Honda Fit Features Lowest Price For New Hybrid Cars

It looks like the 2011 Fit will have a hybrid version, available in the Fall of 2010! And, it will be a plugin!!!

I sure hope this news is accurate. This is about the best thing that could possibly happen when it comes to producing an efficient but practical car.

 

Sounds like they are releasing the hybrid version sooner than originally anticipated, however it still looks as though it will initially only be available in Japan.

 

What is the basis for concluding that it will only be in Japan?

 

At this time Honda has announced the release of a hybrid Fit in Japan only. No plans to release the hybrid Fit to the US in 2010 as your article may have led you to believe. Hopefully one day though... Sources:

Honda Confirms CR-Z Hybrid and Fit Hybrid for 2010 : Auto News

Honda Fit Hybrid Possible for 2010 - KickingTires

http://www.hybridcars.com/compacts-s...it-hybrid.html

 

Has anybody thought about where the extra electrical capacity to plug in a few million electric cars every night is going to come from? The U.S. hasn't really built any new electrical generating plants in many years because nobody wants to live near one. Right now, where I live, people are up in arms over plans to build a power line to IMPORT electricity from Canada!

Our aging electrical grid is already struggling under the load, as it is. Three days of 90 degree weather brings rolling blackouts just from everybody running their air conditioners.

 

I live in the south, where it gets quite hot in the summer. Every night of the year, we have tons of spare capacity on our electrical grid, because the grid has to support AC on 100F days. Granted, the top end of that capacity is produced by the least-clean of the plants available, but it's probably still cleaner than burning gas in lots of individual cars.

I suspect that any location which uses AC in the summer will have plenty of capacity to charge plug-in cars at night. Maybe not if every single car were plug-in, but I bet we could support several million across the US.

As demand goes up for electricity, cleaner production methods will follow. But for now, I think we are ready to charge millions of cars each night.

 

Where are they going to put the batteries and still preserve the magic seat and cargo space features?

 

looks like no more spare tire possibly. we'll just get a set-up like Canadians.
fix a flat and a pump.

 

man the ecoguys/gals already seeing 45mpg or watever are going to net like 500mpg. hahaha.

 

Solar panels may be!!! These are some examples that I use.
Solar panel battery charger:- I bought a solar panel battery charger from eBay (~$20) and plugged in to cigarette lighter in my car when I parked in the winter for 2-3 months. My car battery is fresh and I can start my car as normal. If the whole FIT roof covers with solar panel, it might be enough power to charge battery during the daytime. Prius already offers solar panel roof.

Solar panel air ventilator:- In the summer, I have a solar power fan stick in my back window to blow hot air out.

 

Yeah, solar panels might work. It's 5 miles to work each way for me, and the car sits for 9 hours in the lot. If I could store enough charge during that time to run the car 10 miles per day, I wouldn't have to plug in the car at all and could run back and forth to work all week using NO gas.

 

In Upstate NY, you should already have additional capacity with those wind farms. North Central PA is also adding the same in Bradford county I believe. We're seeing an increase in solar panels here in VT and there's almost always always a Single windmill in sight (however they are small and privately owned). Heck, where I work, we have a windmill to power our Recycling center.

Unfortunately the Solar Panel roof on the Prius is only used for AC and not for charging the car. But they could be if toyota changed the design. They could also potentially be used to provide power back to "the grid" if designed properly. Imagine that, your car giving back to the power grid because it's batteries are full... why waste that extra solar power?

you should get an electric scooter for that commute... (although winter wouldn't be fun... especially closer to Erie)

~SB

 

Hydro electric power has been generated in Quebec and exported to the US for years now. Huge dams and water reservoirs in northern Quebec provide that power. It's not a new thing. We have an abundance of electric power here especially in the summer. The system was built to provide power for electric heating (quite a large percentage heat exclusivity with electric heating elements here) which is very power hungry.

The problem here with plug-in electric cars is how the heat the cars interior during nasty cold winter days. I don't want to be that uncomfortable to be green.

 

It's not even for AC...it's purely a fan to just exhaust hot air from the car. It's pretty much a gimmick with little actual function.

I think it is not feasible with current tech to affordably and reliably generate enough solar power for a normal passenger car.

 

I think a solar panel roof could generate enough to trickle charge some batteries. Enough to make a 30 mile trip? No, but probably enough (over a 9 hour day in the hot sun) to charge for a few mile trip to work. Especially now with today's solar cells being much more efficient than those of just 3 or 5 years ago.

~SB

 

In my humble opinion, solar technology is mature enough. I used to pay $800-900 for electrical during the winter months. Now I pay $100-120 instead after installing solar panels on my roof. During the day time, it feeds electric back to electrical grid. The electrical meter turns backward. At night, I use electric from the grid, the meter turns forward. I pay the different at the end of the month.
If I have electric car, I would charge it from the electrical grid at night but my solar panels will feed electric back during the day. However, I might have to increase the number of solar panels to balance it out.

 

I recall reading that someone that actually got a check from the electric company due that their solar panels fed so much electricity back into the grid. the check wasn't was only a couple of dollars, but it's something to think about.

 

I will not get money back from electrical company in MD if my solar panels feed eletric more than I use. It is a law. That is why I sized my solar panels enough to cover my electrical bill.

I do not have batteries to store electricity neither. It is too costly to maintain and replace them. I just feed excess electric to the grid.

 

Law is the same here in VT I believe. Once we buy a house, I'm going to be looking into Solar water and Electricity. Parents have had solar water for over 25 years...

Too bad there is no easy/inexpensive way to store up the power and then feed it into a plug-in hybrid at night. Maybe buy two plug-in hybrids and use one to store up the power while you drive the other

~SB

 

Hybrid or electric car requires a high voltage to charge its batteries (208V) for a quick charge (4-6 hours). Low voltage will take longer to charge batteries (8-12 hours). Solar panels have to way to charge that quick. I would not even think to store the power. I feed the excess to the grid and use high voltage from the grid instead. No conversion is required. A lot simpler and cheaper.