Honda to sell plug-in hybrid and electric cars in 2012 (Reuters)

Japan (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co plans to launch a plug-in hybrid and battery electric model in 2012 as part of its strategy to push to the front of a race by global automakers to develop more fuel-efficient cars.

Japan's No.2 automaker was one of the world's only car makers to offer gasoline-electric cars during the past decade but has begun looking like a laggard without a "strong" hybrid or concrete plans to mass-produce pure electric cars.

Global competitors from Volkswagen AG to Hyundai Motor Co are preparing to launch strong hybrid models that are more fuel-efficient than Honda's "mild" hybrids such as the Insight, while also readying battery-run cars.

At a news conference, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito, outlining the firm's medium-term strategy, said Honda was planning to sell a plug-in hybrid vehicle and a battery-powered electric model in Japan and the United States in 2012.

Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp is planning to bring a plug-in hybrid to market in 2011 and recently formed an alliance with California start-up Tesla Motors to develop electric vehicles.
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more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66J0MW20100720

stops, like a quick charge for these electric cars. I realize the idea is to plug it in overnight at your house, but what about apt dwellers, or high rise condo owners? Or of course the idiot who pushes the envelope and drives to long and must get a recharge while out on the road?

I wish I had the $$ to establish one of those recharging stations. I think it would be a great investment and moneymaker plus serve a very good purpose.

I have seen them at airports already.

Boosters of the alternative vehicles are quickly expanding the supply of charging stations, probably well in excess of the demand for them. Indeed, more than a hundred electric car-charging stations already are scattered across Los Angeles County and hundreds more are coming – even though experts believe it’ll be years before very many of the vehicles will be gliding noiselessly down local streets.

Although a slew of electric vehicles are scheduled to hit the market in 2011 – such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Tesla Model S, Coda and Fisker Karma – industry analysts said that they’ll still cater to a small niche of buyers for the next five years. As a result, it will take a while for all those charging stations to get much use, let alone become profitable.

“They’ll be underserved initially,” said Michael Omotoso, a senior manager of forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates in Agoura Hills who specializes in alternative energy vehicles. “There’s been a lot of hype regarding electric vehicles in the last year, but it will be a slow start.”


http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2010/jul/19/so-many-chargers-so-few-electric-cars/

Downtown Burlington has a couple (literally, just two) parking spots with chargers attached. They've been there for a few years now. The spots are supposed to be reserved for electric vehicles, but regular cars park there all the time, ignoring the signs.