DETROIT -- Honda will introduce a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the United States next fall that averages 70 miles per gallon.
The car, which is powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity, will be unveiled at next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.Code-named "V V," the car will meet California's Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard, Honda said.
It will go on sale simultaneously in North America, Japan and Europe. Toyota Motor Co. has been selling a hybrid car in Japan since last year and said last fall that it would begin selling one in the United States by 2000.
Government and industry researchers seeking cleaner-running vehicles recently have turned away from pure electric battery-power to hybrids.
The V V is designed for wide sales and has a broader appeal than electric cars with their limited driving ranges, American Honda Motor Co. spokesman Andy Boyd said Tuesday.
"There is definitely a market for this vehicle," Boyd said. "It's different from an electric vehicle. It's not limited in its capacities."
The company said the V V is a two-seat personal coupe with a "highly aerodynamic design and extensive use of lightweight materials, including aluminum and plastic body panels."
The hybrid will have a 1-liter, 3-cylinder lean-burning engine that will be assisted by an electric motor during acceleration, Honda said.