Acura Electric Cars

Introduction
Most Japanese automakers have the mainstream car company as well as the under-affiliate in charge of making luxury vehicles.  This is no different from Acura which is essentially the under-affiliate in charge of making luxury vehicles for Honda, one of the most respected automakers in the world.  Their history with electricity technology starts in 2003 and has continued through to the present day, although releases of actual workable products lag well behind the actual history.

Electric Car Timeline

The first time people heard about the idea of electrification from Acura was actually in a 2003 press release.  This release introduced a new concept car into the mix from Acura known as the DN-X. 

The DN-X has not come to pass in the seven or so years since its introduction and from what can be gleaned in the mainstream media these days it is still little more than a concept.  Even behind closed doors there are really no rumours that suggest anything other than a concept for the DN-X, but since this car was the first Acura concept to carry the idea of electrification it would be remiss not to mention the idea here.

The basic point of the DN-X was to take electrification and create a high-end vehicle that would really reflect not only the tastes of the high-end marketplace but also the performance that would outstrip the common criticism of electric cars as being less powerful than their fossil fuel counterparts. 

In order to facilitate this, Acura’s DN-X design was essentially given a V6 system that would collectively have a displacement value of 3.5 litres.  That engine was then combined with hybrid electric technology in order to create the environmentally friendly side of the car.  The end result was that the sports car was supposed to be able to achieve an efficiency of 42 miles per gallon while at the same time maintaining a 6-speed manual transmission that was capable of speeds in the hundreds of miles per hour range.  Since this car has been nothing more than a concept it is hard to comment on whether or not those goals were achievable, but they certainly were goals that Acura set out to achieve in the 2003 brief.  As of yet however, the DN-X is not real.

What is real on the other hand is the TSX, a car from Acura that is set to go electric in the near future. 

 The Acura TSX’s Electric Car Timeline

During the 2010 Detroit Auto Show that took place in January, the CEO of Honda Takanobu Ito basically guaranteed that Acura would soon be making the leap into the electric marketplace with some hybrid technology being introduced.  Although at the time the remarks were taken to be a little bit cryptic, the fact of the matter is that he has been proven right by time.  A few months later, it was revealed that the 2011 model of the Acura TSX, a long time entry-level luxury sedan stalwart on the assembly lines of Honda, will incorporate hybrid technology into its engine.

The hybrid engine that the 2011 Acura TSX will use has not been specified as of yet, but it is expected that it will be the same kind of hybrid technology that Acura has been experimenting with in the larger context of the Honda product lines.  This means that there will be a conventional V6 engine next to an electric engine that is battery powered.  Smoother acceleration curves will allow the driver of the car to use the electric engine more often and the regenerative braking will also allow the driver to recharge the battery powering the electric engine whenever they brake.

At the moment this is little more than speculation, but if it is true it means that the 2011 Acura TSX will be the first foray into the electric car market for Acura.  They do not have any plans to create fully electric automobiles anytime soon, but they have said that if the Acura TSX sells well in its hybrid form they will quickly begin to create other hybrid engines within their major product lines and make those available from 2012 onwards.

The Acura TSX

The tagline for the 2010 Acura TSX, the car currently in circulation that will be closest in design to the 2011 hybrid Acura TSX, is that it is technically perfect.  This is of course a slogan more than it is a statement of fact, but there are many pieces of technology within the car that have made it uniquely excellent as far as luxury sedans are concerned.

An example of this would be the navigational abilities of this car.  The GPS included with the 2010 Acura TSX is one of the most intelligent around with the ability to understand almost 600 different commands that you could give it.  It also has not only driving directions to just about anywhere in North America, but it also has Zagat functionality to let you know things about the places you travel.  Cars sold in Canada also have the added benefit of being bilingual between English and French.

The 2010 Acura TSX is also notable for having one of the best sound systems of any luxury sedan out there that has a comparable cost to it.  The full audio upgrade that is available for the 2010 model and will be available for the 2011 hybrid model as well will station 10 different speakers throughout the car for a surround sound effect that is difficult to match for any comparable sedan.  Combine this with Bluetooth functionality and hands-free wireless within the car and you’ve certainly got a recipe for high convenience within the Acura TSX.

Conclusion

If the 2011 Acura TSX does indeed end up including hybrid technology along the lines discussed above, it will be a very good spokesperson for electrification.  The features of the Acura TSX have ensured that people will love this car for its convenience and the Honda hybrid technology will also make sure that they love it for its performance.  The electric aspect to many consumers will likely just be icing on that very delicious cake.