Honda Insight Electric Gas Hybrid Car Discontinued

It is the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market, the first electric gas hybrid car to sell in the United States and it's more affordable than the competition. So, why on earth is Honda pulling the plug on the Insight? Because they're making room for the new.

Honda's executives announced the Insight will be discontinued in September, 2006, although not much more was said.

Sales of electric gas hybrid cars are through the roof and Toyota can't keep up with demand of the Prius. However, it's been a little different story for the Insight. According to The New York Times, in 2005, Prius sales reached 107,897. Honda sold only 666 Insights and that even includes a 15% increase from the previous year.

The Insight was never marketed as aggressively as the competition and that may partially explain why sales were so low. The car was innovative from the beginning in both technology and looks and that may also be part of the problem. The aerodynamic design and aluminum body were meant to increase fuel-efficiency, but it may have had a negative effect on sales objectives.

Honda didn't say much about the Insight's replacement except that it's scheduled to debut in 2009, it's going to be bigger than the Insight and smaller than the Civic, inspired on the Fit but very different, be priced below any current new electric gas hybrid car and that it is going to break fuel-efficiency records.

Honda is placing all its chips on this new mystery electric gas hybrid car and expects to sell at least 100,000 of them in the U.S. market every year, says the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier this year, Honda also announced the company's considering stopping production of the Accord Hybrid because of poor sales, according to the Associated Press. Honda executives think the concept of a performance electric gas hybrid car is still not grasped by car buyers and drivers.

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