13^th February, 2001

Green Light: Australia’s first hybrid car to be Insight

The Federal Government Department of Transport has given official approval for mass sale of Australia’s first petrol-electric hybrid car, the Honda Insight.

The so-called "full-volume compliance plate approval" paves the way for the Honda Insight – widely acknowledged as the world’s most efficient petrol-powered production car – to go on sale to customers on March 5.

Insight becomes the first hybrid to achieve Australian compliance, meaning it meets all   of the stringent Australian Design Rules.

It consumes less than half the fuel of a conventional small car, thanks to a revolutionary petrol-electric drive train, ultra-low weight body and world-best aerodynamics.

According to official Australian Standard fuel consumption figures, the Insight sips just 3.6 litres per 100 km in city driving, compared with the Toyota Corolla’s 8lt/100km and Ford Falcon’s 11.5lt per 100km. On the open road, Insight achieves a remarkable 2.8lt/100km.

In the United States, the Environment Protection Agency has declared the Insight the most fuel-efficient car it has ever tested.

At the heart of the Insight’s fuel efficiency is Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist petrol-electric hybrid power train, which combines an ultra-fuel efficient petrol engine with a compact electric motor to reduce petrol demands.

The battery that powers the electric motor never needs external charging, as it is recharged during braking, recapturing energy usually lost in brake heat.