One key component of that next gen hybrid is that AWD in that system requires three motors. I can't believe Acura would accidentally refer to it as a two-motor system in their own press release if they're introducing an all new platform and powertrain. But depending on how far along the engine development is, the 4G RDX could get the V6 paired with a version of the two motor system, which is what my local Honda Sales Manager insists they were told was happening with the Passport's mid-cycle update. It makes sense since anybody wanting the Passport for off-road use is going to want mechanical AWD. Toyota figured this out as well.

 

I can see Acura providing similar mechanical sh-awd with the new hybrids with a single rear electric motor. The mechanical sh-awd works with an input shaft and clutch plates. Acura/Honda can replace the driveshaft with an eMotor with the same clutch plates. Acura/Honda one rear motor (e)sh-awd will work just like the engine power mechanical system with the added benefit of energy capture with left/right rear wheels regen braking. Not sure if a single electric motor can do regen braking and tq vectoring at the same time like the dual motor found in the MDX/RLX/NSX SH? Acura/Honda might have to do a brake inside and tq vectoring outside system for sh-awd?

 

This is where I say "fuzzy language" - in the Honda press release about the large hybrid drivetrain they don't say "motors" but instead say "drive units" (plural) while the Acura release uses "motors". It's possible that Honda is doing both a hybrid system that's got mechanical AWD and one with eAWD but that just seems like a huge waste of money when it's possible for e-AWD to be high performance (at least enough for non-racing applications). Honda doesn't give Acura much of a leash on R&D either - they don't get to walk their own way on powertrains much (beyond experiments like the NSX/RLX hybrid)

Agree with this - torque vectoring single electric motors have been available on market for a decade (https://chargedevs.com/newswire/elec...clutch-system/) so it shouldn't be hard for Honda to build their own considering torque vectoring is a core skill of theirs.

My guess is that the Type S version would feature a larger battery pack so it can sustain higher performance in the same way the Toyota PHEVs make more power. My thinking is that Honda isn't going to have more than 1 version of their new V6 and all their expertise gained from their EV work should push them towards using as much EV tech as possible.

 

Toyota offers both mechanical and electronic AWD systems in various configurations across the Toyota and Lexus lineups. Heck, unless I'm mistaken the new Rav4 alone can be had with either e-AWD or mechanical AWD depending on trim. There is absolutely no need for the Odyssey or Accord to have mechanical AWD, but if Honda is serious about Trailsport models being sufficiently capable off road, they will continue to give them mechanical AWD.

 

Correction: it looks like the mechanical AWD Rav4 is no longer - at least for now.

 

Why do you feel that they have to have a mechanical AWD system to be credible off road? And how credible does Honda really want to be with that?

The packaging and potential on road performance could outweigh any mechanical system - better weight distribution, less mass (relatively speaking), better acceleration, better economy etc.

Theoretically you can have an electric motor be plenty competent off road (see Rivian) - at least more than enough for a Trailsport or pickup product. The question would be if they will or should do it - my guess is they won't both for budget and time reasons and we'll instead get something close enough. Maybe in a second generation or v1.1 product they'll get there but electric is the way of the future and I think they'd rather figure out how to get the right performance from an electric system than stick with building two separate drivetrains for their large cars.

 

I haven't seen any issues with the rear TMU on the NSX/MDX/RLX hybrids. Honda has occasionally kept old tech forever (K20) so hopefully they are smart enough to just put it back on the new Acura hybrids.

Their business briefing last spring only referenced single motor for their rear e-axles. Was the most disappointing part for me in their presentation, but I wasn't following Acura in the same way a decade ago so I don't know how quietly they kept their tech ahead of announcement.

The RDX has always been substantially tech-decontented vs the MDX so it would not surprise me if it does leave out the TMU while MDX hybrid gets it.

 

It's not me that declared mechanical AWD superior, it's the engineers, and it's a pretty universal opinion. But it makes sense. e-AWD systems are about providing additional rear traction on-demand in an efficient, cost-effective manner. The rear axle motors are simple, generally weak and only work when called upon for traction. By their actions Honda pretty much acknowledged this themselves. The Rav4 TRD and Adventure models both offered mechanical AWD. All of Toyota and Lexus hybrid off-road pickups and SUVs have mechanical AWD. Jeep's 4xe hybrids have mechanical AWD. Subaru hybrids are all mechanical AWD. I can think of no serious off-road hybrids that use an electronic AWD system that by nature focuses on efficiency over capability, and many on-road oriented crossovers still choose to use mechanical AWD.

Dedicated EV's like Rivian and Hummer can be amazingly capable off road, but you cannot not describe their sophisticated, powerful rear axle motor(s) as e-AWD.

 

I can see Honda/Acura going mechanical awd for future hybrid powertrains to keep cost down for HR-V/CR-V/ADX. Mechanical (sh)awd is proven tech and I can see a wider range of decades of reliable use for models that might do more off roading like the Trailsport or 2000-5000lbs of towing like Ridgeline or Pilot/Passports. Acura versions of similar Honda models can tow/off road; but, not at the same numbers as the Honda variants (off roading for my MDX Sport Hybrid is a dirt parking lot). I can see Acura going with eSH-AWD with a mostly pavement diving and having a suspension lean more toward sporty driving (with or without electronic/air suspension).

 

It seems like you're stuck in past state rather than looking at future state - OF COURSE most products of recent times have been using mechanical AWD systems because it's not only what's there, it's cheap and well understood, and it was the current state of technology. There's nothing beyond budget and market fit preventing Honda from putting in a powerful rear motor to achieve eAWD. If anything this is an opportunity for Acura to shift power to the rear - if they wanted to they could put a more powerful motor in the back to achieve dynamics that are closer to a RWD car - the type S would be a natural fit for this. They could even make the rear motor the primary motor and make the front drive unit just be a supporting unit. I don't expect them to do it in the first generation - they're rushing to market and money is tight but it's sitting right there for them.

And again, there's no fundamental technical distinction between the eAWD of what Toyota is doing and what a full EV product is doing - they're just electric motors.. These systems scale up and down for based on budget, market fit, etc - the technology is now available (almost off the shelf) for anyone to offer a hybrid eAWD that's comparable in capability to a Rivian (or any EV eAWD system). It's entirely just a matter of time and any hybrid system that can perform in series mode (like Honda's or Nissan's) is capable of this.

 

Not stuck in the past, stuck in reality. There are reasons non-plug-in hybrids don't use excessively large and powerful rear motors ... they require juice and they require space. They also impact overall efficiency. Toyota's answer to larger more powerful motors is a larger battery and a plug. This is not news and I'm not making it up. Hopefully I'm wrong and Acura found some new design that doesn't require them to stuff a larger battery, a larger motor and plug-in capability into a vehicle that also has an internal combustion engine, exhaust, fuel tank and all the other related items that dedicated EVs don't have but hybrids do.

You seem to want to prove me wrong so bad you're willing to completely disregard Acura's own press release. If you have something to prove your case, feel free to post it, but please stop speculating on what could theoretically happen even though Acura already clearly stated what will happen.