What a difference a few years make. It wasn’t too long ago we were reporting on former Honda CEO Takeo Fukui claiming that plug-in hybrids were “unnecessary” and provided “no real advantages.” Thankfully, Honda’s thinking has changed since then and many green vehicles are in the pipeline in the hopes of bringing them back on a winning path. The folks over at Hybrid Cars got to sit down with William Walton, Honda’s manager of product planning, to get more details on their roadmap.
First up is the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) powertrain, which is in pretty much every hybrid Honda has on offer. Often criticized as the reason Honda’s hybrids can’t match Toyota’s full-hybrid setup, IMA still has a place in their future lineup because, according to Walton, its low cost makes it a perfect match for small cars.
Anyone hoping for the Fit Hybrid to come to the States will be disappointed to learn Honda doesn’t have any plans to bring it on over. Do not despair though, as America will be getting something arguably better – the Fit EV – sometime next year.
This brings us to their all-new hybrid system that will be first featured in a plug-in vehicle. Later, it could be put into a conventional hybrid. Walton didn’t give any details about the platform of the new plug-in, but there is a quick video of the new system for you after the break.
[Source: Hybrid Cars]
