Honda announced it will unveil a new global hybrid car at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, which will launch in 2009 along with another hybrid based on the CR-Z concept. Both cars will be produced as hybrid models without a gas-only counterpart, similar to Toyota's Prius. These hybrids are part of Honda's strategy to sell 400,000 hybrids per year by 2011. The new global hybrid will launch in Europe first, then come to North America. Both hybrids will use updated versions of Honda's integrated motor assist (IMA) mild hybrid system, currently used in the Honda Civic Hybrid. This system provides a little boost to the car under acceleration and stops the engine in traffic, but doesn't drive the car under electric power. The new global hybrid is designed from the ground up as a hybrid, so should present more efficiencies than the Civic Hybrid. The CR-Z concept, already shown at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, will be a sporty coupe designed for the hybrid powertrain.
Honda has been a little erratic with its hybrid strategy, originally offering the hybrid-only Insight, then hybrid versions of the Civic and Accord. Amongst that line-up, only the Civic Hybrid survives.
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