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Honda launches India's first hybrid car
Published on Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 00:52, Updated on Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 01:12 in Auto section
Tags: Honda Motor Co, Honda Civic , New Delhi
HOT WHEELES: The new Civic will give as much as 20 kilometers per litre.
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New Delhi: Honda Motor Co. on Wednesday introduced the first hybrid vehicle in the country by launching its sedan Civic, equipped with a petrol engine and an electric battery.
A CBU, the new Civic will attract 104 per cent import duty but will give you as much as 20 kilometer per litre.
The car is 50 per cent fuel efficient when compared to a petrol 1.8 litre Civic. It sports a 1.3 litre ivetch engine and an integrated motor assist.
The consumption of fuel is computer controlled, battery gets charged automatically when the car is in motion, so there is no hassle of charging the battery externally.
To start with, Honda is bringing in 400 hybrids but if demand is strong then it may even manufacture in India. Honda will even build a hybrid of its small car Jazz.
It plans to reduce its production costs with a new electronic control unit and a thinner, more compact battery. A thinner motor has also been developed.
“We may manufacture hybrid Civic if the demand comes and also may introduce this tech on smaller cars,” President, Honda Siel Car India, Masahiro Takedagawa said.
Toyota, too, plans to launch its hybrid car – Prius – in India, but manufacturers are looking for sweetners from the Government.
Countries across the world are offering subsidies to promote the use of hybrid cars. In fact, the US and Japan offer subsidies of up to $2,000 per hybrid.
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If countires around the world are offering subscidies to encourage hybrid cars, why is India imposing 104% duty?
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