General News

These aspiring electric cars are typical of the dozens of displays that sprang up this year at the Paris Motor Show. Everyone seems to be hatching their own ideas for electric. Only time will tell if any of these electric carmakers will ever be heard from again, but they look cool.

At this year’s Paris Motor Show, electric car tuners seem to have replaced the aftermarket hotrodders, who usually have dozens of displays set up in back halls at auto shows. Don’t think your 1,000-horsepower Bugatti Veyron has enough grunt, straight from the factory? Hire a tuner to juice it up to supersonic levels. That’s how it’s been the past decade or so. But no more. In Paris, its all about the fuel efficient electric cars

Slide Show: 2008 Paris Motor Show

PARIS — Honda’s Insight hybrid, introduced Thursday at the Paris Motor Show, is designed to take the measure of the Toyota Prius.

“Honda is committed to taking a leadership role in hybrid technology,” Sage Marie, an American Honda spokesman, said here. “The Insight is the first of three dedicated hybrid models the company will be introducing in the next four years.”

In addition to the Insight, which will go on sale in Europe, Japan and the United States next spring, the company plans a hybrid sports car derived from the CR-Z concept, also shown here, and a unique hybrid version of the Fit compact.

Honda executives said privately that the company had re-evaluated its strategy of producing hybrid versions of its existing models, such as Civic and Accord, and decided that “dedicated” models were more likely to be successful in the marketplace. Hence, the one-of-a-kind Insight, one of the most highly anticipated introductions at the Paris show.

Fuel mileage figures were not announced because, Mr. Marie said, E.P.A. fuel-economy testing was not complete. But he said the Insight, powered by the same 1.3-liter gasoline engine and electric motor assist that is in the Civic Hybrid, should have comparable fuel economy.

The Insight is expected to outperform Prius on price, though no price was announced here. Takeo Fukui, Honda’s chief executive, said the Insight will be priced attractively enough to bring its ambitious annual worldwide sales goal of 200,000 units within reach. Expectation is that it will be priced below $20,000.

“This new Insight will break new ground by providing an affordable hybrid to an expanded number of customers, craving great fuel economy and great value,” Mr. Fukui said.

The Insight, while Prius-sized and shaped, borrows many styling cues from Honda’s FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, which is already being leased to a select number of customers in the United States. Honda’s only other hybrid vehicle, the Civic Hybrid, will receive a face-lift next year to help differentiate it from the Insight.

The Insight name was previously used by Honda for a gasoline-hybrid electric vehicle introduced in 1999, but discontinued two years ago due to slow sales. Besides having polarizing styling, the old Insight had only seating for two people and no trunk. The new Insight is a five-door hatchback with seating for five. Check back to our blog for more cool news from Wheelfire.com.