3 Honda Fit EVs Arrive in California

Three 2013 Honda Fit Electric Vehicles were delivered to different institutions across the state of California last month. Stanford University, Google, and the city of Torrance received the new cars as a test run for Honda’s electric vehicle. A few years back, the Honda Clarity debuted in Southern California, further cementing the state as a leader in transport electrification.

Honda unveiled the Fit EV last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In the press release, the company states that the car will be available summer of 2012. Specifically, Honda will begin “leasing the Fit EV to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer [2012], and will expand to six East Coast markets in early 2013. The Fit EV’s Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price² (MSRP) is $36,625 with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month.” Depending on market penetration, Honda “expects volume at this early stage of production to be approximately 1,100 Fit EV’s over the next three years.”

According to a more recent press release, “Honda delivered a 2013 Fit EV battery-electric vehicle to the city of Torrance . . . as one of the first major steps in the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program, a prelude to the retail market launch of the Fit EV with customers in California and Oregon this summer.”

Stanford and Google were also included in the “Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program.” Honda reports that “Each program participant will provide Honda with real-world feedback on the Fit EV. Individually, each participant will use the Fit EV to further initiatives such as research into human behavior and various usages like personal, fleet and car-sharing.” Google’s non-profit arm has built up a fleet of electric vehicles. Google’s efforts have led to “2,000 cars [being taken] off the road as a result of our shuttle program and electric vehicle charging stations, equivalent to 14,000,000 vehicle miles per year.”

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