Kief Cars

The Japanese Auto Manufacturer Honda has unveiled the Honda EV-N Concept ahead of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show (later this month). This retro-styled electric car looks like something out of the 1960s, in my opinion. Honda are keeping some secrets at this stage. They have not released details about the motor and battery that will be fitted in this vehicle. A U3-X Segway-like unicycle is smartly strapped to the passenger door. One could easily mistake this for a hardcore speaker system. The Honda EV-N Concept will be part of the HELLO display for Honda at the 2009 Tokyo Motor show. This exhibit will showcase Honda products that could be part of a low-carbon society of the distant future. The Honda EV-N Concept is also fitted with a solar roof panel. This 4 seater car pays homage to the Honda N360s and N600s of the 1960s and 1970s. I will probably not be buying a car like this in the nearby future. There is no clarity if this car will be introduced in South Africa and there is no indication whether Honda will be making this part of their production line-up.

Honda has provided a sneak preview to the Honda CR-Z sports car. This alternate fuel concept car will make its debut as a prototype at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in Japan. The car’s styling is inspired by the original Honda CRX. The Honda CR-Z concept was first introduced in 2007, the concept’s lines have not changed much since then. The car is expected to go on sale in Japan by February / March 2010. The Honda CR-Z was introduced with a 6-speed manual gearbox which is likely to make it to the final production version. It’s expected that the Honda CR-Z will reach 0 – 100 km/h in about 9 seconds. According to the Japanese Auto Maker, the Honda CR-Z is 95% production ready. The final production version of the Honda CR-Z will be introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in early 2010. It’s highly unlikely for this car to be released in South Africa, but who knows? Honda is quite a popular brand in South Africa, so they might release it over here.

The Japanese Auto Manufacturer, Honda, is pushing ahead with the mass-production of the Honda FCX Clarity which will be powered by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology. The car was named as the World Green Car for 2009 at the World Car Awards. On the Honda FCX Clarity, Honda promises that the car is fun to drive and smooth, quiet en powerful. The vehicle also features a reinforced body structure, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).

This decision to mass-produce this vehicle comes even though there has been a slow uptake on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Obama administration in the US, a key market for this technology, has publicly backed electric car technology and ignored hydrogen fuel cell technology. In the United Kingdom no network for hydrogen fuel cell technology exists. Honda is presently the only Auto Manufacturer in the world to offer a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle for public leasing. General Motors and Toyota have also backed hydrogen fuel cell technology adoption as one of their strategies. General Motors plans to release a fuel cell car by the year 2012. Toyota are looking to bring out a fuel cell car in the next 6 years. The problem with hydrogen, in my opinion, is that it costs twice the price of gasoline, so it won’t be that cost effective. Or maybe it could be if there is fuelling structure like the established gasoline one. It will be a while before we see these cars advertised as 2nd hand vehicles in the classifieds, probably another 5 years or so.

Related Links:
Honda FCX Clarity – Official Website