Once the main innovator in the field of motoring, Honda is now hoping to catch up with fuel efficiency measures from all over the world. Takanubo Ito, CEO, now proposes a new (but conceptually old) CVCC engine as their next move.
They want it revamped as a hybrid, but want it to work as a single motor, not two independent systems.
The CVCC engine has been invented 40 years ago by Soichiro Honda and was one of the cleanest-burning engines of its times. Ford, Toyota and Chrysler all adopted its model for their own engines.
“We believe we have reached a point with hybrid technology … where we can provide game-changing technology and products,” Ito told Reuters on Wednesday.
Ito hopes that the hybrid CVCC technology will find its place in the next generation Honda Fit, set to hit the market by the end of 2013 in Japan.
Honda’s “one motor” hybrid approach is already being used in the CR-Z sports car and the Jazz.
Ito also said that inventing new technologies is an issue of determination for his engineers, because copying things from someone else will deprive them from “the joy of involvement” and that is not the way to go and not in the true Honda spirit.
