Honda Civic Going 100-Percent Hybrid, In Japan

Reuters and Wall Street Journal are reporting that Honda is phasing out the gas-powered Civic for the Japanese market, and will only sell the hybrid version.

Honda will roll out an all-new Civic worldwide in late 2011.

As we reported a few days ago, Honda is boosting investment in hybrid technology, based on the belief that conventional hybrid technology can provide fuel economy and CO2 benefits more cost effectively than plug-in cars or clean diesel models.

The Wall Street Journal writer Paul Ausick speculated, “US buyers may also see the day, sooner rather than later, when only a hybrid Civic is available.” Yet, U.S. sales of the Honda Civic Hybrid in the first half of 2010 are down by almost 75 percent. Meanwhile, in Japan, hybrids remain hot sellers. Toyota Prius has been the top-selling vehicle in Japan for the past 14 months.

The move to only sell Civic Hybrids in Japan represents the first time a conventional gas-powered vehicle would turn into a hybrid-only model. Honda currently offers the Honda Insight, and will soon introduce the Honda CR-Z coupe. Both cars were designed from the beginning as hybrid-only models.

Some industry observers believe that tighter emissions laws will require hybrids to become a widespread mainstream auto technology. In 2008, Bob Lutz, G.M.’s legendary product guru, said "Ultimately by 2020 we figure that 80 percent of vehicles will require some sort of hybridization," because of tougher fuel-economy standards.

Source;
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/honda-civic-going-100-percent-hybrid-japan-28250.html

Honda Pegasus Study Inspired by... Harley Earl's GM Firebird Concepts

Automotive designers find inspiration in all kinds of places. For independent designer Andrus Ciprian from Romania, it was Harley Earls' legendary GM Firebird concept cars of the 1950s. The thing is that he didn't use this inspiration on a GM product but on a futuristic Honda racing car design study that he named Pegasus.

The Romanian designer has dreamed up a small gas-turbine jet engine as the power source for the imaginary winged prototype, while other features include specially designed wheels that increase air-flow to the brakes. Full mage gallery after the break.

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/07/honda-pegasus-study-inspired-by-harley.html

Tesla and Toyota to develop RAV4 EV, hope to launch in 2012

Toyota and Tesla have officially announced that the electric prototypes being developed by the California startup are based on the RAV4 crossover, and the two companies hope to have a production version ready by 2012. When we sat down with Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda last week, he revealed that an initial prototype was being built with a Tesla electric powertrain. Since then, Tesla CTO JB Straubel revealed that his engineering team was preparing two vehicles based on an existing Toyota platform for delivery by the end of July.

If the project comes to fruition, it will be great news for fans of the original RAV4 EV which debuted in the late 1990s. Several hundred of those vehicles are still on the road today and regularly turn up for sale on eBay Motors at premium prices.

The new RAV4s will use Tesla's liquid cooled lithium ion battery configuration that contains thousands of commodity laptop cells. The first prototype is already running and a larger fleet will be prepared this year for durability testing by Toyota.

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/tesla-and-toyota-to-develop-rav4-ev-hope-to-launch-in-2012/

Honda to focus on hybrids, drop microcar plant-paper-UPDATE 1

* Planned green car factory may start ops in 2013-Nikkei

* Honda to stop developing commercial minivehicles-Nikkei

* Honda to announce medium-term strategy next week

* Honda shares down 0.9 pct, in line with market (Adds background, company comment)

TOKYO, July 15 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co, Japan's No.2 automaker, will drop plans to build a new minivehicle factory and focus on its green vehicles business, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday.

Soon after the global financial crisis hit in 2008, Honda had announced plans to delay construction of the Yorii factory, north of Tokyo, and a plant for 660cc minivehicles at subsidiary Yachiyo Industry Co, both originally scheduled to start production in 2010.

Honda had initially planned to build clean-diesel and other fuel-saving vehicles at the Yorii factory, but has since abandoned the development of clean diesel engines, planning instead to come up with a new hybrid system to boost fuel economy on its bigger vehicles.

A Honda spokeswoman declined to confirm the report.

The Nikkei said the Yorii factory would likely begin production in 2013, in line with Honda's latest plan to start in or after 2012.

The paper also said Honda would review its strategy on minivehicles, with a market limited to Japan. Honda, which had earmarked about 50 billion yen ($565 million) to build the minivehicle plant in western Japan, plans to stop developing commercial-use minivehicles to narrow its product line, the paper said.

Honda Chief Executive Takanobu Ito, who took his post about a year ago, has said he wanted to accelerate the roll-out of hybrid cars as environmental regulations tighten around the world. He is scheduled to brief on Honda's medium-term strategy at a news conference next Tuesday.

Source;
http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Honda-to-focus-on-hybrids-drop-microcar-plant-paper-2010-07-15T001915Z-UPDATE-1

*UPDATE* Honda to phase out Acura RL (NOPE) and its Japanese version, the Legend

*UPDATE: Acura has released a statement saying that RL will continue to be the brand's flagship model and it's in no danger of being euthanized. -autoblog
Honda’s reorganization plan includes ending a few models that have become unpopular. A report from Nikkei business daily states that Honda will be discontinuing the Acura RL as well as its Japanese version, the Honda Legend.

In the US, the Acura RL is positioned at the top of the premium range. In the past few years, sales of the Acura RL declined primarily as a result of the TL model that is slotted under it. Many consumers preferred the TL because of its better overall package and interior design, more superior powerplants and other features that exceeded the flagship model. The Nikkei business daily also said that the production changes that Honda made recently only targeted its domestic market. It’s apparent that the Civic’s gasoline version will be discontinued. This indicates that the Civic lineup will only include the hybrid version of the car until the arrival of the next generation late next year. It was also reported that the production of the Elysion minivan will soon end.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/honda-to-phase-out-acura-rl-as-well-as-its-japanese-version-the-legend/

Officer survives vicious crash with tree

Wow, miracles do happen....
The word "miraculous" scarcely describes the survival of a Santa Maria, California police officer who wrapped his Ford Police Interceptor around a tree Sunday morning. It's what the local Police Chief calls the "worst accident he's seen in 35 years."

Sunday was a busy day for the members of the Santa Maria Police Department, starting with a police chase that resulted in a stolen car crashing into a first grade classroom of a local school. But that's not where this amazing crash happened.

Hours later, Officer Damon Badnell was responding to an officer involved in a foot pursuit of a burglary suspect when he lost control of his vehicle on a slippery road. The momentum wrapped the vehicle around the tree, nearly bisecting the Ford Crown Victoria.

Officer Badnell, who recently was awarded for stopping the most drunk drivers, has a few broken bones but doctors are hopeful about his recovery.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5585735/what-a-police-car-wrapped-around-superman-would-look-like

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Gets Youth-Oriented Promotion in Europe

Just the Facts:
Honda CR-Z marketing campaign launches in Europe.
The assault includes a 60-second TV spot and a "crowd-sourced documentary."
CR-Z hybrid is already on sale in Japan.

LONDON — The Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe, already out in Japan, is underlining its launch across Europe with a pair of youth-oriented marketing campaigns. The gasoline-electric hybrid with a six-speed manual gearbox is targeted at hybrid buyers who are looking for a sporty car, and Honda Motor Europe is marketing it across Europe as a fun-to-drive alternative.

The CR-Z's three-mode drive system is highlighted with a 60-second TV ad, called RGB, which shows each driving mode as a different color that changes the environment around the car. The system, with Normal, Sport and Econ modes, tailors steering and throttle response to the driver's needs

To underscore that Honda is looking for the youth market, the automaker will release its Live Every Litre "crowd-sourced documentary" across Europe to coincide with the CR-Z's launch. It will be shown in real and virtual premieres on July 21 at 8:00 p.m. London time.

The Europe-market CR-Z has a flexible two-plus-two seating arrangement.

In Japan, more than 10,000 people placed orders for the CR-Z in its first month on sale — which Honda says is 10-plus times more than the automaker's original monthly sales target.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/honda/cr-z/honda-cr-z-hybrid-gets-youth-oriented-promotion-in-europe.html

Autoblog: 2011 Ford Explorer Spyshots

Nice looking SUV....
Source with more pics;
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/13/2011-ford-explorer-teasers-continue-with-headlight-peek/