Nissan and Honda Consider Plug-in Hybrids

As the long term stratergy for sustainable mobility, Nissan and Honda have been banking on electric cars and fuel cells. The executives of company are now warming up to plug-in hybrids.

Hybrid cars have been repeatedly dismissed – since their introduction in the United State market in late 1999 – as a ‘bridge technology’ – an euphemism for a hybrid technology that briefly serves a purpose until it can be replaced with something longer lasting and better. But in recent statements, Nissan and Honda’s executives are reconsidering the role that hybrids will play in the coming decades.

Last year Honda Company has lease it FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell cars and still sees hydrogen as the long term alternative to gasoline. However, for the first time, Honda executives are now speaking of hybrids and plug-in hybrids not as bridge technology but as a mainstream technology with staying power.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Takeo Fukui, the Honda President said, “Oil prices are going to go up. When that time comes, fuel cells, solar panels, hydrogen, those will be the key words. We will have packages that will be very competitive at that time.” From Takeo Fukui statements, clearly declare that the company is thinking about plug-in hybrids. Same with Honda, Nissan is also beginning to consider plug-in hybrids.

Nissan and Honda companies believe that plug-in hybrid is seen as the next stage of hybrids and as the key to the technology’s longevity. Nissan was moving toward the pure battery electric vehicle, while Honda was primarily banking on a transition to fuel cell cars.

Beside Plug-In Hybrids, there are other articles by Johan Young you may interest in reading: GM Hybrid Cars, Global Warming Effect, BMW City, and Subaru Hybrid.

For further information about Nissan and Honda Plug-in Hybrids: http://www.hybridcars.com/news/honda-and-nissan-consider-plug-hybrids-25759.html