My terrible morning with the Clarity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Geor99
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Conelite said:
I'm very curious how you calculated these figures. You using a drag coefficient calculator?
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They’re taken from a Caterpillar report on motorhome fuel economy. The document included data for a 4250lb automobile. Below are a couple of screenshots from the document.
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Geor99 said:
Here is some similar behavior and some interesting back and forth on this other Clarity forum on this exact topic:

EV Battery Completely Depleted
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Here is a great video about the Clarity engine and how it works from that other Clarity forum:
The Clarity PHEV does not contain a CVT.

Honda Corporation used marketing doublespeak, in its naming of its "e-CVT" transaxle. This system is used in several Honda product lines, in addition to the Clarity PHEV.

If you'd like to see what's "under the hood", you can do no better that Professor Kelly's videos from Weber State University's automotive tech program:

 

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I'm not a fan of the droning engine sounds in CVT-equipped vehicles (like my 2010 Insight) and was happy to learn in 2016 the upcoming Clarity wouldn't have one. To my disappointment, when the Clarity's engine is running, it sounds like it's hooked to an actual CVT. Because it sounds and acts like an actual CVT, the e-CVT moniker is quite appropriate. Other than the sound in HV, I find driving the Clarity enjoyable, but it's much more enjoyable when the engine is off.
 
insightman said:
I'm not a fan of the droning engine sounds in CVT-equipped vehicles (like my 2010 Insight) and was happy to learn in 2016 the upcoming Clarity wouldn't have one. To my disappointment, when the Clarity's engine is running, it sounds like it's hooked to an actual CVT. Because it sounds and acts like an actual CVT, the e-CVT moniker is quite appropriate. Other than the sound in HV, I find driving the Clarity enjoyable, but it's much more enjoyable when the engine is off.
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I agree with you. I have read about how the engine works; but watching that video really drove home to me how everything works. If you have interest in motors or in the Clarity motor in particular, I STRONGLY recommend taking the 20 minutes or so to watch that video. He does a really good job of explaining everything as he assembles the gears, electric motor,inverter, and drive shafts very clearly in the video.

I was suprised to see 2 oil pumps. Man, those look like a bear to replace; so hopefully that wont be needed:) I also learned how the oil is in use all of the time, even in ev mode; and how the gas engine only mode kicks in when the oil pressure is high. (It is possible that I am confusing oil with transmission fluid here.) He said that it only kicks in when the speed is above 62mph, meaning that non-battery powered mode, which I called gas only mode. THis is different than using the gas engine to charge the battery to propel the car via the electric motor.

He said that there are 3 modes: EV- batteries powering the electric motor, gas engine charging the battery via the inverter to power the electric motor, and above 62 mph where the gas engine turns the gears directly to power the car, which can be in use in tandem with the the other modes. He said that at speeds above 62 mph, the gas engine is more efficient than the electric one. I am sure that I will be corrected if I misunderstood any of this;)
 
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