Honda Announces its First Plug-in and Electric Cars...

From GM-Volt.com

2010 Honda Insight

And finally the last has fallen.

Following GM, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and Audi, now Honda has finally committed its entry into the plug-in hybrid arena. In an announcement in Japan, Honda’s CEO Takanobu Ito announced the company will launch both a plug-in hybrid and a pure battery electric car in 2012.

Both cars will go on sale in the United States in 2012.

Ito outlined a broad strategy with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. “Honda will have no future unless we achieve a significant reduction of CO2 emissions,” he said.

To achieve those goals highlights specifically related to the U.S. market include:

• By the end of 2010 and continuing through 2011, Honda will roll out a battery-electric vehicle demonstration program in the U.S. with participants, including: Stanford University, Google Inc. and the City of Torrance, Calif.

• The City of Torrance will receive a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for evaluation by the end of 2010.

• A battery-electric commuter vehicle will be introduced in the U.S. market in 2012.

• A new plug-in hybrid system for mid-size to larger vehicles will be introduced in the U.S. market in 2012.

• Honda’s first hybrid application of a lithium-ion battery will debut in the next- generation Civic Hybrid to be introduced in 2011. The lithium-ion battery was developed through the Honda and GS Yuasa joint-venture company, Blue Energy Co., Ltd.

Its truly amazing to consider just three years ago when GM first announced the Volt concept, nearly every major automaker criticized them calling the technology too immature. Now every major automaker in the world has committed to mass production of plug-in cars.

The future is coming, Step by Step...