Honda Odyssey hybrid under consideration
It would appear that Honda is considering making a hybrid version of the new fifth-generation Odyssey, and the buzz is that it could use only half as much fuel as the conventional petrol one.
Takashi Shinchi – Honda’s powertrain assistant large project leader – has said that the Japanese carmaker is taking a petrol-electric version of the Odyssey “under consideration”. We should note that he was one of the leaders of the development of the 2.4-litre engine in the latest gen Odyssey.
According to Shinchi this type of hybrid model – which he stresses is not under development, only under consideration – wouldn’t feature plug-in capabiltiies but that it would still however, see Odyssey’s fuel sue decrease substantially.
He continued saying that fuel use could drop by maybe fifty percent, adding that the Odyssey hybrid might only use as little as 3.8 litres per hundred kilometers.
Shinchi also admitted that the very low floor of the current Odyssey will prove a bit of a challenge in terms of placing battery banks for the hybrid version. The new generation does ride at a meager 150mm from the road, and despite its taller body which makes it sit at 1695mm tall, the interior offers a maximum of 1304mm of inside space.
This is quite the issue and maybe it’s the reason why the model is only “under consideration” because they have to look at all the possibiltieis of where to place the battery while keeping in mind the weight distribution, as well as choosing whether to place it in the forward area or the rear.
When he was asked about a potential timeframe for a production version of this considered Odyssey hybrid he said that he cannot disclose that information.
He did however confirm that there will be no diesel Odyssey because the demand in Japan is very low for a diesel people mover and this means it rules out the global markets as well.
