Honda to offer more hybrid cars

Honda has announced that it plans to offer a greater range of hybrid fuel cars to the UK over the next two years.

The hybrid cars will initially utilise FCX fuel cells, with plans to manufacturer and distribute over 200,000 hybrid vehicles across the world by 2009.

Although fuel cells are generally regarded as uneconomical, Honda intends to apply a range of technologies and energy management systems to additionally improve the effectiveness of the vehicles.

They are already implementing similar systems into the latest BMW S Series, which have already shown fuel and emissions savings of up to 25%.

Known as EfficientDynamics, this includes a system called Stop & Go which conserves fuel when the vehicle is stationary.

In addition, another system call ed Brake Energy Regeneration redirects energy that would otherwise be lost when the car slows down.

While critics are uncertain whether fuel cells in themselves can become a primary source of energy for cars in the near future, Honda expects that production of hybrid fuel cars will be unable to cope to demand.