ID :
70224
Mon, 07/13/2009 - 20:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/70224
The shortlink copeid
Honda to accelerate expansion of hybrid car lineup: President Ito
TOKYO, July 13 Kyodo -
Honda Motor Co. will speed up expansion of its lineup of gasoline-electric
hybrid cars as it aims to meet growing demand for fuel-efficient cars and to
continue to beat tough conditions in the auto industry, its president Takanobu
Ito said Monday.
As part of that plan, Honda said it will launch its CR-Z hybrid sports car in
Japan next February and a hybrid model of its best-selling Fit subcompact car
by the end of 2010. The automaker had previously only said that it will deliver
the Fit hybrid sometime during the first half of the 2010s.
Ito, who took the helm of Japan's second-largest auto company in June, also
said the automaker is accelerating development of a new hybrid system with two
electric motors that will be installed in mid- and large-sized cars.
''In 20 years time, I think everyone will go hybrid,'' Ito said at his first
joint interview with the media.
''Our strategy and our biggest focus are how fast we can spread (the hybrid
technology) and link that with consumer satisfaction,'' he added.
Ito said he wants ''a speedy Honda'' that is attuned to rapidly changing
consumer needs and is able to move fast with those changes.
Honda, the only automaker among Japan's top three carmakers that remained
profitable in the business year ended in March, has enjoyed strong sales of its
Insight hybrid, which became an instant bestseller in Japan with a sticker
price starting from 1.89 million yen.
Excluding minicars and imported vehicles, the Insight, which debuted in
February, ranked fourth in June with sales of 8,782 units, on the back of
recently introduced government subsidies and tax breaks for energy-saving cars.
''We decided to expand the use of the hybrid technology used in the Insight to
other cars ahead of schedule,'' Ito said, saying the hybrid car's
''affordable'' price and fuel efficiency match current consumer needs.
Ito indicated he plans to maintain the ''reasonable'' pricing strategy for
future hybrid models.
To meet expanding demand for the Insight, Honda said it will boost production
capacity by adding a second manufacturing line at the Suzuka factory in Mie
Prefecture from mid-June.
While the Insight has seen robust domestic demand, Honda also faces fierce
competition from its rival Toyota Motor Corp., which released its new Prius
hybrid car in mid-May at a retail price starting from 2.05 million yen.
Toyota's Prius, including both new and old models, quickly became Japan's
best-selling vehicle in June with sales of 22,292 units.
Although auto sales in Japan have been steady thanks to government support
measures, Ito said he remains bearish on the U.S. market, which may not be able
to recover fully in the next two years. He added Honda is pinning its hopes on
healthy demand in emerging markets like China and India.
''Honda is a company that has grown by taking on challenges during tough times
so we're seeing this as a chance to actively push forward our operations,'' Ito
said.
==Kyodo
Honda Motor Co. will speed up expansion of its lineup of gasoline-electric
hybrid cars as it aims to meet growing demand for fuel-efficient cars and to
continue to beat tough conditions in the auto industry, its president Takanobu
Ito said Monday.
As part of that plan, Honda said it will launch its CR-Z hybrid sports car in
Japan next February and a hybrid model of its best-selling Fit subcompact car
by the end of 2010. The automaker had previously only said that it will deliver
the Fit hybrid sometime during the first half of the 2010s.
Ito, who took the helm of Japan's second-largest auto company in June, also
said the automaker is accelerating development of a new hybrid system with two
electric motors that will be installed in mid- and large-sized cars.
''In 20 years time, I think everyone will go hybrid,'' Ito said at his first
joint interview with the media.
''Our strategy and our biggest focus are how fast we can spread (the hybrid
technology) and link that with consumer satisfaction,'' he added.
Ito said he wants ''a speedy Honda'' that is attuned to rapidly changing
consumer needs and is able to move fast with those changes.
Honda, the only automaker among Japan's top three carmakers that remained
profitable in the business year ended in March, has enjoyed strong sales of its
Insight hybrid, which became an instant bestseller in Japan with a sticker
price starting from 1.89 million yen.
Excluding minicars and imported vehicles, the Insight, which debuted in
February, ranked fourth in June with sales of 8,782 units, on the back of
recently introduced government subsidies and tax breaks for energy-saving cars.
''We decided to expand the use of the hybrid technology used in the Insight to
other cars ahead of schedule,'' Ito said, saying the hybrid car's
''affordable'' price and fuel efficiency match current consumer needs.
Ito indicated he plans to maintain the ''reasonable'' pricing strategy for
future hybrid models.
To meet expanding demand for the Insight, Honda said it will boost production
capacity by adding a second manufacturing line at the Suzuka factory in Mie
Prefecture from mid-June.
While the Insight has seen robust domestic demand, Honda also faces fierce
competition from its rival Toyota Motor Corp., which released its new Prius
hybrid car in mid-May at a retail price starting from 2.05 million yen.
Toyota's Prius, including both new and old models, quickly became Japan's
best-selling vehicle in June with sales of 22,292 units.
Although auto sales in Japan have been steady thanks to government support
measures, Ito said he remains bearish on the U.S. market, which may not be able
to recover fully in the next two years. He added Honda is pinning its hopes on
healthy demand in emerging markets like China and India.
''Honda is a company that has grown by taking on challenges during tough times
so we're seeing this as a chance to actively push forward our operations,'' Ito
said.
==Kyodo
