Honda unveiled its Fit Electric Vehicle in the U.S market in the month of July last year. Honda had a humble target of delivering 1,100 EVs on a two year lease. However, till May, 2013 the Japanese car major could deliver only 176 EVs. The reason is that the consumers don’t want to pay $389 per month for a Honda EV that can run around only for 82 miles per charge, when the gas powered variant is more fuel efficient with about half the price.

This price factor is a big obstacle for the auto companies, who are being pressurized by the U.S government to sell as many zero-emission vehicles as possible.

Honda Motors’s Fit EV, along with the other all electric vehicles from other manufacturers such as the Ford Focus and Toyota RAV4, are known as the limited-edition models in the auto industry that are produced to cater to the zero-emission sales needs. The Honda Fit EV is available only in car market of California as well as other states which has electric car quotas, where EVs are actually built and dealers are forced to sell them, according to the dealers.

This continuous pressure is making the car makers to try hard to make their EVs more efficient with competitive pricing. The one thing that definitely seem to work is leasing the EVs at attractive prices. As the Honda Fit EV stocks piled up at the dealerships, the Japanese car maker cut down the 36-month lease rate in this month to $259 per month, along with zero down payment and unlimited mileage.

Following this example other car companies, such as GM and Nissan are also offering very attractive lease prices. As a result, the demand for the Honda Fit jumped. Not only the Honda Fit stocks cleared but Honda could not keep up with the demand and had to put its consumers on waiting.

However, though Honda’s Fit EV has become really popular overnight, which would also make Honda meet the EV quotas, the discounted prices may affect the company adversely. Though the Japanese company is not exactly losing money on the EVs but the heavy discounted prices is giving the company very little or no profits.

This condition is faced by the other automobile giants as well who are forced to sell stipulated amounts of zero emission cars, even if the market is not ready to accept such cars, or the technology is not yet affordable. In order to make their situation known to the U.S government, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers wrote a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop California’s strict sales targets of EVs.

The auto manufacturers are trying to make the government understand that it will take substantial time and effort to increase the demand for the EVs. Till there is any other way of pushing the EVs or the U.S government becomes compassionate towards the car makers, Honda as well as its other colleagues will have to dispatch their EVs at throw away price.

Honda Motor Co. has come up with a micro size short distance EV commuter called the ‘Micro Commuter Prototype’. The vehicle was developed due to the need for micro sized mobility products, as articulated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan.

Honda intends to use vehicles based on this prototype model and will conduct demonstration testing in Japan in 2013, to test the potential of the vehicle in different uses like short distance transportation for families with small children, home delivery services, commuting and car sharing. The Micro Commuter Concept was first introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show 2011 and is now successfully materialized into the Micro Commuter Prototype which is a car spacious enough for one adult and two children. The rear seat can however be changed to accommodate one driver and an adult passenger.  The Micro Commuter Prototype aims at accommodating much into one compact vehicle, with up to date technology which will be a huge hit among customers. The architecture of the vehicle is based on the Variable Design Platform which fits in several vehicle features into its compact space. This further allows for the battery, motor and control units to be placed under the floor and in the rear space of the car.

Other features offered by this model are a user owned tablet device. The tablet enables navigation, meter display, audio and back up camera display. The car contains solar cells attached to the roof of the vehicle through which the tablet can be charged. This is still an ongoing research by Honda using solar energy to aid in driving.

Honda is also devising ways develop the CO2 reduction effect through collaboration with Honda Smart Home System (HSHS) which has already commenced demonstrations and testing in Saitama city, Japan. This initiative of Honda is to provide an environmental friendly car by studying how the level of CO2 can be reduced through optimized high energy management, rendering it an electric vehicle and household battery.

Honda is still committed to developing many more concepts and variables of this prototype to engender and contribute reduction in environmental pollution. The ability to also accommodate many components into a compact vehicle proves a high end level of engineering. The body of the car is designed to make it a light yet sturdy vehicle which is comfortable and easy to drive. The concept of providing an environmental friendly vehicle will help in reducing pollution, by minimizing carbon footprint.

This concept will prove to be highly useful in India which is known for its high emission levels causing grave concern of the pollution levels. In the near future the need for smaller cars and simultaneously for low cost cars is imminent and indispensable. Such concept cars as Honda’s Micro Commuter Prototype will serve multi-purposes in India, including use as taxis, small-scale transport systems, for new young drivers and will even find abundant use in the many new luxurious golf courses cropping up as also at senior citizen centre facilities.