The Fit EV – just like every other electric car?
At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda revealed its newest addition to its line of fuel alternative vehicles: the 2013 Fit EV. The first question that came to mind was “is this just another short-ranged, battery failing, attempt at an electric vehicle?” The answer? Well… we don’t know. It boasts a 123 mile per charge range for its one and only battery. Although the article does not define this in highway versus city driving, we know from previous releases that range isn’t always what it is cracked up to be. Also, having only one battery, how does the cost of replacing this one compare to other vehicles in the same class?
Honda is trying to conform to a new age of demand for highly efficient and sustainable forms of transportation. This new release may be a step up from previous vehicles but it still boasts the question: are battery powered vehicles truly better for our environment?Something that has come to my attention is the process of making the batteries and how it is in fact detrimental very to the environment. Copper mining in Canada, the product of this then shipped to Europe for refinement, eventually reaching Japan to be manufactured into the vehicles. How does this type of transportation for one battery compare to say… a lifetime of emissions from a Range Rover? This is something that needs to be examined when looking at the future of personal transportation. Honda did however, discuss their innovative strategies for creating natural gas and fuel cell models to develop further into this market.
The main point is when Cameron Diaz replaces her Toyota Prius with the new Honda Fit EV, boasting her environmental consciousness, is she really making a difference?
