Honda to release electric motorcycles in two years

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said it will release electric motorcycles in about two years’ time, by 2010, concentrating its resources on environmental technologies amid the global economic downturn. Electric cells are suited for motorcycles, which tend to be used for relatively limited travel distances, the automaker said. Also, as part of its green effort, Honda said it would develop a new car model smaller than its Fit subcompact. In Japan, Honda plans to limit the price of the new hybrid-only Insight passenger car, to be released next spring, to less than two million yen (US$22,226) to spur demand. A hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z also will be launched in 2010. (December 17, 2008)