Honda Motor Co. is about to join Toyota and Nissan in the race to launch electric vehicles in the first half of the next decade. Honda is planning to begin full-fledged development of electric vehicles because the US' will begin tightening environmental regulations in the future. Honda will also consider marketing electric vehicles in Japan. Toyota has announced it will sell EV vehicles beginning in 2012 with Nissan looking for mass production by next year for release in Japan, Europe and North America.
At its group's technological development base in Tochigi Prefecture, Honda has been designing electric vehicles ranging in size from subcompacts to small cars. It is also working to present a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall. The development comes as calls rise for more environment-friendly vehicles. Among them, the state of California is urging automakers with high sales volumes to enhance marketing of zero-emission cars. At the moment, Toyota and Honda have been the leading field for hybrids, with the Prius and Insight models. However Honda has determined that it has to diversify its 'green' car lineup with electric vehicles. Honda will still keep its global hybrid expansion plan alive. Even if its begins full-fledged development of electric vehicles, hybrids are likely to remain a core product, a senior Honda official said.