Honda to roll out 1st plug-in hybrid model for sale in Japan

Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it will roll out its first plug-in hybrid model for sale in Japan, in an effort to catch up with domestic rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp.The Clarity PHEV, which can run 114.6 kilometers on a single charge, will debut on Friday at a price of 5.88 million yen ($52,000) with an annual sale target of 1,000 vehicles. The model had been available only for leasing.It takes only about 30 minutes to power the plug-in sedan to 80 percent of capacity with a rapid charger. A plug-in hybrid vehicle can run on gasoline when electricity starts to run low.Honda, Japan's thir…READ FULL ARTICLE