AutoblogGreen

A year ago at the Geneva Motor Show, Honda talked about producing a new hybrid-only model beginning in 2009. A concept version of that new car is expected to make its debut this September at the Paris Motor Show ahead of its production debut next year. The new hybrid-only model will be the first such car from Honda since the Insight went out of production in 2006. Honda has set themselves a goal of selling ten percent of their cars with hybrid power-trains by the end of the decade and, with the Civic currently being the only hybrid on offer, this new one will have to be a success if they hope to meet that goal. Conquering Europe, where hybrids have been slow to gain a foothold, will be important to Honda. The company plans on pricing the new car aggressively, somewhere in the range of €16,000 and €20,000. The Prius currently runs about €24,000 in Europe. The new dedicated hybrid will use a new version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. The IMA system can't accelerate from a stop on electric power only. However at moderate constant speeds the engine can be shut down and, with the throttle open, the system can motor along on electric power alone.

[Source: Left Lane News]