Honda Hybrid Vehicles Top 2003 Hybrid Vehicle Registrations

TORRANCE, Calif., April 22 -- Honda led all other automakers in consumer registrations of hybrid vehicles in calendar year 2003, according to registration data released by R.L. Polk & Company today. The Civic Hybrid alone accounted for half of all hybrid vehicles registrations in 2003. According to R.L. Polk data, national hybrid vehicle registrations rose 25.8 percent in 2003 versus 2002, while Honda Civic registrations doubled. 23,048 Civic and Insight hybrid vehicles were registered in 2003.

"We are pleased to see more consumers embracing hybrid technology as a means of increasing fuel economy, reducing emissions and helping the environment," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of corporate planning and logistics for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We're committed to bringing hybrid technology into the mainstream and look forward to introducing a hybrid version of our best selling model, the Accord Sedan, later this year."

In the fall of this year, Honda will debut its third hybrid model, a V-6 powered gas-electric hybrid Accord Sedan using Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system in combination with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology for V-6 performance with fuel economy equivalent to a four-cylinder Civic.

Civic Hybrid sales set an all-time record in March with 2,725 vehicles sold, an increase of 7.6 percent from the previous record month in March 2003. These sales contributed to strong first quarter hybrid sales, with Civic Hybrid and Insight posting 6,169 in combined sales.

The two-passenger Honda Insight, introduced in December 1999, was the first production gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle to be introduced in the United States and remains the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicle on the road today. In 2002, the Civic Hybrid became the first truly mainstream hybrid vehicle by combining the functionality and features of America's best- selling compact car with Honda's high-efficiency Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Honda Civic Hybrid and Insight, please visit www.hondanews.com.