Honda Fit Hybrid moves to sale in Japan

Honda's new hybrid Fit subcompact went on sale in Japan on Friday as the automaker spread outs its green car lineup that already comprises the Insight and CR-Z sports car.

The Fit hybrid will begin at 1.59 million yen ($19,160), the cheapest of the automaker's gasoline-electric cars, Honda said.

The launch comes just following government subsidies designed to increase demand for green cars ended in September.

Japan's No. 2 automaker has no campaign to sell the Fit hybrid in the U.S., but will commence it next year in Europe, where the model is known as the Jazz.

Honda on Friday also commenced a remodeled version of its regular Fit, one of the company's most admired models, selling more than 3.5 million of the cars as it was introduced in 2001.

The hybrid version uses a 1.3-leter i-VTEC conservative gasoline engine and electric motor, allowing it to achieve a mileage of 30 kilometers per liter, according to Japanese calculation methods, Honda said.

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Electric vehicles aspire for 'longest and greenest' world tour

GENEVA — Electric vehicles from Australia, Germany and Switzerland set off Monday on the "longest and greenest" round-the-world drive to endorse emissions free transport and November's world climate conference.

The UN-backed "Zero Race" is organized by Swiss schoolteacher Louis Palmer, who made headlines with his 18-month revolutionary world tour in a solar-powered "taxi" two years ago, picking up celebrities on the way.

"With this race we desire to show that seven billion people on this planet need renewable energy and clean mobility," said Palmer.

"Petrol is running out and the weather crisis is coming, and we are all running against time."

A South Korean vehicle failed to reach the begin line at the United Nations in Geneva in time after it broke down with "a minor battery problem" some 60 kilometers (37.3 miles) up the road, Palmer said.

It was due to join the extra three teams later in the day.

The Zero Race is forecast to stop off at the World Climate Conference in Cancun, Mexico, after touring through Europe, Russia, China, Canada and the United States before heading back to Geneva in January 2011.

Each plug-in electric vehicle can journey at least 250 kilometres on a single charge, with 80 days of driving time ahead of them.

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