Honda Reportedly to Announce Plans for Plug-in Hybrid and Electric Car Tuesday
By Scott Doggett July 19, 2010
Honda Motor Co. will announce Tuesday that it is working on a hybrid car that can be recharged at home and an all-electric car, both for release in about three years, The Nikkei subscription newspaper learned today.
The automaker is also considering building hybrids in the U.S., the Japanese publication said. Toyota Motor Corp. aims to begin mass production of plug-in hybrids and electric cars in 2012.
Conventional hybrids charge their own batteries, which turn a motor that assists the gasoline-powered engine providing most of the horsepower. Plug-in hybrids can make short trips using the motor alone.
Honda says its plug-in hybrid will be able to go 140 miles on a single gallon of gasoline, The Nikkei reported. Honda sees the new car as the next big thing in alternative vehicles and will consider releasing it ahead of schedule in such major markets as the U.S. and Japan.
Honda will release its electric car in the U.S. first. Honda is considering manufacturing the Insight and its two other hybrids in the U.S. They are now made at the firm's Suzuka plant in Mie Prefecture. Honda plans to expand its lineup of hybrids to five or so models by 2013.
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I guess Honda hasn't learned much. I'm still laughing that their new hybrid will be "the next big thing" LOLOL, just like their H2 car was going to be "the next big thing." I don't really care if their new hybrid gets 130 or 200 mpg because it STILL will use GASOLINE! Cars like the LEAF WILL be the next BIG thing and more and more people will be charging at home with their pvs (solar cells) on the roof! :) But even if they have to use the grid, it's still 60% cleaner than an ICE car. Before the LEAFs come out in the rollout states, there will be thousands of charging stations, L2 & L3, for people to use that have 'range anxiety'. :D
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