Honda, in an attempt to keep its Fit EV electric cars in the eyes of consumers mostly looking at the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, has dropped the price of the monthly lease. The drop, which was effective at the beginning of June, lowered for new and existing leases from $389 to $259.
The new three year lease program includes unlimited mileage, routine maintenance, collision coverage and a 240 volt EV home charging station at no extra cost. Installation of the charging station, however, is not covered. The vehicle remains one which needs to be returned to Honda unfortunately at the end of the 36 months. As we’ve talked about before, this is silly in our opinion and shows the Japanese automaker doesn’t really seem that serious about this market segment.
Honda Fit EV (image copyright EarthTechling)
Now that being said, if one is looking to try out an electric car for a few years just to see what it might be like to own one, the Fit EV might not be that bad of a choice. Besides the perks mentioned above as part of the three year lease, one only need pay $259 at lease signing, which is significantly less than what competitors are asking for. Also, the car does have some very impressive technical specifications, including an EPA mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe, an EPA-rated driving range of 82 miles and a low energy-consumption rating of 29 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles.
Under the hood the five passenger Fit EV’s electric drivetrain features a 20-kilowatt-hour lithium-Ion battery and a 92-kilowatt (123 horsepower) AC synchronous electric motor that generates 189 ft-lb of torque. This powertrain is teamed to a chassis with a fully-independent suspension and a driver-selectable 3-mode drive system.
The three modes which make up this car’s drive system vary up how handling and performance occurs, trading off efficiency for power as needed by the driver. Regardless of mode, Honda says, built-in regenerative braking helps return energy to the battery pack during deceleration and braking to extend range.
The Fit EV is currently available through a network of qualified Honda dealers in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island and Connecticut that will expand from 36 to more than 200 by the end of June. And, if you dig solar power, there’s also a partnership with SolarCity ”to install solar power with no upfront cost, allowing [consumers] to recharge their vehicle with clean, affordable power from the sun.”
