Honda has achieved another great honor in the Japanese automotive world, having their CR-Z hybrid named Japan's Car of the Year.
To commemorate Honda's "Japanese Car of the Year" award, the company will release a limited edition of its CR-Z sport-hybrid hatchback in that country. Named the "Memorial Award Edition" the car will be coated in a hue called 'Pearl Deep Sapphire Blue' and will travel on unique Dark Pewter Gray 16-inch rims…
Honda unveiled their Fit EV concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. Along with the EV, the Japanese auto maker is working along side Google to turn the prototype into a mass produced car.
Managed by Enterprise, Google's "GFleet" is a car-share program including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, available to 2600 Google employees. The program is expanding to include electric vehicles launching later this year. The Fit is the first - Honda is?
Honda is having so much luck with their CR-Z, that the Japanese auto maker is planning to offer a turbocharged engine option in late 2011 for its CR-Z hybrid coupe. This forced-induction 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine may be offered in two different versions - which includes a 200-horsepower edition for the new CR-Z Type R.
These rumors were leaked online, but could possibly come from the Tokyo hub of the company's headquarters.
Honda is now putting the finishing touches on the 2012 Civic Hybrid. The Japanese automaker is remaking its entire Civic lineup, but prioritizing the hybrid model. They are betting so much on the hybrid, that it looks to be going on sale in late 2011, even before the standard version is released.
Honda's next Civic will be restyled and based on the current model, with a rounder overall profile. Sources say no huge changes will affect the design, size or market positioning. For US audiences there will be a sedan and Si coupe body.
The new Honda Insight will be available sooner than previously announced, according to the New York Times. The gas-electric hybrid by Japan's auto maker will be available March 24, and comes with a starting price of $19,800 for its base model. The total price, after extra charges, will be $20,470, about $2,250 less than that of the competition.
In the Times article, executive vice president of American Honda Dick Collive said: "Insight is the most affordable new hybrid available in the U.S
Honda Motors CEO Takanobu Ito said that there could be a "huge demand for battery-powered electric-vehicles," in the near future. This is currently the strongest endorsement of alternative fuel technology Ito has made, while his predecessor ignored it as impractical. The Japanese automaker has plans to launch a plug-in hybrid, as well as a pure electric-car by 2012.
"It's starting to look like there will be a market for electric vehicles (EVs)," Ito said. "We can't keep shooting down their potential, and we can't say there's no business case for it."
Honda Motor Co. said on Friday it will start producing its state of the art gas-electric hybrid cars in China. It won't be easy for foreign automakers - China is planning tougher rules to force them to hand over electric-car technology to Chinese companies in exchange for market access.
Honda plans to make gas-electric hybrids more affordable throughout the country by producing vehicles locally, head of Honda's China operations Seiji Kuraishi said at a ceremony.
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC, (HMIN) in Greensburg has received LEED Green Building Certification for its Welcome Center, the company announced today. The center is the ninth Honda facility in North America to earn LEED certification since 2008.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system for many types of building construction including new construction and is awarded by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The GBCI recognizes excellence in green building practice and performance globally through its third-party certification services
