acdii Report post Posted January 13, 2015 No clutches between the ICE and driveline. More EV performance, stronger motors, and a refined operating system. The Accord system doesnt have a transmission, its all fixed ratio gearing. From what I heard it has a jerky motion to it at certain speeds when going in and out of EV mode due to the clutch. The early insights had 6 speed manual transmissions with a combined electric motor/ICE power plant. It was an electric assist system and did not drive the car on battery alone. It was clunky and slow, and did not get the rated 60 MPG. It also had a habit of going through tires, and being 12" tires, they were hard to find. The Civic also had battery issues that was software related. 3 GrySql, hybridbear and Hybrider reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lolder Report post Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) The "Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive" and "Ford Power Split Device" are versions of a ( C )ontinuously (V)ariable planetary gear (T)ransmission with two motor generators ( MGs ) which are (E)lectronically controlled by software; hence "eCVT". One, MG 1 controls the transmission, starts the engine ( ICE ) and charges the high voltage battery ( HVB ). MG 2 is larger and propels the car and absorbs braking energy. There are no bands, clutches, relays, solenoids, torque converters, alternators, v belts to wear out in the drive train. Everything complicated is done electronically and very smoothly. It is very elegant. Ford and Toyota seem to control the patents and only a few other makers such as Nissan have used it. All Ford, Mercury, Lincoln,Toyota and Lexus hybrids use this system. There are structural differences but the basics and strengths are the same. Like all devices there are problems from time to time but trust us, these are superior in the hybrid world. Edited January 13, 2015 by lolder 5 jeff_h, hybridbear, acdii and 2 others reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites