St. Sauveur, Quebec -- On April 22, Honda will celebrate Earth Day in a most special way. That day, the Japanese automaker will begin sales of the 2010 Honda Insight, the car considered by many to be the first real competitor of the Toyota Prius.
Honda is banking on affordable pricing, a smart, efficient design and distinctive lines to attract 5,000 Canadian consumers to this small gas-electric hybrid -- all in the first year.
Still, that's a low number compared with the 72,000 Civics (including a little over 2,000 Civic Hybrids) that have found takers across the country in 2008. Then again, over the same period, Toyota barely sold more than 4,400 units of the Prius.
Upon writing this article, the Prius retailed for $27,710 (base MSRP), while the 2010 Insight will start at $23,900 -- much cheaper than the $27,350 you need to lay down for a Civic Hybrid, a model that's bound to fade in the near future.
Insight is one piece in a giant puzzle
Honda is relying on the new Insight to grab a larger share of the fast-emerging hybrid market, although this car is nothing but a single weapon in the global warming battle.
Robert Bienenfeld, American Honda's Senior Manager, Environmental & Energy Strategy, Product Regulatory Office, likens the Insight to a patch in a giant quilt that's currently being woven. It's one of the various green mobility solutions that Honda is trying to piece together to complete one big puzzle. Auto journalists recently got a chance to see the whole picture during an environmental panel set up by the company.
For Mr. Bienenfeld, this strategy is based on four interlinked observations:
1)major air pollution caused by toxic emissions;
2)serious climate changes resulting from greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide (CO2);
3)relative access to energy resources;
4)limited availability of said resources over time.
 |
| The all-new 2010 Honda Insight is a single piece in a giant environmental puzzle -- or so says the automaker. |
Honda is banking on affordable pricing, a smart, efficient design and distinctive lines to attract 5,000 Canadian consumers to this small gas-electric hybrid -- all in the first year.
Still, that's a low number compared with the 72,000 Civics (including a little over 2,000 Civic Hybrids) that have found takers across the country in 2008. Then again, over the same period, Toyota barely sold more than 4,400 units of the Prius.
Upon writing this article, the Prius retailed for $27,710 (base MSRP), while the 2010 Insight will start at $23,900 -- much cheaper than the $27,350 you need to lay down for a Civic Hybrid, a model that's bound to fade in the near future.
Insight is one piece in a giant puzzle
Honda is relying on the new Insight to grab a larger share of the fast-emerging hybrid market, although this car is nothing but a single weapon in the global warming battle.
Robert Bienenfeld, American Honda's Senior Manager, Environmental & Energy Strategy, Product Regulatory Office, likens the Insight to a patch in a giant quilt that's currently being woven. It's one of the various green mobility solutions that Honda is trying to piece together to complete one big puzzle. Auto journalists recently got a chance to see the whole picture during an environmental panel set up by the company.
For Mr. Bienenfeld, this strategy is based on four interlinked observations:
1)major air pollution caused by toxic emissions;
2)serious climate changes resulting from greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide (CO2);
3)relative access to energy resources;
4)limited availability of said resources over time.
 |
| Robert Bienenfeld, American Honda's Senior Manager, Environmental & Energy Strategy, Product Regulatory Office. |