Autoblog

Honda signs on as Pikes Peak sponsor, race participant

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Sedan, Hatchback, Acura, Honda, Motorcycle, Racing

Honda plans to storm the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 30, entering ten cars in nine classes at the race to the sky, and signing on as a corporate sponsor. Part of the company's return to grassroots racing - if that's what you can call factory-backed efforts - the banners of Honda R&D and Honda North America will fly on these entries: a first-gen Acura NSX, an Acura TL SH-AWD, Honda CR-Z, Honda Fit EV, one CRF450R and two CRF250R motorcycles, a CBR1000RR motorcycle and a TRX450 ATV.

One more entry, details of which are to be announced later, will be driven by IndyCar pilot Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports. LoveFab (pictured above during practice last year) will be there with its new, NSX-based Enviate, but as a privateer entry.

Honda's been to the mountain before, with high-powered gear in 2012 and record-setting EVs in 1994 and 1999, but it's never made noise like this. Have a read of the press release below for more info.

Continue reading Honda signs on as Pikes Peak sponsor, race participant

Honda signs on as Pikes Peak sponsor, race participant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda delivers first Fit EV in California

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Honda, Electric

Honda has made good on its promise to deliver its first Fit EV, and that delivery took place in California on Friday. Matt and Becky Walton, of Ventura County, can now claim they have the first example of Honda's all-electric car, which costs $389 a month. The Waltons got the first Fit EV because they were the first ones to sign up for a lease at the car's website. They've owned at least four other Hondas, the automaker says, going back to the 1970s.

In a statement, Matt said, "It's truly an honor to take delivery of the first Honda Fit EV and participate in the advancement of all-electric vehicles in the real world," but he didn't mention the fact that Honda's "real-world" EV push is, in this case at least, available for a limited time only, and in limited areas. Leases start in California and Oregon now and will expand to the East Coast early next year.

The EPA rated the Fit EV at 118 MPGe and gives it an official range of 82 miles. The car's highly efficient energy consumption is 29 kWh per 100 miles. Read our First Drive review of the Fit EV here.

Continue reading Honda delivers first Fit EV in California

Honda delivers first Fit EV in California originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Honda Fit EV [w/video]

Michael Harley — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Honda, First Drives, Electric

Reminding Us That EVs Are Becoming Less Of A Compromise

The 2013 Honda Fit EV, the Japanese automaker's highly anticipated answer to the Nissan Leaf, is quick, agile and actually quite fun to drive. Its cabin is roomy, outward visibility good and its styling is anything but odd. The platform is impressively safe, it has decent range and Honda says it is the most efficient vehicle the EPA has ever tested.

So, what's the problem? Let's call it a lack of volume.

Honda is only releasing 1,100 of these little blue hatchbacks over the next two model years in the States, and all of them will be delivered on contracted three-year leases. Making matters more frustrating for those who want to forget about internal combustion, only California and Oregon are in the launch plans with five other preselected East Coast markets opening shortly thereafter.

Statistically speaking, the Honda Fit EV will initially be scarcer than a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 (the Italians are estimating a production run of approximately 4,000 worldwide). But thankfully, Honda brought a handful of pre-production Fit EVs to Southern California and offered us a drive. We ran acceleration tests, dodged cones on a slalom course and then did some real-world driving. Dwelling on its pending shortage, it was almost frustrating that we enjoyed ourselves so much.

Continue reading 2013 Honda Fit EV [w/video]

2013 Honda Fit EV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe with 82-mile range by EPA *UPDATE

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Hatchback, Honda, Electric

It might only be available to lease in limited numbers in only a few areas, but the Honda Fit EV certainly has one thing that's tremendously good about it: an official EPA rating of 118 MPGe and a range of 82 miles. Specifically, the all-electric Fit gets 132/105/118 city/highway/combined MPGe. Honda says the little EV is the most efficient vehicle the EPA has ever tested, but we're not sure about that.

As you can see in the comparison chart Honda released for the Fit EV below, the automaker conveniently forgot to include the Tesla Roadster 2.5, which the EPA said got 119 MPGe.

Honda does say, "the 2013 Honda Fit EV tops all other EV offerings in efficiency ratings, providing the most mileage for your electric dollar," and that Roadster only got 124 MPGe on the city cycle, so maybe there's an asterisk needed somewhere. Or perhaps Honda is comparing the kWh required to go 100 miles (the Fit needs just 29, while the Roadster 2.5 uses 30). Whatever the specifics of the situation are, the Fit EV is one efficient little car, and this makes us doubly sad that Honda is treating it like a compliance car.

Leases will be begin "in select California and Oregon markets during the summer of 2012, followed by an East Coast rollout in 2013." The Fit EV will likely cost $399 a month and have an MSRP of $36,625. Last we heard, Honda only plans on making 1,100 Fit EVs for the U.S. market.

*UPDATE: As we suggested, Honda is using the kWh per 100 miles number for the calculation for "highest efficiency rating." Thus, Honda told AutoblogGreen, the Fit EV compares to the Tesla Roadster 2.5 (kWh per 100 miles, lower is better) this way:

Fit EV: City, 26 / Highway, 32 / Combined, 29
Roadster 2.5: City, 32 / Highway, 33 / Combined, 30

Thus, Honda says the Fit EV's 20-kWh battery is "much more efficient" than the Roadster's 42-kWh battery pack.

Continue reading Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe with 82-mile range by EPA *UPDATE

Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe with 82-mile range by EPA *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Honda, Electric

Honda Fit EV concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We were a bit miffed at the Paris Motor Show this year when Honda debuted its ~~Fit~~ Jazz Hybrid and told us there were no plans to bring it to the United States. Bigger plans were in the works, however, and we've now caught our first glimpse at the Fit EV concept on display at this year's LA Auto Show.

Visually, the Fit EV doesn't stray too far from the design language we've come to know from the gasoline-powered hatchback, albeit with a few concept-y touches thrown in for good measure. Interior refinement is standard-grade Fit spec, as well, with a modified gauge cluster showing battery and efficiency information.

Honda has outfitted the Fit EV with a version of the electric motor used in the automaker's FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, and we're told that range will be around 100 miles with a top speed of 90 miles per hour. Sounds like a Nissan Leaf competitor to us. Though purely a concept right now, Honda plans to sell a production version of the Fit EV sometime in 2012, and fleet testing of the electric hatch will commence in the coming months.

See the Fit EV for yourself in our galleries of live and stock shots below, and follow the jump for the full details in Honda's press release.

Gallery: LA 2010: Honda Fit EV Concept

Gallery: Honda Fit EV Concept

Continue reading LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012

LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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