Honda unveils plug-in hybrid electric car

Honda Motor Co. unveiled its electric vehicle and plug-in electric-gasoline hybrid in Japan. The major Japanese automaker will provide five electric vehicles and five plug-in hybrids to the prefectural governments of Saitama, north of Tokyo, and Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, to study their practicality and convenience. Honda aims to apply its electromotive technologies comprehensively, to realize efficient energy use in the home, President Takanobu Ito told a news conference in Wako, Saitama. The company plans to put all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in 2012. The plug-in hybrid, based on the platform of the Inspire mid-size sedan, carries a lithium-ion battery produced by a joint venture between Honda and GS Yuasa Corp. (December 21, 2010)