Honda To Roll Out Low-Cost Hybrid Car In 2007-08 - Reuters

[hatrack]

TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. plans to sell a low-cost hybrid car, a version of its popular Fit subcompact, a Japanese daily reported, signalling the auto maker's long-term commitment to the fuel-sipping powertrain.

Japan's third-biggest auto maker aims to sell the Fit hybrid as early as next year for around 1.4 million yen ($11,790), or about 200,000 yen more than the gasoline-only version, likely making it the world's first hybrid to cost less than 2 million yen ($16,840), the leading Japanese business daily said on Wednesday.
The model could be launched in the business year starting April 2007 and would be sold globally, the paper said.

A spokesman denied Honda had made any decision on whether to hybridise the Fit, but added it had the technological wherewithal to mount its hybrid system, which twins an electric motor and a conventional engine to save fuel, on most of its vehicles. Chief Executive Takeo Fukui has long said the price premium for a hybrid over a gasoline-only car needs to fall below 200,000 yen ($1,680) for the powertrain to go mainstream.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/35270/story.htm

[stop the bleeding]

1. cool n/t

[ET Awful]

2. The Fit, even in it's conventional configuration looks to be a pretty

cool little car, very versatile.

In a hybrid version, it would be a pretty big seller I'm sure.

[catmother]

3. and, they make really good cars. nt

[megatherium]

4. So when does a plug-in hybrid become available?

That's my next car!

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. imagine this - your car as your hydro source

.
.
.

A hybrid using an electrical motor has a very high-tech, high storage capacity, and very efficient battery

Charged by solar panels on one's property, through a connection to inverters

It could power your house - a reserve battery in the house for when the car was on the road

And one could run the car as a generator in periods of low sun - -

Sumthing to think about . . .

OFF THE GRID!

No more dependence on the Hydro companies - -

hmmmmm

[eppur_se_muova]

13. There's a professor at UT who did this...see my other post

He's averaging about $3/mo ... in northern Ohio, not exactly Sun City.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=43287&mesg_id=43287

[eppur_se_muova]

14. ...and here's the link to the original article, which I forgot.

http://utnews.utoledo.edu/publish/article_2341.shtml

[RufusEarl]

6. Do you have any pictures of this new car?

[Dead_Parrot]

7. Try here:

http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/index.aspx

This is the existing Fit - I assume the hybrid will be about the same.

[RufusEarl]

8. That works, thanks for the link!

[Bamboo]

9. I like the Engrish.

Carefully regulated by senior food specialists under employment, a physical simulating food for vitality is provided for increasing energy. Before or after sports, over-time working, etc., it can stimulate the natural energetic power inside to reach for the goal smoothly.

[NickB79]

10. 2nd-to-last paragraph: Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, 82 mpg?!?!

"The newspaper said the Fit hybrid would have fuel economy comparable to that of the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, which the auto makers advertise in Japan as getting around 35-36 km to a litre (82-84 miles per gallon)."

How are the Japanese models of these two cars producing such outstanding mileage? Smaller engines than those sold in the US? More city driving, less (and slower) highway driving? They don't offer PHEV's yet in Japan, do they?

[Massacure]

11. You burn a gallon of fuel, you go a certain number of miles.

Electricity has nothing to do with it. I would guess the Japanese use smaller engines that are designed to a higher efficiency, being able to use the costs normally associated with the bigger engine and exporting parts. I'm guessing the Japanese are also better drivers. Americans have gotten so over aggressive that the EPA now over estimates efficiency.

[hatrack]

12. My guess is that this is a pretty small car, driven largely in town

You have to go a ways to find wide-open spaces in Japan, and it's usually cheaper to get there by train rather than driving your own car.