Google and Stanford University are Testing the 2013 Honda Fit EV



Gathering Feedback From Real-World Operations

Honda has been a bit slower than its brethren in embracing battery-electric cars. It was only a few years ago that it seemed to be betting more on hydrogen-powered vehicles like the Honda FCX Clarity. But we haven't heard much about fuel cells lately, and Honda is getting ever closer to closer to releasing the Fit EV into the wild, though in relatively small volumes (the latest news is that production will be limited to only 1,100 units over the first three years).

Before commercial launch, the company is testing out a fleet of Fit EVs by providing them to Stanford University, Google, and the city of Torrance in California.



“The goal of the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program is to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the advancement in battery-electric technology,” said Steve Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. “Honda has a long history with electric vehicles beginning with the introduction of our first battery-electric car, the EV Plus, nearly 15 years ago. Honda’s experience and the unique feedback that Google, Stanford University and the city of Torrance will provide will be valuable to the future introduction of battery-electric technology.” (source)

The Fit EV has a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery and 92- kW electric motor. It can take a full charge in 3 hours on 240-volt.

Franchement, je m'inquiète pour le futur de l'automobile

Moi, je m'inquiète pour le futur tout court.

Le problème c'est qu'il n'y a pour ainsi dire pas de réseau de distribution d'hydrogène et surtout que le coût de fabrication de la Clarity la rend juste impossible à commercialiser actuellement. Mais les tests continuent