Honda to discontinue Accord hybrid
In September of this year, the new 2008 Honda Accord will arrive in dealerships. However, the hybrid version of the popular midsize sedan will not appear as Honda announced it will discontinue production of its Honda Accord Hybrid units. A company spokesman announced the news following the company’s US sales report reflecting falling sales figures for the hybrid.
“We found that our hybrid system works better in smaller cars,” says Chris Naughton speaking on behalf of the second largest Japanese automaker.
The use of hybrid technology became popular when the price of gasoline began to skyrocket. Hybrid cars use an electric motor to assist an internal combustion engine. For smaller cars, the use of electric motors means that during low-power operation, the engine is turned off while the electric motor powers the car. This translates into better fuel economy as the electric motor draws its power from a high-powered battery pack.
However, for larger cars, the use of a hybrid powertrain is mainly to give the car better performance. The extra power provided by an electric motor increases a car’s power and torque output. But with this application, the electric motor is not used alone. This means that the fuel economy is lower than when using a hybrid powertrain in a smaller car.
The slight increase in fuel economy led Honda car buyers to opt for the conventional Accord over the Accord Hybrid. Due to the added electric motor, battery pack, and modified engine parts, the Honda Accord Hybrid commands a higher price than the conventional Accord. With a 6-mile difference in gas mileage, the Accord Hybrid’s higher price doesn’t justify its fuel economy according to Honda shoppers.
However, Honda promised that they will create a hybrid vehicle that is not a version of their popular car models, such as the Civic Hybrid. The company announced that the hybrid car will be launched in 2009. According to Honda, the vehicle will be smaller and less expensive than the current Honda Civic Hybrid.
The Honda Accord is larger than the Civic and is equipped with a larger engine than its direct competitor, the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The Accord hybrid uses a V6 engine unit with an electric motor that produces 253 horsepower. However, this increase in power is only surpassed by the consideration of car buyers, as they seek fuel-efficient cars that can justify the higher price of hybrid vehicles.
The Toyota Camry, on the other hand, is equipped with a smaller four-cylinder engine that returns more miles per gallon of gas. This makes the Camry a better choice for many car buyers. Last month, 14 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in the US auto market were Camry Hybrids. The Honda Accord Hybrid only managed to grab 1.4 percent of the hybrid vehicle market.
After the announcement that the Accord Hybrid will be dropped from Honda’s lineup, there has been speculation that Honda will introduce a diesel version of the Accord. However, according to auto industry insiders, Honda is likely to wait for Volkswagen or Mercedes-Benz to test the US auto market to see if they receive diesel cars.