Report: Honda to Aggressively Price New Fit Hybrid In Japan
07 August 2010
Kyodo reports that Honda Motor Co. has decided to sell its new hybrid car for around ¥1.59 million (about US$18,600), which will be the lowest price for a gasoline-electric vehicle sold in Japan, according to company sources.
The price of Honda’s new Fit compact car to be released in October will be some 300,000 yen lower than the 1.89 million yen price tag for the cheapest model of its Insight hybrid put on sale in February last year.
The move is expected to accelerate competition in the development and sale of environmentally friendly vehicles between Honda and Toyota Motor Corp., which is expected to release a new compact hybrid next year that will do more than 40 kilometers per liter [94 mpg US, 2.5 L/100km] of gasoline and have a price tag of around 1.5 million yen, analysts said.
The new Fit will feature a 1.3-liter engine and electric motor, with fuel economy of 30 km per liter (70.6 mpg US, 3.3 L/100km).
Yay.
This has been the obvious move for awhile...make a small hybrid with a tiny ICE and just enough torque when the electric and ICE work together. It might be sluggish on a long uphill, but it for most driving cycles it should be fine. It's good to see competition is bringing this about.
Posted by: HealthyBreeze | 07 August 2010 at 09:19 AM
At 70+ mpg, this new small Honda HEV may be a good car to drive to work or for students to go to college etc. With lower GHG and without spending a fortune on gas it will have many buyers. The Hondo Fit is a good all around small vehicle.
The new Toyota small HEV, at 94+ mpg will even do better.
Both will easily compete (on price and fuel economy) with small EU diesel equivalent. Interesting competition ahead.
No real matches are on the horizon (yet) from the Big-3.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 August 2010 at 10:27 AM
Don't the Japanese have a testing cycle that gives bigger numbers than the EPA's? We might not see 70 mpg over here.
Posted by: stephenboulet | 07 August 2010 at 10:52 AM
He Harvey
See my prediction this Honda Fit HEV will be a EV killer for quite a while, with 18 000$/70MPG non limited range why bother for a 30 000$/80Miles range EV ? even at 5$/gallon the EV can't compete
Posted by: Treehugger | 07 August 2010 at 12:53 PM
We could see KIA Suzuki and others making a move soon. Anyone that can make a decent small light car and can muster the technology for HEV can be in the game.
Previously, the high end vehicles with the large profit margins could roll the cost into the product. Now we see it get down to the grinding of who has the better process and operations.
Posted by: SJC | 07 August 2010 at 01:03 PM
There isn't really much difference between 70 and 90 mpg if you work it out in gallons / year (assuming 12K miles/year).
It will come down to price, style and marketing, and I wish them both well.
The trick with hybrids is to build them cheaply enough that "normal" people will buy them, as opposed to green types and fuel misers.
But anyhow, I wish them both well (again).
I saw a Mitsubishi MiEV yesterday - it looks very small (and narrow - "pinched") - I would much rather go around in a HEV Fit or Yaris than an MiEV (having seen it).
+ the MiEv is very expensive.
Posted by: mahonj | 07 August 2010 at 02:17 PM
treehugger,
...why bother...
Because it still runs on petroleum?
Posted by: Arne | 08 August 2010 at 06:07 AM
Oh, and before people are carried away too much by the impressive 70 mpg, that's probably the japanese 10*15 driving cycle. The current Insight achieves the same on that driving cycle and it translates to an EPA rating of 41 mpg. So expect this hybrid Fit to turn in the same number on the EPA test. Pretty mediocre, isn't it?
That isn't a big surprise, beacause the Fit is higher than the Insight and probably has a higher frontal area and worse Cw. It is about the same weight as an Insight.
Posted by: Arne | 08 August 2010 at 06:22 AM
This vehicle is intendent for the streets of Japan not the streets of America. It will help Honda be more successful when they do bring the Hev version of the fit to America, they know how the EPA rates MPG.
Posted by: LanceK | 08 August 2010 at 07:48 AM
Debating whether it is the Japanese or U.S. method of MPG calculation misses the point. The point IS, this is a serious attempt at making and marketing a more affordable hybrid. If you want to reduce fuel consumption and imported oil you need LOTS of people buying these kinds of cars. More people can afford to buy these kinds of cars if the are more affordable.
This sort of "connect the dots" logic gets lost in all the meandering.
Posted by: SJC | 08 August 2010 at 01:47 PM
SJC,
I said that mainly because Treehugger used that 70 mpg figure to argue that the hybrid Fit will be the ultimate EV killer. As if it were something exceptional. But it won't do 70 mpg but rather 41. That sounds a lot less exciting. Simply an evolutionary step, nothing more, nothing less.
Posted by: Arne | 08 August 2010 at 03:09 PM
I know, but far too often discussions on here turn into nit picking and hair splitting. Some one wants to talk about some small side topic and there goes any meaningful discussion on THE important topic.
Posted by: SJC | 08 August 2010 at 03:35 PM
Anne I didn't say a 70MPG Fit would be the ultimate EV killer, I said "it would be a EV killer for awhile" surr when EV will be 250 Miles capable the story will be different but we are not there yet, at least not at 18 000$. Asides as long as most of the electricity is made from coal, it is still better to use oil from a carbon foot print point of view. Now for oil addiction, a 18000$ 70MPG Fit would be much more efficient at slashing our oil addiction than a 30 000/80 miles range EV, because much more people would buy it, as said above
Posted by: Treehugger | 08 August 2010 at 04:01 PM
Actually, even in the USA most of the electricity is NOT made from coal, it is only "mainly" made from coal.
In 2007 only 48.5% of US electrical power came from coal, in 2008 it was down to 48.2% and by 2009 it was down to 44.9%. Not only is it going down but it's going down faster. I think we can expect coal's share of total net generation to continue its downward trend.
World wide, only 25% of primary energy comes from coal.
Posted by: ai_vin | 09 August 2010 at 08:34 AM