Honda Not Plugged In to Hybrids

Regarding “Rewrite of Emissions Rule May Roll Out More Hybrids,” April 7:

If Honda Motor Co. can market a pure electric vehicle (the EV Plus it offered a few years back) and a very successful hybrid vehicle (the Insight), why can’t it bring to market a plug-in hybrid car?

This car could be operated on battery power alone (good for 10 to 60 miles) or with gasoline engine assistance, or it could be driven with the gasoline engine entirely.

In addition, instead of having to recharge the batteries by running the gas engine, the car could be plugged in at home or at work and recharged.

The weak and obviously incorrect answer is provided by Ben Knight, vice president of research for American Honda Motor: “It is asking us to package a full-service electric-propulsion system and a full-service internal-combustion engine system” in the same car.

Excuse me, but isn’t that what a hybrid car is? The company has the expertise, but does it have the will?

Mark Olincy

Silver Lake