Honda QC1: In a world full of obscenely expensive EVs and high-end hybrids, Honda has proven to be a leader in practical innovation with the release of the QC1, saving the environment in style without having to fork over an arm and a leg.
This subcompact crossover is not just another member of the crowded ecoconscious crowd; it’s a careful reconsideration of what cheap, green transportation can look like in 2019.
Changing the way we think about affordable Eco-Mobility
The QC1, which stands for Quality Commuter 1″ comes to market at a time when consumers are caught between environmental aspirations and economic practicalities.
Priced to start at $24,890, Honda has made the promise of “eco-conscious driving should not have a premium” highly believable with this vehicle.
“Our insight from researching into this matter, day in and day out, is that the cost too often is the deciding factor and though the environment is a concern for many consumers – it comes second to price.
” says Honda’s Chief Product Strategist, Hiroshi Takahashi. “The QC1 deals with that ambiguity head-on, delivering real environmental value without a financial punishment.
It’s a counter to the broader industry move towards more-and-more expensive electric cars.
Fully electric models from competitors start well above the $35,000 price ceiling Honda set for itself, and that approach is quite evident in our hybrid-first approach, which will reach the majority of middle-income homes with an industry-leading 58 miles per gallon (mpg) combined rating.
Engineering for Efficiency
That’s because the heart of the QC1 is Honda’s latest generation of hybrid system combining a 1.5L Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors.
This setup makes 151 horsepower combined on the fly–far from mighty, but perfectly fine for the way the RAV4 Prime is intended to be used in urban and suburban areas.
The sophistication of the powertrain reveals itself in the seamless shift between electric and gasoline modes.
The QC1’s system is impressively fluid, far less prone to the handbrake nature of power switching that we’ve experienced in older hybrids, and the driving experience is discernibly urbane for a cut-price car.
Another new front where Honda is advancing cell tech. The QC1 gets a 20 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter lithium-ion battery pack that offers better power density compared to its predecessors.
That gets you up to 28 miles before the gasoline engine kicks on, which is enough for many commutes!
Most impressively, Honda’s been able to do this without losing the ride and handling characteristics that have set its vehicles apart for years.
The QC1 provides strong acceleration from a stop, thanks to the instant torque of its electric motors, and a low center of gravity — the product of strategic battery placement — offers surprisingly nimble handling attributes.
Design Philosophy in Practice
The QC1’s outer styling is typical of a no-nonsense Honda interpretation of what the vehicle is all about. It’s 5.4 inches higher than the Civic but 7.2 inches shorter than the CR-V, which puts the QC1 in the Goldilocks zone of maximizing interior volume while remaining manageable in an urban environment.
The drag coefficient is just 0.29, quite the benefit for fuel economy, due in part to the subtle slope of the roofline and equally slight air channels.
But unlike some eco-centric cars who scream “I’m green” at the top of their lungs in terms of design, the QC1 is visually restrained and should age well.
The cabin, meanwhile, is another testament to Honda’s brilliant knack for making the most of space.
The flat floor (thanks to the compact positioning of the battery) lends a far more open feel than one might expect, and the adjustable rear cargo space can be set to provide from 22.4 to 45.7 cubic feet of storage, depending on the seat configuration.
The interior materials also offer a sustainability story – upholstery fabrics are made from recycling plastic bottles and dashboard parts are made from bio-based polymers.
Function-Forward Tech Gear When Tech Does More Than Tech And other stuff too.
Honda has crammed the QC1 full of impressive technology, the development of which however, has a clear line of purpose and is not merely technological featurism.
The driver-oriented interface is based around a 9-inch touchscreen, which offers seamless access to core functions, complemented by traditional controls for well-used features, such as climate control and volume adjustment.
The infotainment system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as standard to reflect the fact almost all of us would rather look at our own smartphone interface rather than a proprietary one.
Four USB-C ports (two from front, two at the rear) cater to today’s users who live with multiple devices.
And for safety, the Honda Sensing suite of safety features becomes standard on all trims with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, and traffic sign recognition.
This is the democratization of safety technology.”Honda is our continuing commitment on the front of occupant protection at every level of the market.
Energy management functions differentiate QC1’s technology package from that in a standard vehicle.
A detailed energy flow graphic assists drivers in operating the vehicle as efficiently as possible, and the navigation system has the capability to calculate routes that maximize battery usage on uphill drives and minimize it downhill, with suggested charging spots along the way.
Green Cred Outside the Powertrain
While the QC1’s hybrid powertrain is its most visible environmental statement, Honda has applied a sustainable philosophy across the board in the vehicle’s design.
Livingood notes that Q 1 production is also made using renewable sources at several facilities, including the company’s Lincoln, Alabama facility, which employs solar arrays that offset production of about 30 percent of the power consumed for QCI.
Material choice also depends from an environmental standpoint. In addition to the reused upholstery fabrics, Honda has upped the proportion of recycled steel in skeletal parts and looked to use less volatile organic compounds when mixing glues and sealants.
The firm has also pledged to procure carbon-neutral production for QC1 line by 2030.
There are even paint choices available which show concern for the planet. The QC1’s signature color – Horizon Blue – uses water-based paint to reduce emissions when applied, but is durable enough to reduce the frequency of repainting throughout the vehicle’s life.
Market Positioning And Competition
The QC1 competes in an increasingly competitive sector, which averages the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona Hybrid.
Now all three of these units have their own throw-your-food-in-the-furnace-and-away-we-go attributes, but the QC1 really impresses because it is not particularly excellent or bad in any way, at least not the way I scored it.
Performance wise, the QC1 has a better fuel efficiency (58mpg vs 37 mpg), and more standard features while still maintaining the same price point as the Corolla Cross Hybrid GetEnumerator: Q1 is slightly better on its fuel efficiency (58mpg vs 37mpg) and have more standard features at the same pricing.
Efficiency for the Kia Niro is about the same, albeit for a higher base price of around $27,000. The Hyundai Kona Hybrid provides similar value but has less cargo capacity and a shorter electric-only range.
Actual Ownership experience
Beyond the spec and features, the QC1 is a sexy box – its reduced energy footprint continues to make us sound like giddy school kids.
Assuming average national fuel prices and electricity rates, Honda says typical daily commute energy costs would be about $850 at today’s prices–about half of the cost of operating a similar sized conventional gasoline vehicle.
The maintenance schedule has been simplified as well; the oil change interval is now 10,000 miles, while the regenerative brake system reduces wear on the mechanical brakes.
Honda estimates the cost of first year maintenance to be around 30% less than that of its traditional IC engine vehicles.
For peace of mind, the warranty safeguards the hybrid battery pack for 8 years / 100,000 miles, while the vehicle is covered with Honda’s standard 3 year / 36,000 miles comprehensive warranty.
It’s not the most generous in the industry, but it’s a sign of Honda’s faith in the QC1’s dependability.
Sustainible is Sensible
The Honda QC1 comes at a time when environmental awareness and financial pressure create difficult crosscurrents for consumers.
By adopting an approach to sustainability which acknowledges that sustainability needs to make economic sense in order for it to be adopted on a broad scale, Honda has designed a car that takes environmental responsibility out of the realms of the aspirational and into the hands of those who are striving to be everyday superheros.
“The cleanest vehicle is the one you can actually buy and drive,” says Takahashi. “Making exclusive eco-luxury doesn’t mean much if it means the rest of the world can’t take that journey, too.”
This is not as exciting as some of the more drastic claims by companies aiming to revolutionize transportation, but it is providing real, beneficial solutions today instead of pipe dream solutions tomorrow.
By lowering the barrier to environmentally friendly driving, however the QC1 has the potential to make a difference in the world simply through sheer numbers, something which may be a struggle for more advanced, yet costly technologies to achieve.
Amid increasingly complicated choices for consumers who care about the environment, and struggle with the conflict between their financial and environmental values, the QC1 is an actually simple proposition: It’s got impact where it counts, at a price you can afford.
In simply rendering this trade-off unnecessary, Honda may have built not only a new car, but also a new model for the way environmental progress might actually happen within the automotive industry: not through huge leaps few can barely access, but through smaller, smarter steps millions might take.