Honda Announces Electric Vehicle

04/09/96

United Press International reported that Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced plans to introduce an electric vehicle that runs on nickel-metal hydride batteries. Starting in 1997, the automaker will lease the new car, dubbed the Honda EV, for fleet and individual consumer use.

The Honda EV is a four person automobile. It's the first vehicle to take advantage of the nickel-metal hydride batteries, an advancement in battery technology that greatly improves vehicle range. The car is not a conversion of any existing vehicle, but rather 95 percent of its components are new.

The Honda EV was engineered to perform well in both normal urban traffic and on the freeway. The EV has a range of 125 miles, accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 18.7 seconds, and has a top speed of over 80 mph.

The new Honda meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and comes equipped with regenerative braking. The car also comes with a compact on-board charger that can re-charge the car at either 110 or 220 volts.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel