‘Electric Jazz’ isn’t a new form of music, but a new electric car from Honda. The Jazz model in Australia is sold as the Fit in North America.
The Fit EV concept car was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show and uses the same motor as Honda’s FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle. Honda says the Fit EV will enter production during 2012 in both Japan and North America.
Honda says the Fit EV will provide a range between recharges of 160kms – although that requires selection of the ‘Econ’ driving mode (the other modes are ‘Normal’and ‘Sport’ – the latter providing the Fit EV with performance matching a 2.0-litre petrol-engined car).
The Honda Fit EV comes with a pocket-size remote which enables the driver to remotely activate the car’s air-conditioning or (if it’s plugged-in) initiate battery charging. So when your Fit EV is parked in your garage and you’re inside, when the less-expensive hours of electricity supply commence, you simply pres the remote to get you Fit recharged for minimal cost.
Using a 120-volt outlet the Fit EV can be re-charged in les than 12 hours of in half that time using 240-volt.
Sharing top billing with the Fit EV in L.A. was Honda’s new plug-in hybrid platform with the next generation two-motor hybrid technology – this is also due to appear in production form in 2012. The system displayed was for a mid-size sedan with a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine…we would suggest that’s likely to be an Accord.
