Honda has announced that it plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) to the U.S. market by 2012.

“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,” writes Reuters. The introduction of two new fuel-efficient models will allow Honda to keep pace with the Earth-friendly innovations of competing automakers.

According to Cars.com, “There are no specifications on the Honda EV, but it will likely compete with the upcoming Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i MiEV.” Meanwhile, a plug-in hybrid system is being developed for midsize and large vehicles.

Honda also announced that the next-generation Honda Civic Hybrid will feature a lithium-ion battery. “Civic’s new lithium-ion battery will likely be smaller, lighter and far more powerful than today’s nickel-metal hydrides, which power most hybrids,” writes USA Today. “It should give the Civic far better range, and possibly the ability to run for miles on electric-only power, a capability it lacks now.”

Honda makes its announcement at a time when competition among automakers to produce alternative-power vehicles is at an all-time high. “Both GM and Nissan will begin selling plug-in vehicles — the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, respectively — in relatively small numbers by the end of this year,” reports CNN Money. “Ford Motor Co. plans to begin selling its Ford Focus BEV plug in car early next year. Fiat, now partnered with the U.S. automaker Chrysler, will begin selling an electric version of its tiny 500 hatchback in the U.S. in 2012.” And, just last week, Toyota announced a partnership with Tesla to develop an all-electric version of its popular RAV-4 SUV.

Dan Neil drives the Audi eTron, tells Musk and Fisker to watch out

The LA Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning auto critic, Dan Neil, had a chance to sample the Audi e-tron while the electric R8 (R8e?) was down in So. Cal. for the LA Auto Show, and he’s suitably impressed with the nine-month-old prototype that — unlike your average concept — is actually functional.

Not only does it go, stop and turn, the e-tron has a fully functional climate control system, power windows, MMI system and a host of other gadgets on board, making it a rarity in the world of one-off concepts. Granted, it’s still just an overly-stylized mule (thankfully, the million-spoke wheels were dispatched in favor of the R8 V10’s hoops), but this is less about the driving experience (although Neil raves about the dynamics and power delivery) and more about the world’s largest automakers getting into the electric vehicle game.

Neil’s primary point is that while Tesla and Fisker are laying the foundation for EV proliferation, automakers like Audi, Ford, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen all have electric whips in the works. Neil contends that the standards set by the major OEMs are what’s going to drive EVs into the mainstream and if the e-tron (and the forthcoming electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG) are any indication, enthusiasts can have their cake and eat it too. Check out the full write-up and hit the jump for Dan’s video review.

Source

Existing hybrid technology uses electrical energy stored in a battery to power an electric motor connected to an internal combustion engine, but there are other ways of harnessing electrical energy to help save fuel. Engineers in the UK have developed a new system where electrical energy can be used to drive a supercharger and boost performance.
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