In a tight battle between 3 electric titans, the 2013 Honda Fit EV has won EPA’s title for the most fuel-efficient car. With its 118 MPGe, the car had to run past fierce competitors, such as the Ford Focus Electric (with 110 MPGe in the city and slightly less on the road) in March and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, whose combined MPGe reaches 112.
Commenting on its achievement, officials from Honda don’t seem surprised: while the Ford Focus Electric can only drive for 76 miles before recharging, the Nissan Leaf for 73 miles and the Mitsubishi i as little as 62 miles , their vehicle can go up to 82 miles on a single whiff of electricity.
Its battery receives the most standing ovations, charging in less than 3 hours if connected to a 240-volt circuit and taking up less space than ever. Even if the Leaf has a 24-kWh Li-ion battery and the Ford Focus Electric a 23 kWh, Honda’s battery is still driving it further down the road.
To explain Honda EV’s success, we must delve a little deeper into its specs: the car rips off the benefits of a 92 kilowatt (123 horsepower) coaxial electric motor that gives off 189 ft-lb of torque. The chassis works with a fully-independent suspension, while the inspiration of the driver-selectable 3-mode electric drive system came from the CR-Z Sport Hybrid.
If you want to see before you buy, the Honda Electric will be cruising down the streets of California and Oregon as early as this summer, while the East Coast won’t be receiving it in its leasing points until next year.
heh, typo, need to change this to 118mpge!
If Mitsubishi kept the concept of “In-wheel motor” used in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MIEV from 2005, they would be getting a range of 160 miles.
I really don’t understand why Mitsubishi stoped using the concept of “In-wheel motor”. It prevents the energy losses in the transmission system.