Posted on 06/16/2015 9:47:52 AM PDT by thackney
Slow sales and falling gasoline prices have prompted Honda to stop selling gas-electric hybrid and natural gas-powered versions of its Civic compact car.
The company also said that it will discontinue a plug-in rechargeable version of the midsize Accord.
But it plans to roll out a new, more efficient version of the Accord hybrid early next year. And a new plug-in Accord will come later.
Executive Vice President John Mendel said Monday in a statement that production of the natural gas Civic already has been halted, and hybrid Civic production will end after the 2015 model year.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The Nat-Gas and Hybrid civics are built in Greensburg, Indiana, not far from me.
Good. Maybe the percentage of Americans who have been sucked in by greentard crap is smaller than thought.
The thing that made Honda drop the hybrid and natural gas-fueled Civics is the 2016 Civic model, which will use a low-boost turbocharged version of the 1.5-liter L15B engine used on the current Honda Fit hatchback (the engine is supposedly rated around 150-155 bhp). Shown publicly way back in November 2013, it’s already in production in Japan for a Japanese market Honda small van and production of this engine will soon start at an engine assembly line in Ohio.
Oh Noes...
Technology too soon on the natural-gas powered vehicle.
Distribution and dispensing of CNG has not yet caught up to the potential for the market, but it is coming.
Things are not being done nearly as well as we already know how.
Meanwhile, the EPA has Honda’s clean diesel engines hopelessly snarled in red tape.
The Honda GX had ~250 mile range but at the cost over use much of the trunk space.
http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-natural-gas/specifications.aspx
http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-sedan/specifications.aspx#~pfN8wFl1eqSEvF
Not to mention the cost ~25% added cost.
A natural gas vehicle seems like a good idea to me, but I don’t understand why they would choose the Civic. It gets good mileage already and the NG tank uses a lot of the trunk space. It would make more sense to have a NG Pilot SUV or Odyssey van.
I still like the idea of a Natural Gas fueled vehicle if it is not subsidized by Government.
I would buy a dual-fueled pickup if I could get the breakeven cost down to two years for the adder cost of the fuel system.
You won’t get investors spending significant money one NG fueling distribution stations if there isn’t sufficient NG vehicles in the market.
Chicken and the egg problem...
There’s only one solution — the government should subsidize Honda to keep making them and then force people to buy them.
“You won’t get investors spending significant money one NG fueling distribution stations if there isn’t sufficient NG vehicles in the market.”
There are two NatGas refueling stations within 3 miles of me.
BOTH were built by a Federal Grant Program. Neither are on Major throughfares. They each cost taxpayers about $2.5 nillion each to build.
Both are largely deserted almost all of the time. The ONLY vehicles I have seen refueling at the are gas Company pickups, and the occasional UPS truck. If they get used once a day, I’d be VERY surprised.
Instead of providing NatGas pumps at already existing widespread Distributers, like Marathon, (as they did with E-85) the Democrats instead went with how they could control the crony payouts. More Billions wasted...
“I still like the idea of a Natural Gas fueled vehicle if it is not subsidized by Government.”
If there’s no tax money involved, knock yourself out.
I do think it would be very difficult to switch the entire country over, though.
No need for an entire country switch.
Just pick up 10~20% and it would make a real difference.
“Just pick up 10~20% and it would make a real difference.”
Natural gas is explosive. How would you establish enough safe refueling stations for convenience?
If someone made a diesel electric, I’d consider it.
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