Axon Automotive Plug-In Hybrid
Is that the original Honda Insight? At least one commenter on Green Car Congress agrees that the diminutive plug-in hybrid pictured to the left bears some likeness to the spunky fuel sipper that debuted back in 1999. (Of course the Insight didn't come with a plug.)
Resemblance aside, this is the product of Axon Automotive, a UK based company, which recently put the pre-production vehicle on display at the Milton Keynes Science Festival. The car has a full-electric mode for short trips and the engine, which runs on gas or bioethanol, picks up where the electricity leaves off.
The use of lightweight carbon fiber materials in conjunction with the fuel-saving powertrain allows Axon's creation to attain 100 mpg UK. Not to mention that the car's owner is relieved of paying UK's annual road tax, because the car emits so little CO2. Recycled materials (including jeans and pinstriped suits) are used throughout the two-seater's cabin, adding to the vehicle's eco-IQ.
Axon expects full-scale production throughout Europe by 2012 and is currently seeking investors. The company has already received $4.1 million from the UK government and an investor to help develop their prototype.
But seriously - this isn't the old Honda Insight, right? You be the judge:
2002 Honda Insight
Source: Green Car Congress
