Now That's More Like It
The makers of hybrid cars have got to be smiling these days. With gas prices the way they are, sales of Toyota's Prius and Honda's Civic Hybrid have never been stronger.
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| On January 5, 2004 at the Detroit auto show Honda Motor Co., Ltd., President and CEO Takeo Fukui announced plans to further advance the company's leadership in the development and application of leading edge environmental technologies with the introduction of a V6 powered gas-electric hybrid Accord using Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system in combination with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology for V6 performance with fuel economy equivalent to a four-cylinder Civic. (Photo: Honda Canada: Joe Wilssens) |
After all, what other options do new car buyers who are concerned about budgeting fuel costs and saving the environment have? Diesel? OK, that's fair. Despite the poor quality high-sulfur diesel fuel currently available in North America the longtime alternative has still been proven better for reducing emissions and improving mileage than conventional gasoline.
But Hybrids (HEVs) are better at these tasks yet. That might be true but who wants to drive a tiny economy car with skinny tires? That stereotype is changing, with Toyota's sophisticated full-hybrid system now powering a much larger 2004 Prius. It will also be available soon in the brand's Highlander SUV, but not before Lexus brings out its RX 400h, and that's just the beginning.
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| Honda isn't going to let Toyota walk away with all the spoils of the growing hybrid market. (Photo: Honda Canada) |
GM has a fleet of HEV pickup trucks and SUVs ready to launch on the North American public, while Ford has its long anticipated Escape Hybrid arriving soon - using Toyota mechanicals by the way. Nissan's upcoming Altima Hybrid will make use of Toyota's hybrid system too, which makes it look a lot like the "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" motto is alive and well.
And what about Honda? Yeah, the brand that was first to market in North America with its funky Insight, followed up by its highly successful Civic Hybrid isn't about to let Toyota steal all the thunder. That Insight just took a third place finish in the Compact Car segment of the J.D. Power and Associate's 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study by the way, a very impressive feat considering all the vehicles it had to contend with. This just goes to show how reliable HEV technology is becoming.