2014 Honda Cr-v Lx on 2040-cars

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Honda ending CR-Z, Insight sales in Europe

Death by diesel? That may be the epitaph of the Honda Insight and CR-Z in Europe, where the Japanese automaker will discontinue sales of the two hybrid models before to the 2015 model-year. A Honda spokesman confirmed the discontinuation to Automotive News, and information on those models has been taken off of Honda's official websites in Germany, Spain and Italy. The European embrace of all things diesel and fuel efficient as well as competition from Toyota are the primary culprits. The cancellation is not a surprise. Insight sales in Europe fell a whopping 62 percent last year while CR-Z sales there plunged 66 percent. Combined, both models sold less than 2,000 units in Europe last year, Automotive News says, citing JATO Dynamics. Honda is having trouble moving the Jazz Hybrid (also known as the Fit) in Europe as well. European sales declined about 40 percent last year to around 4,500 units. Those numbers compare rather unfavorably to a 43 percent surge in Toyota's hybrid sales in Europe to about 153,000 units. The Insight may face the same fate in the US. Last year, US Insight sales fell 18 percent to 4,802 units, a small, small challenge to the more than 234,000 Toyota Prius variants sold in the US in 2013. Honda has not made an official statement on the Insight's fate here, but the sales are speaking for themselves. Featured Gallery 2014 Honda CR-Z Hybrid View 14 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Green Honda Hybrid hybrid sales

Is Honda working on airbags for smartphones?

Smartphones are expensive yet delicate - a single impact on a hard surface can shatter their touchscreens, often damaging them beyond repair. Fitting a case offers only so much protection, but what about an airbag? Honda has explored the concept with the airbag-equipped Case N and even made a video about it. But alas, it isn't real.
For some reason, we really want it to be. Honda has a knack for surprising us with nearly unbelievable inventions designed to improve mankind's quality of life, contraptions like the Walking Assist Device and the UNI-CUB personal mobility devices, so the Case N isn't as far-fetched an idea for the company as you might think.
Head below to watch the video, where you can see the Case N concept in action. You'll also see its generous proportions, which is one reason why it's just a case of Honda humor - not (yet) a market reality.

Next-gen Honda Accord PHEV may have 39-mile EV range [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Disregard what The Asahi Shimbun said on this. The paper apparently conflated the upcoming Clarity-based PHEV and the non-plug Accord Hybrid and has since updated its article. We got an email from Honda clarifying the situation: The refreshed Accord Hybrid, slated to launch in the middle of this year, will not have a plug-in variant. Honda will bring a new, dedicated plug-in hybrid to market by 2018 that leverages the same platform that underpins the upcoming Clarity Fuel Cell. This new PHEV will feature more than triple the 13-mile electric range of the last generation Accord Plug-in Hybrid. We apologize for the error. Honda's next-generation Accord Plug-in Hybrid could triple the previous model's electric driving range when the new one debuts in the US in 2018. To achieve such a significant improvement, the company would equip the PHEV with a higher capacity battery of the same physical size and more efficient electric motors, according to the The Asahi Shimbun. The next Accord PHEV could drive the equivalent of 68 miles in EV mode, the newspaper claims. However, we believe this figure comes from the Japanese test on electric models, which produces higher figures than the US evaluation. Tripling the 2014 Accord Plug-in's EPA-estimated 13-mile range suggests a number closer to 39 miles when the new generation reaches this country. A figure around 39 miles would still make the 2018 Accord a contender among the current PHEV sedans. For example, the EPA rates the Hyundai Sonata Plug-in at a 27-mile range and estimates the Ford Fusion Energi at 20 miles. The latest Chevrolet Volt, which would likely be smaller than the Honda, wins out with 53 miles of driving distance, though. Honda plans a new pure EV and PHEV in its US lineup by 2018, and the plug-in shares a chassis with the upcoming FCEV fuel cell sedan. The next-gen Accord would give the company another flavor of PHEV to offer customers, too. American Honda Motor Executive Vice President John Mendel told Autoblog last year the company would update the standard Accord Hybrid in 2016 and introduce the next PHEV variant here in 2018. Related Video: