(+) It's (-): No Hybrid Version of Honda's CR-V

[Variance]

(+) it's (-): No Hybrid Version of Honda's CR-V

Honda has recently told Edmunds that though a Fit Hybrid is indeed in the works, there are no plans to produce a CR-V of the same persuasion. Honda admitted that people who are going to spend the extra coin for a hybrid CR-V likely won't see that money returned in fuel savings. Cars are the only vehicles Honda will be equipping their hybrid systems with. I'm afraid our hopes of a Pilot or Ridgeline hybrid are dashed.

Read "Honda Drops Plans for CR-V Hybrid" @ Edmunds

[siegen]

The Fit hybrid is going to be a big hit, only 1 or 2 years away.

[Northstar]

The Fit gets really good gas mileage as is, so I don't see it really returning that much more, but I guess we shall see.

Honda is dumb if they aren't going to do hybrid versions of trucks and SUVs. That would be quite profitable I would think.

[Drew Dowdell]

Sing it with me kids, it's better to go for the worst gas users rather then the best.

GM has the right approach on this one. Starting with buses and then full size trucks. Then down to medium size SUVs and then sedans.....

Do the math:

12,000 miles a year

If you take two vehicles, one that gets 15mpg and one that gets 30mpg. Apply a hybrid to them that nets to a 20% efficiency gain in mpg.

The car that gets 30mpg now gets 36mpg. The hybrid version saves 66.6 gallons of gas over the course of 12,000 miles.

The car that gets 15mpg now gets 18mpg. The hybrid version saves 133 gallons of gas over the course of 12,000 miles.

[regfootball]

could cooling hybrid sales have scared them off?

[siegen]

Even though the Fit does get good mileage already, if it can get near what the Insight does, how is that a bad thing? Specially since they can use a more compact, cheaper hybrid system (that doesn't need to be designed from the ground up) then what they would have to use in a SUV to make it worth while. A lot of people are estimating only about a 1700-2000 increase for the hybrid version. That makes it incredibly affordable, it might even be the first practical hybrid actually worth buying.

Plus they can continue to say they offer the most fuel efficient vehicle available, except now it will be completely practical and possibly less expensive than the Insight was.

Let's see. Hybrid SUV that costs $27,000 and gets 36mpg (31 on the frwy), or a hybrid 5 door hatch loaded with features that costs $18,000 and gets 50-55mpg. Which is better?

Apply a hybrid to them that nets to a 20% efficiency gain in mpg.

Because everything in the world is so linear...

[sciguy_0504]

could cooling hybrid sales have scared them off?

I think the Accord Hybrid sales have scared them. "No more hybrids in powerful vehicles...they don't sell!"