High Voltage Safety

ELECTRIC SHOCK POTENTIAL
Unprotected contact with any electrically charged (hot or live) high-voltage component can cause serious injury or death. However, receiving an electric shock from a Honda hybrid is highly unlikely because of these facts:

- Contact with the battery module or other components inside the battery box can occur only if the box is damaged and the contents are exposed, or the box is opened without following proper precautions.

- Contact with the electric motor can occur only after one or more components are removed.

- The high-voltage cables can be easily identified by their distinctive orange color, and contact with them can be avoided.




It's also important to understand that there are only two situations in which the cables can potentially be hot in a Honda Insight or a Civic Hybrid:

1. The ignition switch is on, the engine is running, and the vehicle is accelerating. In this case, the high-voltage battery module is sending current to the motor.

2. The ignition switch is on, the engine is running, and the vehicle is decelerating. In this case, the motor is generating electric current and sending it to the battery module.




With the Accord Hybrid, there is a third situation in which the cables can be hot.

3. The ignition switch is on, the engine has been turned off by the Auto Idle Stop feature, and the air conditioner is on. In this case, the high-voltage battery module is sending current to the air conditioner compressor.

The only condition common to all three situations in which the cables can be hot is that the ignition is on. Therefore: When the ignition switch is off, electric current cannot flow into the high-voltage cables.