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Honda determined to re-focus on electric vehicles

10/20/2009, 5:41 PM

By Mark Kleis

Despite prior commitments to move towards hydrogen fuel cells as the alternative fuel of choice for Honda’s future, Honda is now focusing its short term efforts on the development of pure electric vehicles due to the slow development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

In an interview with Reuters Honda’s President and CEO, Takanobu Ito said, “I don’t doubt for a second that [hydrogen] fuel cell vehicles are the ultimate green car.” Ito added, “But the infrastructure for hydrogen is moving slowly, and there’s a possibility we won’t be able to get sufficient sales volumes (in California), even if we tried.”

Ito was speaking in regards to legislation in California that will force automakers in the near future to begin selling a particular ratio of zero-emission cars. As Ito pointed out, the infrastructure that Honda had intended to utilize for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles does not exist, and there is no indication that it will be put in place in the near future.

The urgency of Honda’s new commitment to re-focusing on the development of electric vehicles is further highlighted by the lackluster sales of the new Honda Insight gas-electric hybrid, and Toyota’s continued success with the Prius hybrid. Honda currently has a joint venture with GS Yuasa, a Japanese battery and power specialist company, for developing the batteries in Honda’s hybrid vehicles. Ito stated that Honda could develop lithium-ion batteries for pure electric vehicles with GS Yuasa if necessary.

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10/20, 6:26 PM

posted by:

reedfast

way to take the easy way

10/20, 6:26 PM

posted by:

KarLoveBoy88

Am i having dejå vu or have I heard this before? OLD NEWS LLN. Get with the program!!

10/20, 7:07 PM

posted by:

superman

that tachmeter reminds me of games like dance dance revolution…is honda gona play techno music in each of these cars they sell? i can see people doing the robot.

10/20, 7:14 PM

posted by:

A4

They should all just team up and boycott california so the only thing they can drive is Toyota’s. Someone will have a problem with that. Maybe not though, I mean it is california.

10/20, 9:23 PM

posted by:

Bankruptcy2009

WHo gives a Rats Ass about California Anyway. I think we should first dump all the Liberals it has into the middle of the pacific ocean and then have all the conservatives move on in. LIKE ME ;) a Real American. I have seen and done the best things in California. But ALL I CAN SAY is Go Honda Go. That is the spirit Innovate and just innovate baby in electric vehicles. But I must say the New Ford Taurus is selling well in California so not everyone can be a Retarded Democrat. ME thinks the Govenator is driving a New 2010 FORD TAURUS Too. Alright Arnold!

10/20, 10:44 PM

posted by:

DB9

Very disappointed to say the least – yup:-( Other websites have been spilling the details on the LF-A, specs and full pictures, well before the post time of this article. Y’all left with a story on Honda’s vaporware electric program when the LF-A has been outed – not good, Nope;-( Some teasers from around the net in case y’all haven’t seen yet:

•4.8-liter 72-degree V10 putting out 560 hp at 8,700 RPM (that’s 116.5 hp/liter) and 354 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,800 RPM
•Redline: 9,000 RPM
•Titanium valves, connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, dry sump lubrication and a titanium exhaust manifold
•Six-speed sequential gearbox
•Torsen limited slip differential
•3,263 pounds with a 48/52 front-to-rear weight distribution
•Power-to-weight ratio of 5.8 pounds/hp
•65 percent of the body is carbon fiber
•20-inch BBS wheels wrapped in 265/35 ZR20 Bridgestone tires in front and 305/30 ZR20 in the rear.
•0-62 MPH (100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds
•Top speed of 201.94 MPH
•Production limited to 500 units

Try this: http://www.carzi.com/2009/10/20/lexus-lfa-pics-video-and-official-specs/

DB9;-)

PS. Paging the good Dr to obstetrics
PS. to the PS. Geez, Sign off with a piece on… [shakes head and signs off]

10/20, 10:56 PM

posted by:

Samintosh

Very smart choice, I LOVE Honda :-)

10/20, 11:37 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

DB9… f*cking relax. You planning on buying the first one out of the box? We’ll hear about it soon enough. In the meantime maybe Doc can warm up his Swiffer to clean the mess off his walls. Oh… and while you’re waiting Doc how about composing something that Frankie and Annette didn’t already think of while the Earth’s crust was hardening.

10/21, 12:47 AM

posted by:

The Stig

Excellent move. Ito must have listed to a pep talk from Alan C. Lloyd – that should convince anyone that Hydrogen (and fuel cells) is utterly pointless in the short and medium term.

10/21, 12:58 AM

posted by:

g93

the 92-95 civic was awesome…no electric can replace that

10/21, 1:34 AM

posted by:

jdasch1

Honda has lackluster sales of its Insight because they cannot supply the dealers with cars like Toyota can. period. Toyota can overproduce the Prius so much more than Honda that they offer it to rental car companies and government fleets at a huge discount. Bottom line, Honda is not in the game to beat Toyota in numbers….just beat them in value. 2009 Camry VS 2009 Accord…$ 5000 difference 6months after you bought it. Toyota needs to slow down and concentrate on what got them to the top, Honda needs to try to keep up with demand. Honda has always been behind when they need more cars on the lots. When they do finally build an all electric car, no one will be able to buy one because demand will always be greater than they know how to supply it. Toyota will be fleeting theirs out 6 months after they start. They know how to crank out the volume.

10/21, 1:59 AM

posted by:

fordman

Hey everbody,Ford SUCKS!

10/21, 2:23 AM

posted by:

leftwingagenda

lol…dear diary, today i found yet one more reason why i feel safe and secure in my political leanings: bk2009 is a neocon…as if i needed more justification…lol

10/21, 4:42 AM

posted by:

A4

Yeah easy does it DB9, Dr Fill’s boner is going to EMP the leftlane servers if youre not careful.

10/21, 5:28 AM

posted by:

A4

I just watched the video of the unveiled LF-A…
I’ve never been more unimpressed.
Sure, for $100k-150k the LF-A is a great machine, but when figures such as $400k start getting thrown around you have to be out of your god damn gourd to buy one. Stick to econoboxes and budget supercars, Japan. I’ll take an R8 5.2, and a house.
Think of any other $400k car by a wide-production automaker. Even the MB-McLaren SLR was a tough sell at a similar price point, and that wasn’t Japanese. The whole LF-A just looks Japanese. It’s hard to explain, but it just feels like a $100k-150k car. Sorry Lexus, tickle me unimpressed – and I know plenty of other people are as well – so don’t get on your high horse just yet, Dr. Fill.

10/21, 9:04 AM

posted by:

2WheeledSpeed

Fordman
It’s ok, I understand dude. You caught your mother cheating on your dad with the local Ford dealer when you were a child. Luckily I’ve managed to find a spot for you in the same special ed class as NMOFGM.

10/21, 9:41 AM

posted by:

Bankruptcy2009

2wheeled we may not agree on much but lmao that was a good one on ye old fordman. Hey Leftwing I got some room on my boat for for ya :)

10/21, 9:55 AM

posted by:

Bankruptcy2009

But Seriously I like Honda I Love the Accord I drove for years. Unfortunately someone I let drive it got into a wreck with it and it was totaled. So say what you want um leftWG I Buy ONLY THE BEST. I BUY A FORD WHEN IT HAS BEEN THE BEST -And I drive Foreign when its the Best. IF IT AIN’t the Best I DOn’t Drive it.

It is the American thing to do to accept ONLY THE BEST, NOt just because its American. IF ITS AMERICAN and its not the best then DON’T BUY IT. IF ITS A CLOSE CALL MEANING close in Cost of Total Vehicle owenership, Best in Class in NOT ONLY Fuel Economy, Performance, Technologically more sophisticated and superior to anything else, and it gives me the most for my Money then I’ll buy it.

In my Estimatation though Honda is doing ok the New Hybrid is not selling too well it could have been done better, I would take the new Ford Fusion Hybrid over the Honda Insight. I still like the Honda Accord but Honda needs to change it.
They really don’t compete with the New Ford Taurus which is a Great car.
So this electric area I want to see company’s come out firing. Ford, Nissan, Mercedes, and Honda. I want to see Chrysler get into the act too believe it or not. I like them. I don’t want to see Chrysler fail, but they have to be the best the way they were with Mini Vans back in the 1980’s into the 1990’s.

10/21, 10:03 AM

posted by:

Bankruptcy2009

Oh Yeah Close Calls I will lean American. I think it would be unamerican to buy import. Usually California does the unamerican thing in the fact the american auto industry is not there and they rely on Silicon Valley, agr, Movie Industry and Tourism, and Real Estate to make their income. If you ask me the last two are’nt industries just BS ;) . That is the problem when we lose our ability to manufacture the best of what we like we will give up every eventually as a nation I think.

10/21, 3:46 PM

posted by:

superman

moral bankuptcy2009:

you are a real american huh? and liberals are not because they are trying to give us health care reform instead of two wars based on faked intel and an economy on the brink of collapse?

so would you be the real american republican that wants to assassinate a democratic nation’s president or the one who says no to helping american car companies and our people, or the one that will say no to anything because u’d rather see the country go to hell than have the “liberals” gain power by actually addressing real issues.

republicans are the most unpatriotic people in our nation, and yet they go around boasting of patriotism. typical hypocrites.

10/21, 10:41 PM

posted by:

spg900

Bankruptcy- It’s real Americans like you that make me worried about being a neighboring country !

10/21, 10:42 PM

posted by:

spg900

neighbouring…oops

 
 
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