Honda taking its hybrids to another level

Honda has announced that it will be making its entire fleet of vehicles more fuel efficient, but none more so than its hybrid vehicles. Honda's improved i-VTEC engine technology will enable all Honda vehicles to increase their fuel efficiency by a few percent. However, this technology, combined with Honda's new hybrid powertrain, will enable gains in fuel efficiency of 20% for both the Civic hybrid and the Accord hybrid.

In fact, Honda's new hybrid powertrain, much like Toyota's hybrid powertrain, will enable the Civic and Accord hybrids to run on electric power only at low speeds. This ability has made the Prius hybrid, for example, extremely efficient in urban, or stop-and-go traffic. Other than Toyota hybrids, only the Ford Escape hybrid offers such capability.

While Honda has been in the shadow of Toyota hybrids, this development has the potential to enable Honda to challenge Toyota as hybrid king. Coupled with Nissan, Hyundai, GM, and Chrysler hybrids on the horizon, the hybrid competition is really set to heat up.

And as the energy crisis heats up, starting with today's Gulf tropical storms, hybrid interest is set to intensify.