Compared to to about 15,000 Leafs now available, Honda's 2012 plan to lease 500 Fits in just a couple states seems kind of meager. 2012 Honda Fit EV - Official Site But - it's a start.
I thought there was a lot to like in the car, and the price is competitive. Honda says 120+ miles in easy city driving on a 20 kwh battery. That I doubt.
I must be missing something. Why does the "official site" list an MSRP, $36,625 USD, when the car is available only as a lease? :noidea:
I'm guessing this is equivalent to the Prius PHV test fleet, except Honda is making consumers pay for the cars, while Honda collects the data.
My guess goes like this: There's an EV1 de ja vu . . . . where if you say right up front, "Lease" ... it creaps users out. That said, when you can lease only, the manufacturer must amortize the lease over the value of the car. Thus, the Lease is based over the 2, 3, or 5 years that the manufacturer is going to lease the car over (plus mileage of course) ... then the balance of 'value' is left for the seller to do with as they wish ... wheter it's sell - keep - or crush. I hope it does well, and I hope that some time down the road, they actually sell them (if they're any good). But when you Lease, and when you only put them in a teeny market - you sevearly limit the number of customers - ah la Honda Insight Gen 1 ... or ah la Nissan Altima hybrid. It's like signing a car's death warrant imo. .
