Thursday, November 18, 2010
Over the past couple of years, we haven't heard murmurs from Honda showing any affection toward electric vehicles. Until today. Now Honda is going to make a pure-electric version of the small Fit for the U.S. and Japan, starting in 2012.
The electric version was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It will have 100-mile range and recharge in less than 12 hours from a standard wall socket or in six hours in a 220-volt system. It will seat five like any other Fit.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito told reporters that it could be the perfect second (or third, or fourth) car for many families.
Honda's U.S. sales chief John Mendel pointed out that Honda has been working on electric cars through its Civic and Insight hybrids for 13 years. But the brand stands by the belief that longer term, "We think the long ball is hydrogen," the fuel-cell cars that it has championed.
Even though the market is likely to be small for so many plug-in electrics about to flood the market, Mendel says the government's tighter gas-mileage restrictions played a role. "There are only many levers you can pull to get to 2016," when the stricter standards kick in.
By: DocMemory
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