KeiJidosha
Well-known member
Honda presentation at Fit EV introduction showed CAFE regulations driving changing vehicle mix from ICE, thru Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, toward BEV/FCEV. Their Technology Analysis shows increasingly electrified technologies to have "Very Good" Market Appeal and Social Value, but "Challenging" Marketability due to Infrastructure, Vehicle Cost, and Full Function (customer range, payload, and turnaround issues).PracticingHuman said:What I don't understand is why Honda is splitting its focus between the hybrid and the Fit EV. It seems like a conservative campaign but a costly one over the long haul. Even providing the Fit EV in very limited markets would have to cost them a chunk of change, right? Looks like they're trying to serve two masters.
Current margins come purely from ICE. The pace of transition away from core ICE technologies will be determined by progress in solving those "Challenging" technology issues. The hop from hybrid light (Insight) to pure electric (Clarity), turned out to be a jump too far, hence the Two Motor and Plug-in hybrid interim steps. Honda needs to maintain financial balance, with products grounded in profitable, proven technologies, to finance it’s move toward promising technologies for the future, and found it suffers if it gets ahead of, or behind that curve.