Honda delivers first electric Fit

Torrance, California – Honda has delivered a 2013 Fit EV electric vehicle to the city of Torrance. The delivery is one of the first major steps in the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program and a prelude to the retail market launch of the Fit EV to customers in California and Oregon this summer.

The Fit was delivered in a ceremony to Torrance mayor Frank Scotto by Steve Center, vice-president of the environmental business development office at American Honda.

“This is an exciting day as we take another important step toward Honda’s comprehensive vision for reducing CO2 emissions, while at the same time advancing our relationship with the city of Torrance,” Center said. “Honda has a long history with electric vehicles starting with the introduction of our first battery electric car, the EV Plus, nearly 15 years ago.”

Honda and the city have worked together over the past year to gather input from residents about potential recharging station locations and have jointly participated in several public awareness events. The two will continue these initiatives and also study local government fleet usage of an electrified vehicle. The city will also receive a Honda plug-in hybrid for additional testing at a later date.

Honda unveiled the 2013 Fit EV at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and plans to lease vehicles to its U.S. customers in the summer of 2012. Honda will also test the Fit EV with Google Inc. and Stanford University as part of its demonstration program.

Source;
http://www.autos.ca/general-news/honda-delivers-first-electric-fit

Honda Jazz (FIT) EV

by Graham Hope
The Honda Jazz has always been a pioneer, and now it’s blazing a new trail in all-electric guise. It was one of the first supermini-MPVs when it was introduced a decade ago, and now finds itself at the cutting edge of technology, with an electric version to be launched in Japan and America next year. This will be badged the Fit, and will initially arrive in California and Oregon before being rolled out to six east coast US states in 2013.

The blanked-off nose distinguishes the model from the standard Jazz, plus our car features Fit EV livery. It also gets new five-spoke alloys, while a unique blue paintjob is available in the US.
Under the floor is a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 20 kilowatt-hours (less than the Nissan Leaf’s 24kWh). The maximum output is 100 kilowatts. The 92kW coaxial electric motor, meanwhile, is derived from the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity.

Inside, the most obvious additions are the buttons which let you choose which mode to drive in: Normal, Econ and Sport, as seen on the CR-Z.

As with all EVs, what stands out most is the silence at start-up. And with all the power available from a standstill, the car gets off the mark quickly.

Econ, as the name suggests, offers the most energy-efficient driving, with Sport optimistically claiming to deliver “exhilarating performance”. That’s pushing things somewhat, but there is a tangible difference between the modes: in Sport the drive is surprisingly fun, and claimed performance is on par with that of a 2.0-litre engine.

At low city speeds, the EV is very nippy and guaranteed to cause a few surprises when pulling away from the lights. Ride quality is similar to that of the standard model, though, so it doesn’t take much for the little Honda to get unsettled.

Do the numbers stack up? The US version of the Jazz claims a range of 76 miles in combined city and motorway use, or 123 miles in town alone, with the battery taking three hours to fully recharge when connected to a standard 240V socket.

Will the car come here? Honda bosses remain tight-lipped, but if this happens it won’t be for another three years at least. They do recognise, though, that one thing an electric Jazz would have in its favour is a familiar badge – they believe this would encourage sales.

Source;
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/276067/honda_jazz_ev.html

Honda Small Sports EV Concept

Here's another pic of the Honda Sports EV Concept.

Source;
http://visions-autos.sport24.com/668215/Honda-Small-Sports-EV-Concept-2011-et-Coupe-Honda-Design/

2011 Honda Micro Commuter Concept Ready for Tokyo

The formula for the EV market is starting to become clearer by the day. You’ve got the larger sedans and hatchbacks that some manufacturers produces with range extenders, the odd sportscar here and there, some relatively small hatches that are the mainstay of the offering and the really small cars like Audi’s Urban concept and Renault’s Twizy.

Honda has announced it will be bringing three electric vehicles to the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, which will debut November 30th, and the Micro Commuter is obviously their vision of urban travel in the future.

Speaking of the future, the the design has to be one of the most futuristic we’ve seen in a while. There is only one seat that wraps the driver in a world of white and teal tones. Instead of the traditional wheel, you’ve got something that looks like it came out of an airplane.

Looking at the outside, Honda’s designers must have really wanted to design a car that works in sci-fi anime, because it has some very strange fairing for the wheels.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2011-honda-micro-commuter-concept-ready-for-tokyo-40268.html

Honda Small Sports EV Concept teased ahead of Tokyo debut

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this year, Honda’s booth will carry a theme of “What makes people feel good?”

“Honda will propose an exciting and thrilling mobility life of the future that it envisions as a company providing personal mobility to people all around the world,” the company said in a statement. “The display will include a lineup of the next-generation electromotive concept models including two-, three- and four-wheeled commuter vehicles designed for easy and fun mobility in future cities, mid-to-long distance commuters designed to enrich life and enhance the freedom and fun of mobility, and sporty models that pursue the joy of driving/riding.”

One of the most exciting vehicles on display will be the Small Sports EV Concept (tentative name). Honda said the study shows a “next-generation EV sports model which maximizes the fun of driving while achieving excellent environmental performance.”

It seems the Japanese automaker is hinting that the Small Sports EV Concept could be a new take on the Beat, a midengine 660cc sports car that was sold in Japan in the early ’90s.

More details will be announced at the show on Nov. 30.
- By: Omar Rana

Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/11/09/honda-small-sports-ev-concept-teased-ahead-of-tokyo-debut/

Honda Jazz EV Concept electric car debuts

There was talk about this vehicle coming to north america instead of getting the Honda FIT hybrid, not sure whether or not that's still the plan....
While most other manufacturers participating in the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show, were busy trying to steal the show with their new models sporting glitzy designs and displaying promising concepts, Japanese auto giant Honda seemed to focus on the greener side of things by exhibiting various plug-in hybrid and electric-vehicle concepts, including the yet-to-be-named Jazz-based Honda EV concept.

The EV Concept will be powered by a lithium-ion battery and a high-density coaxial motor which is claimed to hit a top speed of 145 kph while helping to achieve an estimated driving range of 160 kilometres per charge. Aiding efficiency would be a 3-mode electric drive system lifted straight from the Honda CR-Z hybrid, which allows the driver to select between Econ, Normal and Sport modes thereby optimising the vehicle dynamics for optimal efficiency or best performance.

Another highlight of the EV concept is a connectivity system which allows the driver to monitor the vehicle’s state of charge, initiate charging and even turn on the air conditioning system using a personal computer, mobile phone or an interactive remote from Honda. Recharging the battery takes less than 6 hours when using a 240-volt outlet. Other features include a Honda Satellite-linked Navigation System with capability to locate public charging stations, LED headlamps and tail lamps, aerodynamic bumpers and eco-friendly bio-fabric on-seating surfaces.

In a land where even simple hybrids have turned out to be epic failures, a sophisticated EV stands no chance. But we do know that the EV concept will be a Jazz on batteries when it finally reaches production stage in no more than a year.

Source;
http://www.drivearabia.com/news/2011/09/29/honda-ev-concept-honda-jazz-electric-debuts/