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Honda VV. 1999.
Courtesy Honda
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The Honda VV is scheduled to reach the American market by early winter of 1999. The code-named VV is a two-seat, subcompact automobile. Like the Toyota Prius, the VV is a hybrid-powered car. The principal power comes from a lightweight one-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine with a five-speed transmission. An electric motor serves as its secondary power source. The activation of one or both of the power drives is determined by an advanced computer system that evaluates their usefulness in any given driving situation.
The car’s average fuel eco-nomy for highway and city is 70 mpg (miles per gallon). Its tremendous fuel economy is a result of its light weight, only 1,760 pounds–800 pounds lighter than the Honda Civic–due to its aluminum space frame and its composite body panels. According to the manufacturer the VV can go 700 miles on one tank of gas, or approximately the distance from New York to Detroit. The car meets California’s ultra-low vehicle-emissions standard and, like the Toyota Prius, is expected to sell for under $20,000. |
