity, but that is the end of my knowledge.

 

Some relevant threads:

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...ad.php?t=14703

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...ad.php?t=13762

If you go to the second link and go to the first post, you can see an example of an in-car installed solar panel setup for the HCH-II. However, many electrical/physics-minded forum members have pointed out that the fuel economy benefits would be negligibly minimal. Good luck though! I would consider installing a similar setup with enough time and some spare cash

 

I have seen those posts, but I am more interested that if someone has made something like this for the civic:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005...oweraugme.html

http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html

THX

 

Not going to happen with the current configuration, I'm afraid.
The benefits would be less worthy than on the Prius, due to the MUCH smaller electric motor on the Civic. This is also why (small electric motor) it cannot propel the Civic by itself from a dead start. More battery would not change that.
I'm hopeful that I'm proven wrong, though

 

I'm also interested in a solar roof panel like this for a Honda Civic Hybrid.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005...oweraugme.html

I'm not worried about the pay back period or or a return on my investment at this time. I would just like to know if there is a way to charge the Civic's main batteries using a solar panel on the rood. I realize that we are talking high voltage here but is there a way to tap into the civic's electrical system in some way and charge the main batteries? Maybe the power port or the fuse panel? Again, I'm not worried about the pay back at this time.

Thanks.

Joe

 

Yeah. I know that the IMA works a lot differently than Hybrid Synergy Drive, but wouldn't having a solar panel on the roof keep the battery topped off? That way you could coast for much longer times, because you wouldn't need to regen. It would also prevent the battery from draining so low that it has to go into forced regen. I think that if they do it for the Pruis, the should be able to figure out a way to do it for the HCH.

 

I too am super interested in the idea of a "PLUG IN CIVIC". I recently had a diesel bus modified to run on waste vegetable oil and I also have a HCH07 that I would love to see modified to be a "plug in". My work has one of those parking spots where you can leave your car plugged in (designed for electric cars)...I would love to plug in HCH!!!

I saw the Prius website and I will def check that out since i am already in LA,
but does anyone know of anything like this taking place for the civic?

I'm ready to be modified!!!!

 

I think a lot of us are ready to be modified, but its just not gonna happen with the civic. The way that it uses IMA would just not benefit much from a solar panel. I thought that the solar panel would keep the IMA battery charged and thus going into forced regen less and letting the car coast farther (not having to charge on coasting), but apparently it wouldn't. Otherwise someone probably would have made one. The thing is, I haven't even heard of anyone experimenting with a plug in or solar civic. Maybe you can be the first! (cuz i sure couldn't figure out how to do that).

 

Although the Civic doesn't work like the Prius with the electric only under 35mph, having the Civic battery topped off when you get in the car would really help after the car is warmed up. 3 things it would help me with is:

1) I'll get better Assist on hills - the higher the SoC, the better it assists with the torque.

2) Further coasting ability without dropping the SoC into forced regen as quickly (if I start at 5 bars SoC I really have to manage the assist/regen to get some coasting in vs starting at 8 bars)

3) Although I don't use the A/C when I'm the only one in the car, I do use it when my wife or daughter are riding with me. As all of us know the A/C is the worst on the SoC charge, especially when you're in AutoStop. I'm in forced regen 1/2 the time my family is in the car because the SoC continuously drops below 5 bars! If I were to start at 8 bars (full charge), I could at least go a lot further in town before dropping into forced regen!