Honda to help China in hybrids

TOKYO - Agence France-Presse

Honda Motor will provide its core hybrid car technologies to a number of Chinese automakers, eyeing to boost sales in the world’s largest car market, a report said yesterday. As Honda’s sales in China have long been sluggish, it aims to achieve a turnaround by aggressively pushing its hybrid vehicle technologies, the Japanese business daily Nikkei reported.

 “We hope that other automakers will use our IMA technologies,” one Honda executive told the business daily, referring to Honda’s hybrid system.

 “We want to set industry standards for hybrid technologies in the world’s biggest car market,” he was quoted as saying.

Historic competition

Historically, Japanese carmakers have been cautious about providing their cutting-edge hybrid technologies to other companies, due to fears of losing their competitive edge.

Honda’s bigger rival Toyota Motor said last year it will manufacture the third model of its Prius hybrid car and its key parts in China in a bid to boost sales there.

Volkswagen and General Motors plan to produce environmentally friendly vehicles in China, but are reluctant to talk about local production of key parts due to concerns over technology leaks, the Nikkei has earlier reported.