本田在美國和本土推出充電電動車

Recently the Yomiuri on-line reported the following:

　ホンダは２３日、８月下旬に日本で発売する電気自動車（ＥＶ）「フィットＥＶ」（５人乗り）の１回の充電で走れる距離が日本最高の２２５キロ・メートルになると発表した。

　これまでは日産自動車が販売する「リーフ」の２００キロ・メートルが国内最高だった。ただ、ホンダは「ＥＶの需要は不透明」として当面、個人向けには販売せず、企業や自治体向けのリース販売にとどめる。

　フィットＥＶのバッテリー容量は「リーフ」より小さい２０キロ・ワット時だが、減速時の充電効率を高めることで、１回の充電で走行できる距離を延ばした。

　米国では今月２０日から個人向けにリース販売しているが、日本では「まずは企業や自治体へのリース販売でＥＶの需要を見極めたい」（広報部）としている。

（2012年7月23日19時43分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

Honda announced on the 23rd (July) that their electric vehicle (EV "the Fit EV" (five-person riding)) which they would put on the market in Japan in late August could cover a distance of 225 km in one charge, the highest in Japan.

The "Leaf" which Nissan Motor sold until now was 200 km, the highest in the country. However because "the demand of EV is unclear" Honda would not sell it to the individuals but would limit it to lease-sale to companies or self-governing bodies for the time being.

The battery capacity of the Fit EV was smaller than the "Leaf" which was 20 kWh an hour; but for improved charging efficiency using slowdown time, the distance that could be run by one charge could be extended.

Although lease-sale was extended to the individuals from the 20th of this month (July) in the U.S., it (the public relations section) said that in Japan "first of all would like to discern the demand for EV through the lease-sale to companies or self-governing bodies".

It seems that Japan is taking the lead in the production and sales of electric cars.