Honda Motor to produce gasoline-electric hybrid cars in China

Nov. 8, 2010 (China Knowledge) - Honda Motor Co, a major Japanese car maker, announced last Friday that it plans to start producing gasoline-electric hybrid cars in China in the future, sources reported.

This move is part of the company's plans to explore the Chinese hybrid car market, said Seiji Kuraishi, head of Honda's China operation while attending a groundbreaking ceremony of its fifth joint-venture plant in China. He did not disclose the model of the hybrid cars and the schedule of production.

The Tokyo-based automaker expects its overall annual production capacity in China to reach 890,000 units by 2013.

The new plant, located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, is owned by Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Honda Motor Co Ltd and China's Dongfeng Motor Groupa class="red" href="http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Finance/StockChart.aspx?Type=HKG&StockCode=0489" target="_blank">0489>, is planned to put into operation in 2012, and will have annual production capacity to 100,000 units in the initial phase, said executives in Honda.

Honda has already started selling the hybrid version of Honda Civic compact car in China that is imported from Japan. The company announced earlier this year that it will launch two hybrid models, the Insight and CR-Z, in China in 2012, and the two models will also be imported from Japan.

Source;
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