Can
Honda build a Prius contender?
Friday,
August 31, 2007
One
possible new hybrid from Honda
Honda is the undisputed greenest major automaker, yet when
one thinks of green automobiles, hybrid
cars automatically come to mind.
When it comes to hybrids, Honda is far behind Toyota. How
did that happen?
For starters, the first generation Honda
Civic hybrid, for example, was almost
more of a mild hybrid than a full hybrid. Even today's
Civic hybrid doesn't offer as powerful of a hybrid
powertrain as does the Toyota
Prius. Quite simply, the Prius is the superior hybrid,
especially for urban drivers.
That doesn't mean the Civic hybrid isn't a great car, it
is.
Still, the standard Civic is already a great car, which
makes it hard for consumers to shell out extra cash up
front for a hybrid version. Long term fuel savings just
isn't as easy of a sell as a few thousand dollars off of
the sticker price right now. That's why Americans choose
the lump sum lotto feature - we want it all and we want it
now.
Perhaps more important, however, Honda has not and does
not believe in hybrid technology the way Toyota does.
Toyota believes the Hybrid Synergy Drive powering its
Prius can naturally evolve into a fuel cell vehicle, and
Toyota is already making Fuel Cell Vehicles built upon the
Hybrid Synergy Drive architecture. And it isn't just the
Prius. Toyota plans on making every single one of its
vehicles a hybrid vehicle.
Honda's hybrid technology, on the other hand, really is
meant only as an interim technology to something else,
probably hydrogen and fuel cells. Thus, Honda is only
putting hybrid technology into its smallest cars.
Then again, Honda doesn't have much choice. The Prius must
be eating into Civic sales. So, Honda has to act, even if
it means a new Honda hybrid willl also eat into Civic
sales - as long as it also eats into Prius sales.
Thus, Honda plans a 5 passenger hybrid vehicle, slightly
smaller than the Civic that can outperform the Prius in
both MPG's and cost. Oh yeah, and it will be a unique
hybrid-only vehicle.
Of course, by the time the new Honda hybrid hits the
market, Toyota might also have a smaller, more fuel
efficient Prius. Additionally, Toyota has also lowered the
price of the base Prius, and the possibility of lithium
and a plug-in option are still in the works for the near
future. And, even if those options are delayed a few
years, who knows what other hybrid tricks Toyota has up
its sleeve.
More important, however, healthy competition between
Toyota and Honda to develop the cheapest, most fuel
efficient hybrid vehicles can only be good for consumers,
not to mention America's energy problems.
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