Honda is planning to officially launch its own plug-in hybrid system next year. As far as which vehicle will be the first to get the all-new PHEV hybrid platform is concerned, your guess is as good as ours. Honda is still keeping their exact plans a little vague.

According to William Walton, Manager of Product Planning, Honda, the company is going to "see what happens with the plug-in vehicle architecture, and take learnings from that."¹. Maybe it will be placed into an existing model. Or maybe Honda will wind up developing an entirely new hybrid-only model. We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks to a revelation from Hirohisa Ogawa, Chief Engineer of Battery Research, Honda, we do know Honda's imminent plug-in hybrid will be able to drive nine to 15 miles in electric-only mode.  That range is certainly enough to quell criticisms that Honda's current hybrid technology isn't strong enough to provide extended motor-only travel.

Presently, Honda's lineup of hybrid vehicles (i.e., the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Honda CR-Z Hybrid and the Honda Insight Hybrid) relies on the existing Integrated Motor Assist System primarily to support the gasoline engine. In contrast, the all-new PHEV hybrid technology, scheduled to debut next year, is comprised of a more independent and powerful two-motor system run by a lithium-ion battery. Ogawa has shared that the battery will be supplied by Blue Energy Co., Honda's battery joint venture with GS Yuasa Corp.

Stay tuned for more details on Honda's rapid developments within the hybrid and alternative fuel market. Located at 7017 East Kellogg Dr in Wichita, KS, Scholfield Honda is dedicated to keeping you informed.

Source: ¹http://www.hondainthenews.com/honda-to-diversify-hybrid-offerings-with-plug-ins/