HONDA’S NEW chief executive says Japans second-largest motor firm will speed up the rollout of its hybrid cars.
In his first public appearance since taking office last month, Takanobu Ito said Honda would launch the planned CR-Z hybrid sports car next February and a petrol-electric Fit subcompact by the end of 2010, citing the growing importance buyers place on fuel economy and environmental considerations.
“I think everyone is going to go the way of hybrids,” the 55-year-old former engineer told a media gathering at Honda’s Tokyo headquarters.
“Bringing hybrids quickly to customers will be a major focus of our activities,” he said. “I want Honda to be a speedy company.”
That would include accelerating the development of a new type of hybrid system with two electric motors to be mounted on medium- to large-sized vehicles, he said, after Honda shelved its plan to use clean diesel engines to improve mileage on bigger models.
Ito declined to say when the new hybrid system would be ready. Virtually all engineers that had been part of Hondas Formula One team are now working on hybrid development, he said. Honda pulled out of the race in December.
Honda introduced the Insight hybrid in February, the first of a family of hybrids that Ito’s predecessor, Takeo Fukui, predicted would help hybrids account for one-tenth of car sales in the early part of next decade.
Sales of the Insight have outpaced Honda’s monthly target of 5,000 units in Japan since its launch. To meet demand, Honda said it started building the model on a second line at its Suzuka factory in mid-June, taking daily production up slightly from the previous 700 units.
Sales of the Insight in the US, however, have so far fallen short of Honda’s targeted annual pace of 90,000 units – or just under half of its global sales goal of 200,000 units.
Honda’s Insight also faces stiff competition from Toyotas Prius.
Honda has appointed Motorzone on Dock Road, Limerick city, as its dealer for Co Limerick and Co Clare. Motorzone Honda is part of the ICR Motor Group, which also operates Irish Car Rentals and Ennis Road Motors. – Reuters