News article:
http://www.hybridcars.com/honda-fit-hybrid.html

If this is true, would this delay your purchase? I'm interested, but I'm not sure if my old 92 Camry can hold out for that long. Just recently, the engine started to make this ringing noise when the engine revs up...sounds like bad ball bearings or something...

 

Be cool if it was confirmed. I think we'll have to wait. The Fit just got here and now were back on the rumor mill. If they do release a Hybrid Fit, it better cost close to the current Fit (within 1.5k) and it better get 50mpg city.

 

That would certainly take away some of the Fit's interior space/flexibility, which oddly the article doesn't mention. However, I love the idea, and it would settle my new-car search once and for all.

 

Kinda sucks to have buyer's remorse before the car even arrives.
It will be interesting what kind of price premium the hybrid engine will get though.

 

Seriously, how hard can it be for them to swap-in in a civic hybrid or insight engine with regenerative breaking transmission? I realize they have to find a place for the batteries as well, but I would take a cut back in interior room for 15-20mpg added effinciency. (at a reasonable price increase)

Honestly, the insight would be more popular if it wasn't the same price as the other hybrids. Great mileage, but there is not ONE other possitive aspect about that car. There is virtually NO cargo room and the interior feels like a 1980 VW rabbit.

 

We'll need a car before then, so will probably get the gas Fit in a few months anyway.

What would really change things would be to lower the premium cost of hybrids by integrating them into more vehicles. Mass production = lower price. Then we'd have true econo-boxes that are also eco-boxes!

 

Funny, Honda are talking of pulling the plug on the hybrid Accord due to sluggish sales and I just heard on TV news that US Toyota Prius sales were up in 2005 but down thus far in 2006.

 

Toyota claims that supply is low for the Prius, and that they could sell more if they could make them faster. As for the Accord, it is ~$32,000 and its fuel economy is a mere (compared to other hybrids) est 24/35mpg. Even on its own website you have to search around before you can find that stat... apparently it's nothing Honda wants to brag about. Don't get me wrong, I personally think it's a great car... but it must not be what most Hybrid-buyers want.

IMHO, for the price and fuel economy that a Fit Hybrid would bring about, it would be a hot seller... another candidate for supply not being able to keep up with demand.

 

Till Honda confirms it, it's nothing but a Rumor.

 

Sorry, I don't want a bunch of heavy batteries in my car...

 

I wouldn't buy one unless I knew I could get someone who is experienced in servicing hybrids. From what I understand, the extra price you have to pay for the car plus the added cost of servicing it outweigh the money you save on gas. The enviromental aspects are still a plus though.

 

hmm... this would totally delay my purchase... well... except for the fact that my car is sold within the next half week and i don't want to be without a vehicle for a whole year... v_v

 

Only if so, look at EPA Pollution score for 2005 Civic Hybrid:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2001c...f.jsp?id=20713

....and UK built 2005 Civic Si with the 2.0 motor:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2001c...f.jsp?id=20711

The hotrod Si is actually cleaner on this rating, but economy is lower?

It floored me when I saw the stickers a couple years back too!

 

Good point, now I remember I read about that in an issue of Consumer Reports (about the extra premium and extra maintenance cost).

 

^ forgot about that. Also, eventually (maybe 10+ years?) the batteries may need to be serviced or replaced.

 

The interesting thing is not that just demand increased, it is also that the production is down....on Toyota's end.

Google found this- there were two things listed: One was the sales of the bigger Honda Fit, and Lexus.

http://mobilemag.com/content/100/354/C7691/

Honestly, while not listed, one factor might be tooling up for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The Camry being their top seller in the US.

 

That EPA must be a typo. Civic is LEV2, and civic h is either ULEV2 or SULEV or PZEV. The greenhouse emission thing british use is more accurate; civic produces 6 tons of emissions while hybrid produces 3 tons.

 

You should ONLY buy it for environment. Getting a hybrid to save money is like getting a fast car so you won't be late to work.

I'm actualy waiting for the hybrid. Ima leave my car stock (maybe cept the mats and cargo cover, and maybe neons), so it'll retain a better resale value. I only got fit cuz it was second best to a hybrid; the civic h was too big and slow for my taste. A fit hybrid would be perfect! no more stick shift tho :\ I'm 99% sure it'll use CVT. But then it said it'll use insight engine, which did have an MT tranny (but the MT was so dirty in emissions (ULEV as opposed to PZEV of other hybrids), it was not considered a clean vehicle, so no carpool lane or tax refund like its CVT counterpart)

 

...I don't think they will be using the Insight's drivetrain.

A more likely choice is a 1.1-liter version of the special SOHC i-VTEC 1.3-liter I-4 engine found on the 2006 Civic in a much-improved Intergrated Motor Assist drivetrain (CVT only, of course). Expect Honda to try to use a lithium-ion battery pack, probably using the new batteries developed by Toshiba last year.

This way, the whole IMA drivetrain fits (pun intended!) inside the Fit's engine bay, and because the battery pack is Li-On it can be installed without interfering with interior space of the car.

 

Well then it was a typo on the car's EPA stickers too, that is where I first saw it with a friend of mine, we were both surprised.